ORLANDO DOLPHIN IS SPITTING IMAGE OF FLIPPER

LIP SERVICE: I get a kiss from Discovery Cove's rude dolphin Akai

It’s well-known that elephants never forget, but no creature has a longer memory than Akai the dolphin. Two years ago when I got into the water with him in Orlando’s Discovery Cove, he spat in my eye and then had the cheek to chuckle. When I went back this summer I was prepared to let bygones be bygones, but what did he do? Spat in my eye — after a mouthful of smelly sardines — and chuckled again. If a cork had come bobbing by I’d have bunged it in his breathing hole.

Swimming with dolphins is just one of the thrill-filled experiences that make Orlando the complete holiday destination. A bit more daring is hitching a lift in a hang glider, sky diving without a parachute, kayaking in a creek that’s home to alligators and viewing fireworks from above in a light aircraft, but the main attractions that enticed 51.5 million visitors in 2010 are year-round sunshine and theme parks. Oh, and 12 mammoth shopping malls and outlet centres where you can buy a big suitcase and fill it with the latest designer gear for half the price it would cost at home, so don’t arrive in Orlando weighed down with luggage. And don’t go out pubbing or clubbing at night without your passport as many establishments won’t let you in without ID, no matter how over-21 you are or look.

Even if you are turned away, it will be done with such charm that you’ll feel bad for having put the doorman to so much trouble. That’s typical of everyone who earns their livelihood from the hospitality sector — there are no Basil Fawltys in the world’s number one choice for family fun. Hotel, restaurant, bar, club and attractions staff comport themselves like graduates of the finest finishing schools, unlike some waiters and barmen I’ve met on my travels who’d be considered too nasty for the toughest reform schools.

Orlando has 450 hotels with 114,000 guests rooms, 5,000 restaurants, 176 golf courses (Tiger Woods, Arnold Palmer and Ernie Ells live there), seven of the most popular theme parks in the world and a climate to fry for — the daily high from October to May is 27C/81F, and from June to September it hits 32C/90F. The 800,000 seniors from colder northern states and Canada who descend on Orlando for the winter know a good thing when they see it — who needs to endure four feet of snow when you can enjoy four months of sunshine?

VIEWTIFUL: View from my room at the JW Marriott

The tourism authority (www.visitorlando.com) reckons it would take 67 days to properly visit all the parks and more than 100 other attractions, and nearly five years to eat in all the restaurants if you went to three a day, but if you’re there for only a week there’s still an awful lot you can pack in without feeling you’re on a whirlwind tour. Talking of whirlwinds, when I was last there the tail end of a hurricane dumped several lakes’ worth of rain in one day, flipped a couple of Cessnas on to their backs at the airport and bent palm trees so much that their tops were whipping the ground. August through October is the height of the hurricane season, but it’s rare for Orlando to suffer any great damage, though your pride might be dented if you have to walk around the Walt Disney World Resort in a dripping wet Pluto plastic poncho.

BROLLY GOOD SHOW: Tom and pals at Disney's Magic Kingdom

A few grey days aside, the sky is usually a beautiful holiday brochure blue, like all those swimming pools that can be seen dotting the landscape as your plane descends. But where’s the beach? It’s remarkable how many first-time visitors think Orlando’s by the seaside. It’s not: it’s 40 miles inland from the Atlantic and 60 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, which greatly weakens the hurricanes that cause such havoc in coastal communities. It also means there’s no chance of being eaten by a shark — the worst that can happen is a dolphin might spit in your eye, but that’s a small price to pay for being in holiday heaven.

There is a sandy beach, albeit man-made, at Discovery Cove (www.discoverycove.com) where you can spend the day sunbathing, swimming with rays and colourful tropical fish, whizzing down water chutes, riding an inflatable tube around the Wind-Away River and interacting with Akai and his bottlenose buddies. Being an all-inclusive resort — daily visitor numbers are limited to around 1,000 so it never feels crowded — the entrance fee covers breakfast, lunch, snacks, drinks, smoothies and ice cream throughout the day, wetsuits and vests, snorkels and masks and activities depending on your chosen package. Whichever price plan you opt for, be sure to include the up-close-and-personal dolphin encounter or you’ll be denying yourself the thrill of a lifetime. It isn’t cheap, but it’s an experience you’ll cherish and be talking about for years.

THRALL ABOARD: Magical Hogwarts Express in the Wizarding World

The most talked-about attraction of all, when you get your breath back, is the gasp-inducing Wizarding World of Harry Potter at the Universal Orlando Resort, and the most exciting ride on Earth is the Forbidden Journey deep within Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry (I say exciting as opposed to scary — I’ll come to the theme park rollercoasters soon). Visit the animated website (www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter) and within seconds you’ll be itching to visit the real thing, where you step through an archway to be greeted by the conductor of the Hogwarts Express, probably the most photographed guy in Orlando after Mickey Mouse. And there it is behind him, a full-scale replica of engine 5972 that pulls the train between platform 9¾ at London King’s Cross and Hogsmeade.

The moment you set eyes on that red and black steam locomotive, the snow-capped shops just beyond and the towering turrets of Hogwarts Castle in the distance, you’re transported into the magical world of JK Rowling’s seven books that have sold 450 million copies and the eight movies that have taken $7 billion at the worldwide box office.

