The Richter Scale^®

After the Nintendo Media Briefing last Tuesday, held above the Kodak Theatre at Hollywood & Highland, a trendy open-air mall with a great view of the HOLLYWOOD sign in the hills, I found myself rather hungry.

As I am low-carbing it, my options are occasionally limited, with sashimi (that’s sushi without the rice) usually a pretty safe bet.

So I wander into this place several floors up called Koji’s Japan, where the words Sushi and Shabu Shabu are boldly displayed next to the restaurant name.

Most folks know what Sushi is (although on Bonaire, where I live, that word, and a variant, “Shushi”, means trash, of all things), but Shabu Shabu, and its cousin, Sukiyaki, is less well known.

Modern Shabu Shabu involves boiling a meal in a pan of water, and then eating the cooked food dipped in sauce, with rice. The last time I had Shabu Shabu, it was a rather elaborate set-up for two, at the Osaka Tea Garden in Nashua, New Hampshire, about a decade ago. My wife and I greatly enjoyed it, so I was thrilled to see that Koji’s was set up for individual-size Shabu Shabu.

As you can see in the above pictures, Koji’s Shabu Shabu includes the pot of boiling water, a platter with meats (that’s that part you order), a platter of vegetables to add to the meat, two dipping sauces (a sesame based one and a soy/vinegar based one), and some additional sauce condiments (scallions, fresh minced garlic, and minced daikon radish for texture).

They also provide a bowl of edamame (boiled and salted soy bean pods) which you can eat whenever - you pop the soy beans out of the pod (the pod is too chewy to eat).

When the water starts boiling you add things to the pot, let them cook, then take them out, dip them in sauce, and eat them (I skipped the rice because it is decidedly carb laden).

I ordered the mixed meat and seafood Shabu-Shabu, with came with premium beef, chicken, salmon, and tiger shrimp.

All the meat and seafood was very fresh, as were the vegetables.

Made for a great meal. And with the hamachi (yellowtail) sashimi appetizer I had, it made for a most excellent lunch. The service was excellent too, and the prices were very reasonable - $39.00 for everything including a nice tip and some green tea.

I give Koji’s Japan at Hollywood & Highland a stunning 9.5 out of 10.0 on The Richter Scale (note that I have never given a 10.0, since that implies perfection, and I doubt there is such a thing).

A few days ago, Air Jamaica announced that as part of their on-going cost cutting measures, they would be cancelling all of their flights to the island of Bonaire (where I and my family live) as of August 28th, and that three of their weekly four flights would end at the end of June, meaning that in July and August there would only be one weekly flight, on Saturdays.

As an island with 11-12,000 residents, and maybe a thousand tourists a week, as well as being as far away from Jamaica (or the U.S. for that matter) in the Caribbean without bumping into South America, Bonaire generally has not rated high in the priority queue for flights from elsewhere, and this move by Air Jamaica, which is struggling for survival is no different.

The only bright bit of sunshine is that American Eagle has picked up the slack, and starting July 2nd, will be adding two more weekly flights to/from San Juan, Puerto Rico, resulting in daily flights. Of course, folks at http://www.BonaireTalk.com and elsewhere have been grousing about the fact they have to leave Bonaire at the crack of dawn and they arrive late at night by using American Eagle, but for those of us living there and traveling off-island, it means we can make it to our destinations by mid/late afternoon. The daily flights on American Eagle last through early September, at which point the schedule drops to four flights weekly (although if traffic is high, more flights may be kept on schedule).

One argument typically proferred by local experts for how to increase flights to Bonaire is to increase the number of available rooms on the island, but that only works if the airlines servicing you are financially sound and the price/value equation is acceptable to the tourist wanting to visit the island. Seeing as all the carriers who service the Caribbean are in dire financial straits, it’s not hopeful that even more rooms on Bonaire would increase the air traffic to the island.

Having been on low-carb diet for the last few months, steak houses are high on my “safe to eat at” list. One of the ones I have enjoyed quite a bit in Dallas is Nick & Sam’s, located in the Turtle Creek area, at 3008 Maple Avenue.

