I googled “Where is it not hot in August?” – and South America came up (after Iceland). And that is how I ended up going to Chile for an extended long weekend, since l have not been. Blame it on global warming, but what was supposedly winter, it was in the 18C to 23C degrees while I was here. The meals I had were all good. Lots of seafood – including octopus and sea urchin. One of the most flavourful meal I had was when I was in Valparaiso at Maralegre. I had a very late lunch in Santiago one…
It was a brief Easter weekend trip back to New York. I couldn’t believe that it has been seven years since I was last in this city. It was more of a gorging weekend, admittedly. I did go back to a couple of my favourites and tried out a few new ones as well. I did manage to go back to Marta and to the Michelin-Starred Estela. Both still consistently wonderful! First dinner was at Tonchin, a Tokyo-based ramen chain (and also a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient) that offers one of the city’s best bowls. Two other new places I…
A brief 70-minute flight (or 360 kilometres south) from a hangar at Manila airport takes me to the Cuyo Archipelago of northern Palawan in the Philippines. My island escape is Pamlican Island, where Amanpulo is located. A private “peaceful island” with white powdery sands, crystal clear waters, and pristine reefs – this island is extremely tranquil and serene. There are three food outlets in the island. The Beach Club offers Mediterranean cuisine. The Lagoon Club offers Japanese food for dinner and outdoor oven-baked pizzas during lunch. The Clubhouse serves Filipino and Asian dishes. I found the Lagoon Club and Clubhouse…
Mangia, Mangia! (Eat, Eat!) In Siena, I had a wonderful meal at Osteria Da Gano. Serving Tuscan dishes in a casual setting with friendly service. At the hotel I stayed at in the Chianti Region, they served outstanding meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner at their two food outlets – Pavilion and La Torre. La Torre is a Michelin-starred restaurant where both food and service was top notch. First stop in Florence was a cappuccino break at Gucci Giardino 25. Osteria Filetto d’Oro served traditional Tuscan dishes with attentive service. I had to return to Trattoria Sostanza for their famous…
“Thank you” (in Hawaiian) for the warm welcome to Hawaii! I had a truly unforgettable stay. In Honolulu, I stayed for two nights at Halepuna Waikiki by Halekulani. The hotel opened only in 2019 and is the sister hotel of Halekulani, which is located right across the street. The boutique style hotel has 288 rooms, which I did not find too overwhelming with lots of guests, as the other hotels in Waikiki. The hotel is a block from Waikiki Beach and also a block away from the main shopping street. I flew to the island of Lana’i to spend the…
Within the first few hours of my arrival, I was reminded of the friendliness and hospitality of the Portugese people. And this would be the case for my whole 10-day visit. Obrigado – Thank you! Upon arrival in Lisbon, I went straight to the Oriente train station to catch the high speed three hour Alfa Pendular train to Porto Campanha station. I only had one night to spend in Porto and I stayed at the Intercontinental Porto – Palacio das Cardosas. The hotel is well located (beside the famous São Bento Station) and service was very friendly and professional. An…
Tofino is definitely a great place for a much needed “chill + relax”. From Vancouver Harbour, I took a one hour scenic seaplane flight to Tofino Harbour. Do note that the seaplane flights are very weather dependent (particularly fog), so be prepared to adjust your schedules. From the dock, it is a short 6 minute drive to The Wickannish Inn. Fondly called The Wick by locals, this Relais & Chateux hotel lives up to all the hype and accolades it has been getting. Located on a rocky edge at the northern cape of Chesterman Beach, the hotel is casually rustic…
I am back in Vienna for 24 hours before I catch my flight back home. I had nothing specific planned for this stop over and decided to just play it by ear. I came upon the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek or the Austrian National Library. It’s State Hall is one of the most beautiful library halls in the world and is the biggest Baroque library in Europe. There were a couple more of restaurants that I was not able to visit when I was in Vienna a couple of months ago that I wanted to try. First stop for a late breakfast…
“Thank you, Montenegro“ Montenegro did not disappoint. It had a very scenic coastline studded with charming villages. More importantly, I was able to get my much needed R&R. The food on the coast of Montenegro is similar to Dalmatian cuisine – lots of grilled seafood, garlic, olive oil and Italian-style dishes. The restaurants below are notable not only for their food – but most also provided great scenery to go with your meals. My first hotel stay was in the town of Perast at the Iberostar Heritage Grand Perast. Originally built in the 18th century as the largest palace in…
“Thank you very much, Vienna“ It was a short visit, but sweet, as they say, to what many refer to as “The City of Dreams” (because it was home to the world’s first psycho-analyst Sigmund Freud). There is no shortage of excellent eateries and coffee houses in Vienna. Cafe Museum is a traditional Viennese cafe that opened in 1899 and designed by the famous Adolf Loos. It is also here that the famous Thonet chairs can be found. Erich was named the best restaurant in Vienna by Time Out Magazine. Located in a subterranean bar-restaurant, they serve breakfast, lunch and…
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