All the shops are open for business and do a roaring trade, which is inevitable given the huge numbers of visitors each day and all day. Fans can’t get enough of the merchandise on sale in Zonko’s joke shop, Honeydukes sweet shop, Ollivanders wands, Dervish and Banges for Quidditch gear and Hogwarts uniforms and scarves and Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods where every imaginable type of Potter memento has spellbound Muggles spending money hand over fist. The magic words in the Wizarding World aren’t “Hey Presto!”, they’re “Cash or card?”, but you don’t save for a holiday in Orlando only to scrimp when you get there.

ONE CLASS ACT: Hogwarts Castle at Universal

Stocking up on souvenirs (do it on the way out to avoid carrying bags around) is hungry and thirsty work, so drop into the Three Broomsticks for some fish and chips, shepherd’s pie or mini Cornish pasties washed down with non-alcoholic butterbeer or pumpkin juice, or a more potent potion from the Hog’s Head pub through the back where dead-on-their-feet dads seek a sanity-saving break from shopping and gawping. You’ll either love or loathe butterbeer, a caramel-coloured sugar-rush that tastes of butterscotch and shortbread and comes in liquid and slushy varieties, but go easy with the latter — too big a gulp and you’ll get brain freeze.

If you’re prone to seasickness, eat and drink after your five-minute Forbidden Journey ride. It’s not a rollercoaster, it’s what’s called a dark ride robocoaster where the seats, or “enchanted benches”, are held above the track by a robotic arm. There are no loop-the-loops or high-speed corkscrew manoeuvres, nothing upside down and no face-contorting G-forces to contend with; however, this amazing mix of audio animatronics and wrap-around projection screens does involve unexpected drops, spins, twists and backward tipping and reaches 23mph/37kph as riders fly through a Floo Network following Harry and Ron Weasley on their broomsticks into the action of a Quidditch match. There are also close encounters with a fire-breathing dragon, a venom-spitting acromantula, a flailing Whomping Willow, Dementors and collapsing cliffs, with accompanying dramatic music and sound effects plus the screams of riders.

Be aware, though, that unless you join the Forbidden Journey queue before 9am or after 5pm, you’re in for a lengthy wait — upwards of 2½ hours at peak times — before your backside touches one of those enchanted benches, but believe me, it’s worth it. Just make sure you have plenty of water with you or you’ll faint before you get the chance to fly.

HIGH GUYS: Try a hang-gliding adventure at the Wallaby Ranch

I was flying — and silently praying — when I went tandem hang-gliding at Wallaby Ranch (www.wallabyranch.com) after being towed along the ground and 2,000 feet into the air by a guy piloting what appeared to be a propeller-powered bedstead masquerading as a plane. The knuckles of a corpse in the advanced stages of rigor mortis couldn’t have been tighter than mine as I clung to the forward crossbar for dear life, especially when the towrope was released. But then, as the hang-glider wobbled a bit and steadied, all was peaceful and calm and silent, except for the whoosh of the wind in my ears as we rode the thermals, soaring and swooping, and I relaxed my grip and enjoyed the views. For 10 minutes we rose and fell, dipped and dived, and then I got to wondering — how the hell do we get down from here? But I needn’t have worried. When the wheels on the hang-glider tickled the ground after a gentle descent, it was like landing in a field coated with marshmallows.

In stark contrast to my airborne adventure, kayaking in Shingle Creek (www.grandelakes.com/Eco-Tours-115.html), a three-minute golf buggy ride from the JW Marriott Grande Lakes Hotel where I stayed on both my visits to Orlando, was two hours of head-cleansing tranquillity. Until, that is, expedition leader, scientist and wise guy Carlos pointed to the riverbank a few feet from me and casually remarked: “Oh, look, there’s an alligator.” Never has a kayak been paddled in such a panic or so quickly. I went skimming across the surface of that creek faster than a torpedo with my arms going like a windmill in a gale and Carlos laughing his head off — the man-eater I’d imagined turned out to be a two-foot long baby. That’s all very well, but two-foot long babies have 13-foot long mothers which weigh up to 800 pounds, and I wasn’t going to hang around for an introduction. Scaredy-cat moment aside, being up the creek with a paddle and under the safe supervision of Carlos was probably the most carefree and relaxing way of spending a morning before setting out for a day in the theme parks.

PADDLE DO NICELY: Kayaking in peaceful Shingle Creek

Universal Orlando Resort’s Islands of Adventure (www.universalorlando.com) is home to the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit, a rollercoaster with speakers in the headrests that let you listen to a soundtrack of your choice as you shoot around the track at 65mph. At 17 storeys high this is Orlando’s tallest coaster. It includes a 167-foot vertical lift and is very scary indeed — the last time I saw so many people blessing themselves I was in Saint Peter’s Square.

The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man, in which riders follow Spidey as he chases a gang who’ve stolen the Statue of Liberty, is widely regarded as setting the standard in 3D filmed images. The simulated 400-foot freefall leaves faces white with fright.

Jump aboard the hilarious Simpsons Ride and enjoy a simulated rollercoaster tour of Springfield and Krustyland projected in quadruple high definition on an 80-foot diameter dome. As you might expect, Krusty the Clown’s budget for maintaining his creaking attractions is non-existent, so riders are in for a destructive journey in the company of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, Maggie and many other favourite characters.

