Last night in Tokyo, living a #Travelife, we went out for a very nice Italian dinner in the Azabu district and reminisced about the good old days of the bubble economy, when the Japanese stock market was at 36,000.

As we had all lived through the bubble economy, and two of the guys had been pretty big fish at that time — and they probably still are — we had lots in common to talk about.

JUST LIKE IN THE BUBBLE DAYS

And in keeping with the bubble economy tradition, one of the guys sent over his stretch limousine with a driver in white gloves to pick up us two girls from our respective houses.

Fortunately we live in the same neighbourhood so the car didn’t have to go very far for either of us.

 

In Santorini last September, living a #Travelife

TOKYO’S BEST RESTAURANTS

At dinner, we talked about the institutions of the bubble economy — where everyone went when cash was awash in the city and people were falling all over each other to try and spend it faster than the others.

Someone said: “El Toula.”

This was a very expensive Italian restaurant in Aoyama that fashioned itself as an outpost of a famous Northern Italian restaurant, way before the Michelin Guide hit Japan gave us so many other options. El Toula was the Italian place at that time.

All the bigwigs of Tokyo ate at El Toula, and the finance industry people liked to show up at El Toula all the time. 

If they had a good week, they went to celebrate; and if they had a bad week, they went to recuperate.

Either way, they went there and dented the credit card quite a bit each time.

 

THE TOP RESTAURANTS OF JAPAN

Then I said: “Les Saisons of the Imperial Hotel, and Tour D’Argent at the New Otani.” Another person added: “Apicius.”

These were also big bubble economy places, and Les Saisons was the power breakfast and power lunch place for high-flyers.

 

JOEL ROBUCHON IN TOKYO

Someone also mentioned Chateau Restaurant Joel Robuchon, but this really came after the peak of the bubble, as far as I can remember, although it still remains one of my favourite restaurants in Tokyo to this day.


In fact, I want to eat at Chateau Restaurant Joel Robuchon this week with a friend, but we are going to L’Embellir, my other more contemporary and current favorite in Tokyo, instead. L’Embellir is a two-star Michelin French restaurant, and the food is very good. I could eat here all the time. 

Anyway, last night, it was very nice to reminisce, especially as the Nikkei is hovering at around 20,000 — which is something it hasn’t done in a very long time.

 

WHERE TO GO IN SANTORINI 

Then the talk turned to travel, which it invariably does whenever I’m around. Someone said just one word: “Santorini. Next year.“

Just like that.

I was just in Santorini last September with a group of good friends, but I’ll happily go again, and everyone said they could get away for two weeks to do Barcelona, Athens, and two Greek islands including Santorini.

HOLIDAY IN GREECE

 

 

It’s just up to me to plan, and they don’t care where they stay or eat. They’re even happy to leave the choice of the second Greek island to me.

And what they really mean is that if it’s a #Travelife kind of trip, they’re happy to leave all the logistics to me. And I’m certainly going to make sure everyone lives a never-ending, and never-endingly eventful #Travelife. 

Even for just two weeks next year.

Several years ago, I went on a trip for 60 days that involved literally going around the world.

This world trip included some favorite places and also a handful of exotic new ones.

It was to be the last word in passionate travel — this amazing 60 day journey that circumnavigated the globe by air, land and sea. This is part 2 of that trip.

WITH FRIENDS IN PARIS

Fast forward to Paris some weeks later, where we were joined by Jojo and Fides, good friends from Manila, for a Paris holiday centered on a series of unforgettable meals.

For our eight days together in an antique-filled apartment along the Avenue George V that had a marvelous view of the Tour Eiffel and an airy kitchen that faced the Four Seasons George V, we took turns choosing restaurants. 

But we also enjoyed visiting the local market on Avenue President Wilson to buy fresh food for cozy dinners at home.

Perhaps it’s the quality of the produce, but even a simple roast chicken stuffed with herbs or sole pan-fried in butter tasted like heaven.

OUR BEST MEAL INPARIS

We ate in Michelin starred-restaurants everyday — or even twice a day.

But one of the best and most enjoyable meals we four had on this particular trip (we enjoyed being together in Paris so much that just over three months later, we four returned to Paris for a longer stay — and again more great food and wine) was at the famous Tour D’Argent restaurant, which is a two-star the last time I checked.

The Tour D’Argent, which is located along the Seine River, is quite touristy — but it’s nevertheless still one of the most romantic restaurants in Paris. 

There are many more delicious restaurants in Paris, frankly.

For instance, the most famous dish of the Tour D’Argent is probably it’s pressed duck, which it serves with great flourish.

Afterwards, you even get a card with the serial number of the duck you ate.

I’ve eaten this duck several times at the Tour D’Argent in Paris and at its sister restaurant in Tokyo — mostly because someone else has ordered this for me.

And try as I might, I still can’t get myself to say I like this famous dish.

But on the day we were there, the Tour D’Argent had pretty good food. I didn’t have the duck, and instead I’d ordered their tasting menu — which turned out to be absolutely delicious.

And, actually, we were there for the wines.

I can still remember everything about that fabulous day when we had a lovely table facing the Notre Dame and we sat there for hours, drinking bottles and bottles of amazing wine. 

The Tour D’Argent perhaps has one of the best cellars in all of Europe, with many bottles sleeping in their cave underneath the restaurant for decades, if not centuries.

You can imagine how these bottles have been sleeping in optimal storage conditions.

As for that meal, we ate and drank and toasted to every good thing imaginable for over four hours, ending our meal with some lovely cheeses from their cheese wagon, to go with the last of our wines.

Afterwards, we were all very tipsy, but we walked across the Seine via the Ile St Louis and made our way to the Marais for coffee and chocolate to cap just another wonderful meal in our never-ending, and never-endingly eventful Travelife.