Food & Stays

Categories: Accommodations · Basel · Food · France · Paris · Switzerland · ZurichTags: · ·

As I say Danke and Merci to Zurich and Paris, here are the food and stays during this trip: La Bottega Di Mario is a wonderful ristorante and salumeria in Zürich, earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand distinction. Catching up with Swiss friends, I was taken to Zeughauskeller, for traditional Swiss fare (warning servings are huge!) Another Bib Gourmand brasserie that is good is AuGust. A gem of a restaurant is Bauernschanke, tucked in an alleyway in the old town. Totally deserving of their Bib Gormand. A modern Japanese izakaya is Gaijin – another casual place with a Bib Gourmand distinction….

An Empire Long Weekend

Categories: Art · Food · New York · USATags: · ·

A long weekend back in New York – for 72 hours this time. It has been awhile since I have been to the Guggenheim Museum so I decided to pay a visit on this trip. I decided to go back to Momofuku Noodle Bar for my first meal, as it has been years, compounded by the closing of its Toronto outlet. I also headed back to the one star Michelin rated Estela in SoHo. The arroz negra still tastes as good as I remember it. One new restaurant I tried is DomoDomo and ordered their “Domokase” tasting menu. Food and…

Þakka þér fyrir

Categories: Accommodations · Food · Iceland · ReykjavikTags: · · ·

Or simply said as Takk (thank you). I have several friends who have raved about this country, yet in many respects, it still feels like a well-guarded secret – likely because of its bountiful natural resources, empty roads that wind through vast volcanic landscape, or massive open land with nothing but horses and waterfalls for miles. No trip to Iceland is complete without bathing in a hot springs. I decided to skip the famous Blue Lagoon, as I heard it gets overcrowded, and went to the Sky Lagoon instead. Featuring an infinity edge geothermal lagoon with views of the Atlantic…

Gracias, Chile

Categories: Accommodations · Chile · Food · SantiagoTags: · ·

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…

Revisiting New York

Categories: Accommodations · Food · New York · Travel · USATags: · ·

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…

La Dolce Vita

Categories: Accommodations · Chianti · Florence · Food · Italy · SienaTags: · · · · · ·

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…

Mahalo

Categories: Accommodations · Food · Hawaii · TravelTags: · · · ·

“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…

Obrigado

Categories: Accommodations · Douro Valley · Food · Lisbon · Porto · PortugalTags: · · · ·

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…

Vielen Dank, Wien

Categories: Accommodations · Architecture · Austria · Europe · Food · Travel · ViennaTags: · · ·

“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…

Mabuhay

Categories: Food · Manila · Philippines · TravelTags: · · · 1 Comment

“It’s always more Fun in the Philippines” as the travel ads say – and indeed it is! It has been five years since I last step foot in the bustling city of Manila. Far too many travelers arrive in this city only to jump on a plane to Boracay or Palawan – it’s their loss as the capital has plenty to offer. There came a point in my visit that I simply had to stop myself from eating – as it seems that the only activity I did during the five days I was here was to stuff myself. Hands down the…