The Incredible Hulk Coaster takes off with the same force as a Top Gun fighter jet leaving an aircraft carrier, going from 0 to 40mph in just two seconds and reaching 67mph as it careers through loops and bends for 2¼ terrifying minutes. Not for the faint-hearted.

If a go on the Incredible Hulk hasn’t dampened your appetite for thrills and spills, the Jurassic Park River Adventure’s 85-foot plunge — like going over the Niagara Falls — will leave you drenched, but after 10 minutes of walking around in the sunshine your clothes will be dry again.

WATER YOU WAITING FOR: Thrilling Jurassic Park River Adventure

From getting a ducking we move on to diving, or rather floating, in a vertical wind tunnel at iFly Orlando (www.iflyorlando.com), which is a must-do experience. There’s no need to pull on a parachute and jump from a plane, just lean forward and you’ll be riding a column of air from giant fans beneath the grille in the floor. You’ll be up and down like a fiddler’s elbow to start with, but once you get the hang of it with the help of an instructor, indoor skydiving is easy-peasy. Unless, that is, you’re like me. I did more falling than flying, which resulted in some pretty spectacular handstands, but at least the kids watching through the glass walls got a laugh. It’s best to make a reservation as this is so popular that turning up on spec might result in a long wait or disappointment.

Another air-raising experience I’d recommend is seeing fireworks from above — well above and out of range — or getting a daytime bird’s eye view of the theme parks from a light aircraft with Mauiva Air Tours (www.mauivaairtours.com). I took the nightly fireworks flight out of Kissimmee airport with baby-faced pilot Blake Taylor who on landing said I was the quietest passenger he’d ever had. He’d been chatting away for 30 minutes, pointing out all the illuminated landmarks, and wondered why I hadn’t responded. When I told him I hadn’t heard a word, he realised he hadn’t switched my headphones on, but I’m sure it was a fascinating commentary.

AIR WE GO: Sign up for indoor skydiving at iFly Orlando, a must-do

One of the major highlights of a holiday in Orlando is seeing the performing killer whales during a day out at the out-of-this-world SeaWorld (www.seaworldparks.com). The Shamu Show, One Ocean has adults and children alike whooping with delight, especially when those sitting closest to the pool get a soaking when these black and white giants of the sea send a tidal wave of water over them. However, as mentioned above, the heat of the sun ensures that those who get drenched are dry again before they know it.

Apart from being a venue for fabulous family entertainment, SeaWorld is a world leader in the conservation of endangered marine creatures, especially the curious, unimaginably slow-moving manatee which at first sight appears to be part walrus, part lava lamp and is native to Florida’s sub-tropical waters, the Caribbean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Amazon Basin and West Africa. Looking at it in its SeaWorld pond where no one can harm it, it’s a big blob of blubber that only a mother manatee could love. However, in the wild these placid animals which feed for up to eight hours a day and rest for up to 12 have been hunted for their meat and had their habitats destroyed.

WHALE OF A TIME: Fabulous Shamu Show, One World at SeaWorld

Cinderella’s Castle is the dreamy, iconic image imprinted on everyone’s mind when the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom Park (http://www.disneyworld.disney.go.com/) is mentioned. This fairytale fortress surrounded by a sparkling moat has children staring in wide-eyed wonder at its soaring turrets and spires, and who knows what medieval adventures involving jousting knights and beautiful princesses fill their little heads?

Fans of TV talent shows will love American Idol Experience and, with a bit of luck, could take the first steps towards a glittering music career by stepping on stage and impressing the judges in front of a supportive audience of fellow holidaymakers who get to vote for their favourite acts. Continuing the music theme, the 60mph indoor Rock ’n’ Rollercoaster with blaring hits from Aerosmith as you shoot around the track in a stylised stretch limo is one of the best rides in Orlando and for many the highlight of a visit to Disney Hollywood Studios. Here also you’d be mad to miss a go on the frightening freight elevator in the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, which rises to the 13th floor before falling down the shaft, rising again and, without warning, plunging once more — real heart-in-mouth stuff.

The Disney highlight for me, though, was a tour of the 500-acre Animal Kingdom Park which is home to 1,700 animals from 250 species. Having never been on a real safari, this was the next best thing, being driven around in an open-sided truck while viewing giraffes, hippos, elephants, lions and gorillas.

If you’re visiting Orlando with small children, Disney is unbeatable, but for teenagers and adults, Universal is the place to go. SeaWorld and Discovery Cove will be enjoyed by visitors of all ages.

HOUSE THAT: Give Kids the World's magical Gingerbread House

Every Thursday year-round is Christmas Day in Give Kids the World Village, because many of the small children and teenagers who spend a cost-free week in this 140-villa resort with their families have life-threatening illnesses that mean they may not live to see their next Christmas. Away from the fun and frolics of the parks, a morning’s voluntary stint serving breakfast there was a humbling, heart-rending and overwhelming experience. The story that moved me to tears was that of a five-year-old boy suffering from leukaemia whose dearest wish was to see his parents married in the village’s beautiful little chapel. The good people at GKTW who since 1986 have hosted 100,000 families from throughout the USA and 72 countries worldwide made it happen for him. A few days after watching his parents exchange their vows and with his dream realised, he passed away.

It costs $12 million a year to run the non-profit Give Kids the World and put smiles on the faces of dying children. If you’d like to volunteer a little of your holiday time while in Orlando or make a donation, see www.gktw.org.

WHAT’S NEW?