My favorite dish there is a long bone, dry aged, 22 oz. Cowboy Rib Eye, which has truffle butter melted over it. However, last night, I discovered much to my chagrin that they were out of this wonderful treat.

I splurged instead for a 13 oz. Kobe rib eye, which I was told was so tender you could cut it with a fork. Sadly, that wasn’t the case, although it was quite tender and flavorful, but it was also heavily over salted, which for an expensive cut like that, was a real shame. Mind you, it didn’t stop me from eating it all, although in retrospect, had I had a bit less Zinfandel to drink, I should have returned it to the kitchen and gotten a much less salted cut.

The wait staff was very attentive, and we all enjoyed appetizers. I had a half portion of the diver scallops (delightful!), while my companions had a iceberg wedge salad drizzled with bleu cheese and the beefsteak tomato and mozzarella with pesto dressing. Both of my fellow diners also enjoyed the filet mignon, which was excellent and not salty like my Kobe ribeye. All vegetables were separate sides, and we had asparagus, creamed spinach (without the carb-loaded bread crumbs), and mushrooms.

For dessert, we received complimentary glasses of port, and one of my fellow diners ordered the chocolate souffle cake with a side of strawberries (my willpower failed at this point - first time in two months, no doubt due to the wine consumption) - absolutely excellent.

In the three times I’ve been at Nick & Sam’s in the last 6 months, the Kobe ribeye was the only disappointment I encountered. However, it should be noted that Nick & Sam’s is not for those on a budget either. You definitely pay for top cuts of meat and seafood, as well as the incredible wine selection and service.

I rate Nick & Sam’s an 8.5 out of 10.0 on The Richter Scale.

In my travels over the last many years, I’ve stayed in a great number of hotels. Most are pretty similar, as if cast from the same mold (which they probably are). And then there’s the Hotel Zaza in the upscale Turtle Creek area in Dallas, Texas.

Words like eclectic, funky, trendy, intimate, and stylish are words that come to mind to describe the Zaza. The hallways are decorated with both vintage and modern photographs, the latter appearing to be those of (or similar to) Annie Leibowitz. A fair part of the furnishings and trim are dark teak and mahogany with an Indonesian flair.

The rooms are spacious, the beds incredibly comfortable, the ceilings tall, and the wall decorations engaging (above the kidney shaped desk I’m typing this at is a photo of a young David Bowie standing on a old pedestal, striking a pose).

It’s the sort of hotel one might expect rock stars to stay at - perhaps like a Hard Rock Hotel, but on a smaller more intimate scale.

And, with a world class Spa here, it would make a nice place to take a spouse or significant other for a romantic getaway.

The turn down service includes leaving lit candles in the room to create a soothing atmosphere (especially nice after I’ve spent a long day at a client’s office nearby). And the chocolates on my pillow are non-traditional as well. Ghirardelli last night, and Payday candy bar tonight. Of course, on my low carb diet I can’t eat them, but they do make a fun treat to bring home to the kids.

The in-house restaurant, Dragonfly, offers a fusion menu, and a pleasant and (again) intimate atmosphere. There’s a well equipped work out room, a variety of themed suites, and an outdoor swimming pool (unheated by my standards though). And the restaurant’s patio which adjoins the pool is quite the “in” spot on weekend nights, apparently.

And, of course, there are dozens of excellent restaurants within reasonable walking distance should the fare not appeal.

And did I mention the free high-speed (T-1 quality) Internet access in every room?

Service is excellent and efficient as well, whether it be at the front desk, concierge, or room service, on par with four- or five-star hotel. The room rates reflect this as well, although still lower priced than the more formal high end hotels nearby.

The Zaza is certainly the most unique property I’ve stayed at, and as this is my third visit back, obviously one I enjoy. Probably not the best place to bring children however, although I do know I will need to bring my wife here one day when I have some spare time and am not busy in meetings or working.

The Hotel Zaza rates a solid 9.0 out of 10.0 on The Richter Scale.