On October 15 the world’s biggest Legoland opens with more than 50 rides, shows and interactive attractions on a 150-acre site at Winter Haven, 45 minutes’ drive from Orlando. Highlights include Miniland USA with Lego models of Florida, Las Vegas, Washington DC and New York City, a factory tour where you can see how Lego bricks are made and rollercoasters. The park has unveiled a new online reservations programme allowing visitors to book tickets, accommodation and hire cars. See http://www.legoland.com/

FAMILY FUN: Aquazone Wave Racer at new Legoland

WHERE TO STAY

As I said, I’ve stayed twice at the family-friendly, 1,000-room JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes (www.grandelakes.com), and if I’m lucky enough to visit Orlando again and have the choice I wouldn’t bunk down anywhere else. It’s only 15 minutes from the airport and the main theme parks, so it’s the ideal base. Guests enjoy full use of the spa with 40 treatment rooms and fitness centre in the adjoining Ritz-Carlton Hotel, and there’s a Greg Norman-designed championship golf course next door. On-site lunch and dinner options include Italian restaurant Primo, the Citron brasserie, the Quench poolside bar and grill, a sushi bar, Cafe Bodega and a Starbucks, while in the Ritz-Carlton there’s the Vineyard Grill steakhouse, the acclaimed and classy Norman’s offering New World Cuisine and the Bleu poolside restaurant.

WHERE TO EAT

I was delighted to see the menu in Galician restaurant Ceviche (www.ceviche.com) in downtown Orlando featured many of my favourite Spanish dishes, so I tucked into squid, octopus, hake, patatas bravas and several other tasty treats like a man who hadn’t eaten for days. More than 100 hot and cold tapas are on offer, as well as paella and cazuelas. The champagne sangria is amazing.

The atmosphere in Crave (www.craveamerica.com), close to the Mall at Millennia, is chic yet casual, and the sushi has won a string of awards, as has the wine list. If you like steak you’ll love the grilled rib eye with Yukon mashed potatoes, tempura onions, blue cheese and red wine reduction.

Forget about cutlery, but grab a bib, in Bubba Gump Shrimp Co (www.bubbagump.com) in Universal Orlando’s CityWalk and get stuck in with your fingers. Mountains of baby back ribs and shrimp are the staples.

Amura (www.amura.com) operates three Japanese restaurants in Orlando, each as good as the others and all regular winners of best-this and best-that awards. There simply aren’t enough superlatives to describe how good the food is, so you’ll have to take my word that they’re all three-mendous.

Sweet Tomatoes (www.souplantation.com), at Lake Buena Vista and several other Orlando locations, is a grab-a-tray, help-yourself, all-you-can-eat restaurant chain where the locals go to fill up. It’s cheap and cheerful and, as our French friends might say, tray bien.

IT'S SPAN-TASTIC: Tapas heaven at Galician restaurant Ceviche

˜See www.visitorlando.com where you’ll find an itinerary-building tool offering holiday ideas and the facility to buy attraction tickets. See also www.americanholidays.com or call Dublin 01 673 3840, Cork 021 236 4636 or Belfast 02890 511840.

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Kajitsu: Fine Day, Fine Meal

I sidled up to the bar, the seats of choice for observing a masterful hand at work. Kevin, my dining companion for the evening, had already arrived and was speaking softly to Chef Masato Nishihara. Unlike Urasawa, Nishihara was not particularly talkative, but both adopted the humble shyness of Japanese artists. Kevin had emailed me a few weeks ago to join him for an impromptu meal at the only Japanese shojin-ryori restaurant with two Michelin stars in America. "Buddhist vegetarian food?" I wondered to myself. Given my recent experience with Vietnamese Buddhist cooking in San Francisco, I jumped at the invitation.

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When eating with Kevin, there is no real choice. We ordered the more extensive tasting menu of the two with accompanying sake pairing ($34). The Hana meal set included nine courses for $70, to which we added two supplemental dishes. While $70 may seem like a steal for a nine course tasting menu, you have to consider how much money you save from having no meat or seafood dishes. While I'm not entirely certain that shojin style cuisine is completely vegan, I didn't detect any trace of animal products in the food.


Terrine of Autumn Vegetables, chestnut crumbs, parsnip puree
Azumaichi (junmai ginjo)

The first course was the prettiest of the evening. Varied and complex vegetable patterns peaked through a gelee, set on a carved plate of wood. The colors were meant to evoke changing seasons. I ate from left to right, while Kevin went the opposite direction. It was a refreshing start to the meal, but too many textures and flavors to form a coherent impact. However, visually, this dish was stunning and showed precise execution that I would expect for the rest of the meal. Kevin remarked at the oddness of parsnip in a Japanese dish. The first sake of the night started fairly sweet, a decent pairing to this floral dish.


Red Miso Soup, maitake mushroom tempura, Japanese eggplant

The dense color of the soup comes from the aging process for the miso, which supposedly enhances the umami flavors and brininess of the soup. While the soup itself was pleasant, the highlight of this dish was the maitake tempura, perched a top a bundle of nasu and elevating it above the liquid. I have never seen maitake tempura, but the crispiness paired with the meaty mushroom and a hint of Japanese mustard convinced me to try this one at home.


Grilled Nama-Fu, miso ($9)

Our set menu was interrupted by the first of our supplements. Nama-fu is wheat gluten, a common vegan meat substitute. It can be formed into different shapes. Here, the lighter block is mixed with rice flour, while the darker one has contains millet flour. Honestly, both tasted the same to me. Both had the texture of a grilled mochi, pliable on the outside, chewy and toothsome on the inside.


Aburi Age ($6)

It's somewhat disingenuous to call this a simple dish. While it may seem simple, the execution in keeping a crisp exterior with a spongy center was elegant in it's simplicity. The pairing with green onions and soy made this one of my favorite selections of the evening. Pictured in the back is also the optional thickened soy sauce and shichimi pepper.


House Udon, goma-dare
Born (junmai daiginjo)

The difference between house-made udon and frozen udon is akin to the difference fresh and dried pasta. Here, each noodle had the proper bite and bounce. Dipped, soba style, in a mixture of sesame sauce, green onion, and chaoyte, it made a little mess on my shirt. But the flavors were so fresh, I could easily eat this udon for a meal on its own. The sake had a dry, rice flavor with a rice aroma.


Slow Simmered Taro, Carrot, Mizuna, Kabocha, Tofu, Burdock
Sasaichi (junmai)

It's impossible to eat at Kajitsu without marveling at the colors of the dishes. Chef Nishihara trained in kaiseki dining, where presentation is an dominant aspect of the meal. Beauty in simplicity could be a mantra painted on the wall in detailed brush strokes. Did I mention that the Chef signed the menu after the meal with a calligraphy brush? This dish is a composite of various vegetables, each cooked separately to varied doneness and compiled in a soy broth. The colors struck me immediately, and I mistook that bright redness for a tomato. I bit into it and found the sweetness of a carrot. The lump in the back is satoimo, taro. I especially enjoyed the topping of yuzu shavings.


Assorted Grilled Vegetables, smoked soy sauce, hibiscus leaf, matsutake mushroom croquet, nama-fu
Kokuryu (ginjo)

The main course was actually the most disappointing. While each component was good on its own right, I felt that the plate lacked a unifying theme. The croquet, an intriguing ball of textures, could have been a separate dish on its own. The nama-fu made a reappearance. Had I known it would've been part of the tasting course, I would not have ordered it separately. However, this time, the cubes of wheat gluten were topped with soba sauce and a dash of wasabi, a flavor profile I though matched better than the soy sauce and shichimi. Since this was the main course, the kokuryu sake was served in a larger glass. Although I can't say much for the pairing, the sake was well-timed because it was my favorite of the night and I had the most of it to drink.



Hijiki Rice, black sesame, konnyaku, puffed rice, house pickles
Daishichi (kimoto)

While you usually won't see a rice course on a tasting menu, I wasn't surprised to see this dish as part of the kaiseki meal. The rice itself was cooked to perfection, as can be expected. Flavors of the hijiki seaweed permeated the rice. I added a few spoonfuls of the puffed rice for texture, but it was unnecessary. Eating the rice with the accompanying pickles, I imagined creating gourmet onigiri, each filled with a different pickled center. The daishichi sake returned to a dryness, considering it no longer needed strong rice notes to pair with a rice dish.


Photo credit: KevinEats
Sweet Potato Kinton, coconut tofu cream

The dessert course was a Japanese confection made of sweet potato with a center of coconut "cream." Biting into it, my first taste reaction was actually renkon or lotus. The waitress didn't mention any lotus among the ingredients, so something about the combination of flavors gave me that sensation.



Matcha, Kyoto Kagizen-yoshifusa candies

According to Kevin, Kagizen-yoshifusa is a renowned confectioner in Kyoto. The tiny candies we received were flavored green tea, plain, and shiso. Each had a burst of sweetness and quickly dissolved to nothing on your tongue, especially when followed by a sip of the freshly made green tea. Chef Nishihara made each bowl himself with exquisite care. Even as the end to a long meal, the tea had an accompanying ceremony.


Chef Masato Nishihara preparing the post meal tea.

Taken from the website, "Kajitsu means 'fine day' or 'day of celebration' in Japanese. We have chosen the name Kajitsu hoping that a visit here will always be a special occasion for our guests."

This principle is reflected in the friendly service we encountered. Considering service, decor, and general ambiance play such a definitive role in Michelin ratings, I can see how this restaurant garnered such acclaim. Yet if I were to compare this two star establishment to the other Japanese two star restaurant I've tried, Urasawa would be a step above. I can't say surely whether that meant Kajitsu should be lowered or Urasawa raised, although it's a moot point now that Michelin is out of Los Angeles. No matter the rating, this is an excellent place to bring a vegetarian or if you feel like a detox. I noticed the lack of meat, but I didn't miss it. Kevin and I thought we would walk out hungry, but we were plenty satisfied.

Kajitsu
kajitsunyc.com
414 E. 9th St. (between 1st and A)
East Village, 10009
(212) 228-4873
$50/$70 tasting menus

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Foodbuzz Tastemaster: Kikkoman Karaage Coating Mix

One of my favorite sides with a bowl of udon is a plate of chicken karaage. Unlike Korean fried chicken, Japanese fried chicken is not inexplicably expensive. But if you're looking to save even more money, here's a box kit.

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Karaage, at its simplest, is soy, ginger and garlic marinated meat or vegetable fried in potato starch and wheat flour. It's a comfort to see that's mostly what the ingredient list on the box consisted of.



Though Kikkoman suggests chicken too, I kept to the classic chicken. I happily noted that the recipe on the box suggests dark meat chicken thigh. Dark meat is certainly the preferred cut for something like this. And if you prefer white meat, you probably should stick to KFC and Popeye's.


The box contains two coating packets, each sufficient for 1 1/2 lbs of chicken. It's a simple shake and fry recipe. Though the serving instructions are to pan fry, and that's what I ended up doing, I imagine that a proper deep fry is really the way to go. In fact, the instructions are so simple, the recipe doesn't merit repeating here. Instead, in the future I think I'll try variations with vegetables like burdock, carrots, and sweet potato. I do have this note of caution however, the top picture of my chicken in the pan is overcrowded. It is imperative you leave enough space in the pan so that the coating comes out properly crisp instead of soggy or powdery.

The chicken fries quickly in two to four minutes. While Kikkoman suggests serving with Kikkoman banded ponzu, I thought the chicken was salty enough in the coating mix and went best with just a squeeze of lemon. Though it may not be traditional, a quick dust of Japanese shichimi red pepper gives the chicken a spicy kick while still keeping oriental in flavor.

*I received my Kikkoman Karaage Soy-Ginger Seasoned Coating Mix as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program.
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KRAKOW: MY LOVE AFFAIR (AND A WEDDING)

I heard the Trabant long before I saw it. I even smelled the Trabant long before I saw it. And when the cloud of exhaust fumes eventually cleared and I did see it, I wondered if it might be wiser to feign illness rather than get in for a tour of the Nowa Huta industrial district on the outskirts of Krakow.

But I needn’t have worried. Driver-guide Lukasz’s wife was expecting their first child any day, and there was no way the dreadlocked gentle giant who just about fitted behind the wheel was going to jeopardise being at the birth by risking a run-in with a tram. How Mrs. Lukasz felt about being driven to hospital in the middle of the night in a plastic car with an engine notorious for overheating and a plastic shell prone to melting, I don’t know. On the plus side, after inhaling all those gas oil fumes en route she wouldn’t have needed an epidural.

The sprawling Nowa Huta (New Steel Mill) was Stalin’s ‘gift’ to Krakow, where the England soccer team will be based for Euro 2012. It was a new workers’ city of towering tenements that aimed to redress much of the socio-economic imbalance in the old town where the stinking rich had for centuries lorded it over the smelly poor. But I don’t suppose Uncle Joe received many thank-you letters from the dispossessed farmers, generations of whom had worked the land owned by the Catholic Church on which building began in 1949.

Crazy Guides (www.crazyguides.com) offers two-hour Trabant tours of Nowa Huta (€33/£28 per person), and if you get a driver-guide as amiable and knowledgeable as Lukasz you’ll agree time does indeed fly when you’re enjoying yourself. Highlights include a visit to an apartment furnished in Soviet-era style where you can toast your good luck with a glass of vodka that you weren’t brought up under Communist rule and watch a propaganda film on a crackly old TV set. Such mind-numbing fare was staple viewing for Nowa Huta’s 200,000 residents, 38,000 of whom worked in the steel mill, but at least they didn’t have to put up with EastEnders, or they’d have been queuing to dive into the blast furnace.

I’ve been going to Krakow for long weekends several times a year since I first went in September 2008 on the recommendation of my friend Justyna Samolyk who’s from there but lives and studies in Belfast. I was back in Poland’s top tourist city three weeks ago (my 17th visit) for Justyna’s marriage to Belfast boy Brendan Bell, another friend of mine, in the splendid Church of St Augustine and John the Baptist. Call me a sentimental fool, but as I was present when they first met in the Oak Lounge of the Errigle Inn on the Ormeau Road it was an especially moving moment to see them exchanging their vows.

A moving moment of an altogether different kind came two minutes before Justyna and her dad walked down the aisle when usher Brendy McKeown, whose sole responsibility on the day was to seat the bride’s family and friends on the right and the groom’s on the left, suddenly realised he’d boobed and triggered a mad scramble to swap sides.

There was no such panic as I sat sipping a beer in the sunshine in the 13th century main square, Rynek Glowny, above, a couple of days before the ceremony. Weddings in Poland are marathon affairs that can last four days, so I was taking it nice and easy when a little old lady came over to my table, babbled something and thrust a pamphlet into my free hand. On the front were two photos side by side, one showing a big fat grumpy-looking guy with “PRZED” above it and the other of his thinner, happier self labelled “PO”. My Polish isn’t great, but I recognise “BEFORE” and “AFTER” when I see them. She’d given me a flyer for WeightWatchers.

This might have had something to do with my liking for Poland’s national dish, bigos, which has left me with a bit of a paunch. Bigos is a stodgy but delicious stew you can stand your spoon up in that contains chunks of beef, pork, venison, wild boar, smoked bacon, several sorts of sausage, sauerkraut, shredded white cabbage, onion, wild mushrooms, caraway seeds, black pepper and red wine. If there’s room, you can add a bayleaf. All this is simmered on a low heat over a couple of days or more, and left-over cuts of meat from other meals are thrown in as it bubbles away. The end result is God’s gift to gluttons, though I prefer to say gourmets.

Every Polish mother takes huge pride in her particular version of bigos, and every young Pole working in Ireland and Britain brings back a big frozen lump of it in their hold luggage after a visit home. As long as their return flights aren’t delayed they’ve nothing to worry about and can look forward to a traditional feast with their friends or housemates. But if that stuff starts to melt and leaks from its Tupperware container, the airport sniffer dogs go nuts. Worse, it takes about three hot washes to remove the stains from clothes, and even then they still smell of stew.

The best bigos I’ve had in Krakow is served not in a fancy, expensive restaurant but in cheap and cheerful Kuchnia u Doroty (Dorothy’s Kitchen) where the locals eat, at 25 Miodowa Street in the Jewish Quarter, Kazimierz. If you’re really hungry, ask for the potato pancakes (placki) with goulash which will have you loosening your belt before you’re even halfway through, so don’t order a starter. If you’re just peckish, have some zurek (sour dough) soup followed by a plate of pierogi (stuffed dumplings). The WeightWatchers lady would approve of Dorothy’s beetroot soup (barszcz) with little mushroom dumplings, but if you go for this, sit very close to the table to avoid getting bright red drips in your lap. Barszcz is delicious, or as online reviewer Natalie wrote, “really tasty with a capital S”.

Another great Kazimierz restaurant is Ariel, above, at 18 Szeroka Street. The website critiques are mixed, with some people loving it, some hating it, and others moaning that it’s a rip-off, but I’ve had dinner there several times and have no complaints about the Jewish cuisine or the prices. In fact, it’s worth the cost of the flight just to try the speciality of the house, Berdytchov soup, a heavenly concoction of beef, beans, honey, cinnamon and paprika, the recipe for which is a closely-guarded secret going back generations. I don’t think even waterboarding would get it out of them. An added bonus of dining in Ariel is the live Klezmer music provided by some of the country’s most distinguished musicians while you eat (try the stuffed goose necks).

Steven Spielberg and the stars of his 1993 Oscar-winning Schindler’s List frequented Ariel when they were filming in Krakow, which is home to the enamelware factory where German industrialist Oskar Schindler employed and protected Jews from the Nazis. Just over 68,000 Jews lived in Krakow, mostly in Kazimierz, before German troops entered the city on September 1, 1939; eight months later, 53,000 of them were ordered out, ostensibly to be resettled in the surrounding countryside. In March 1941 the Krakow ghetto was established in the Podgorze district on the other side of the Vistula river, and the 15,000 Jews left in Kazimierz were force marched there to live four families to an apartment in an area that had been home to just 3,000 people. Conditions became even more appalling in October of the same year when 6,000 Jews from outlying villages were moved in. The systematic ‘liquidation’ of the ghetto took place between October 1942 and the following March when 19,000 people were transported in cattle trucks to slave labour and extermination camps. On March 13 and 14 some 2,000 starving souls considered unfit for work were shot dead in the streets. Today, around 1,000 Jews live in Krakow.

Diagonally opposite Ariel is the Remuh cemetery, established in 1533. Located beside the synagogue of the same name, its gravestones were smashed to pieces by Hitler’s henchmen and used for paving, while the cemetery itself was turned into a rubbish dump. Years later, many of the stones were recovered and put back together, and those beyond saving were incorporated in one of the renovated graveyard’s interior walls, below, as a reminder of man’s inhumanity to man.

If any greater reminder were needed, a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau where the Nazis murdered 1.1 million Jews and 200,000 Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, gypsies and members of other ethnic groups is a hugely sobering experience that proves overwhelming for many visitors. Tickets including return transport and a guided tour of Auschwitz, 65 kilometres west of Krakow, are available from most hotel reception desks and several excursion agencies throughout town for around €40/£35 per person.

Krakow can be bone-chillingly cold in winter and swelteringly hot in summer. The average high in January is 0C/33F and in July and August it’s 21C/71F (it was  minus 14C when I took my Trabant tour in February and 20C for the wedding last month). The temperate spring, summer and autumn conditions make these the best times to visit, when life is lived outdoors and lunching and dining alfresco are a joy. Better still, the city authorities are intolerant of rowdy stag and hen parties that have made Dublin’s Temple Bar, Amsterdam and Prague such a pain, so you’re unlikely to be bothered by boozed-up buffoons. That’s not to say stags and hens aren’t welcome. Rather, they’re simply expected to behave and show a bit of respect for those who haven’t gone there to have bums and boobs flashed in their faces.

The best-known and most photographed face in Krakow belongs to sculptor Igor Mitoraj’s work, Eros Bendato (Eros Bound, otherwise known as the Big Head), in the main square. It’s hollow, meaning you can climb inside and stick your head through the eye holes for a quirky pic. Another popular pose, particularly with kids, is to stick a hand in one of the nostrils, which makes for a quirky pick. The bronze Big Head, below, serves as both a piece of art and a meeting place for friends who might be staying in different hotels or get separated while wandering around. It’s right in front of the Vis a Vis bar where you can sit and enjoy a pint of lager for just 8 zloties (€1.90/£1.70) — the cheapest beer in the square — while watching the world go by. Next door is Harris Piano Jazz Bar, the funkiest live music venue in town which is perfect for starting or ending an evening.

The old town (Stare Miasto), a World Heritage Site that was spared the destruction of the Luftwaffe’s bombs, is home to some fabulous restaurants. My long-time favourite is Miod i Wino (Honey and Wine) at 32 Slawkowska Street, an olde worlde joint that wouldn’t look out of place in a medieval era movie. It’s not for vegetarians, which is the case with most restaurants, as the menu is almost exclusively meat, poultry, fowl and game. The speciality dish, presented with great fanfare, is “meats skewered on a flaming sword and served by a monk to the sound of a trumpet”. I’m not convinced of the monk’s bona fides, but the dish is exactly as described and its arrival always gets a big cheer, as does the resident traditional music group.

The entertainment is a lot livelier in cellar restaurant Morskie Oko (8 Plac Szczepanski, just off the square) where the focus is on regional cuisine and diners at long tables are treated to up-tempo folk music while whooping dancers in splendid folk costume whirl like Dervishes. Pod Wawelem (26 Gertrudy Street, opposite the impressive Wawel Castle) provided some impromptu entertainment when a four-piece Spanish rock band sat down near me and proceeded, it appeared, to order everything on the menu, washed down with an endless supply of lager. Loaded plates and overflowing litre tankards kept arriving and were emptied in record time, and I got glared at a couple of times for gawping, not at the three big beefy fellas shovelling food down their throats but at the sole skinny female member of the band who was effortlessly keeping up with the guys. I reckon she must have been sneakily  feeding a Great Dane under the table. Either that or she has hollow legs.

As with Pod Wawelem, below, which serves huge portions of just about every animal that stepped aboard Noah’s Ark, it’s best to make a reservation and avoid disappointment if you want to eat in Krakow’s consistently best restaurant, Miod Malina (40 Grodzka Street). I’ve dined there as often as I have in Miod i Wino, and I’ve yet to find fault with anything. The spare ribs from the wood-burning oven are out of this world. So are the banana and apple toasted sandwiches with a honey dip in Cafe Zakatek, a little hidden gem opposite the bike hire shop up the alleyway at 2 Grodzka Street. This is where I have breakfast every time I’m in Krakow, and I swore to myself I’d never tell anyone about it, but the more customers Zakatek gets the more tips the charming girls who work there will get. As long as it isn’t invaded by hungry hordes while I’m sipping my tea and reading my book, I don’t mind revealing the secret.

Don’t bother trying to read in Bar Singer (Plac Nowy, in Kazimierz) unless you’ve brought your night vision goggles. Here it’s all red velvet curtains and candles, which gives the impression you’ve walked in on a seance. However, the only spirits you’ll encounter are in bottles behind the bar, though I have seen a couple of customers who appeared not to know if they were in this world or the next.

That said, it’s by far the coolest — and darkest — bar in town and the preferred hip hangout for artists, actors, writers and musicians, none of whom I know from Adam, but going by the welcome some receive and the number of drinks sent over by admirers they must be somebodies. If you’re into people watching, grab a stool at the bar or grope your way to a table (they have sewing machines on them, hence the bar’s name) and settle down for a fascinating free show while the most eclectic selection of world music plays from the speakers. Those who enjoy a glass of wine should order a double as the measures are so miserly (100ml) they’d make Ebenezer Scrooge blush.

If you’re looking for something to read, the Massolit second-hand English language bookshop at 4 Felicjanek Street, five minutes’ walk from the main square, is a bibliophile’s dream, but resist the temptation of buying too much if you’re flying with Ryanair — one paperback over the baggage limit and they’ll throw the book at you. Occupying a former shop and next door apartment, it has more than 20,000 titles on its ceiling-high shelves. The first time I dropped by there were so many people walking around carrying stepladders I thought they had the decorators in.

Don’t mention steps to the guy who does the cleaning at the 13th century Wieliczka Salt Mine — he’s got 378 of them to sweep every morning before the first busload of tourists arrives. After the anti-clockwise descent to the first level, at 64 metres, visitors (1.2 million a year) have been leaning to the left for so long that they find themselves walking in a circle when they eventually set foot on the salt floor. The tour (buy your €38/£33 ticket in Krakow to avoid the queues at the on-site kiosk) including transport and an English-speaking guide lasts 90 minutes and covers a distance of 2.5 kilometres, taking you to a depth of 135 metres where the temperature is a naturally constant 14C. Farther down, yet still above sea level as the town of Wieliczka is on an elevated site, there’s a private sanatorium for asthma, allergy and skin condition sufferers.

A 30-minute bus ride from the centre of Krakow, the mine is a mind-blowing marvel. The Chapel of Saint Kinga, 101 metres underground, makes the first century Jordanians who fashioned the Treasury at Petra in a sandstone rockface look like amateurs compared to the miners who dug this vast cathedral out of salt. More recently, a statue of Pope John Paul II, carved from a block of the stuff you sprinkle on your chips by miner-sculptor Stanislaw Aniol and installed in the chapel in 1999, has become an even more revered attraction since his beatification four months ago.

The former Archbishop of Krakow died in 2005, but statues, portraits and posters throughout the city, like that above outside the Holy Cross Church announcing a series of commemorative masses, are evidence of the special place he occupies in the hearts of his fellow Poles. Karol Jozef Wojtyla loved Krakow, and was loved in return. I love Krakow, too, which is why I return so often. Like the 40-second elevator ride back to the surface of the salt mine, every visit to my favourite weekend destination is an uplifting experience.

˜ A regular shuttle train connects Krakow’s John Paul II airport with the city centre. Tickets for the 18-minute journey cost 10 zloties (€2.40/£2.10) on board.

˜ See www.cracow-life.com, www.inyourpocket.com/poland/krakow and www.krakow.pl

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