On the outskirts of Paris in the 13th arrondisement sits a delightful Brazilian French restaurant, located in the midst of a number of startups in an incubation space. I probably normally wouldn’t come out to the side of Paris, but a friend lives in the area and invited me to come out to dinner here. It was really interesting to see this more “surburban” side of Paris. The buildings are more modern, the streets are wider, and in general it's is a lot more quiet and spacious. This neighborhood feels different from the traditional Parisian streets lined with old-school cafés and bakeries.  ..read more

Tonkatsu is a breaded and deep fried pork cutlet, usually served with a thick, tangy sauce ("Tonkatsu sauce"), shredded cabbage, and miso soup. Inspired by European cuisine, it first appeared in the late 1800's in a Western-food restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo. These days, Maisen in Tokyo is pretty universally acknowledged as one of the best tonkatsu houses in the city. Their signature dish is the kurobuta tonkatsu (literally "black pork," also known as Berkshire pork in the US). Kurobuta is known for its high fat content and intense, juicy flavor. The original restaurant ..read more

Irasshai!Hunting for Sakura Blossoms Shinjuku Gyoen After enjoying an unexpected explosion of cherry blossoms our first day in Tokyo (at Shinjuku Gyoen, still my favorite cherry blossom viewing place in the world), we were met with disappointment at the Meguro Cherry Blossom Festival, a mere 18-minute walk from our hotel in Ebisu. Meguro Cherry Blossom Festival - but no cherry blossoms! The festival was still on and the weather was perfect (despite missing blossoms!). We munched on free Häagen-Dazs ice cream sandwiches, watched a beautiful dance performance, and Bryan even got to try out a Jap ..read more

The Easter holiday in Hong Kong is a 4-day weekend. As a result, it's a very, very popular time during which Hong Kongers flock to neighboring countries for vacation. We like traveling to places like Japan (or even Mainland China) during that time because we can take advantage of shorter lines and smaller crowds during this holiday that many surrounding countries do not celebrate. Hong Kongers LOVE traveling to Japan. Right now, with the yen at an all time low, everything feels particularly cheap. As a result, Tokyo was FULL of tourists during this cherry blossom viewing holiday weekend. Un ..read more

Beetroot sorbet Savage is a hot new trendy restaurant in the Ixelles neighborhood of Brussels in Belgium. It’s interesting in that it really focuses on vegetables, to the point that the main tasting does not include any meat. Their mantra is "A plant-focused experience, with meat and fish as optional extras." The protein dishes are optional sides that you can add to share family style (e.g., steaks, scallops, etc.). We actually decided -  and I was surprised that Bryan agreed to this - to go with the vegetarian tasting without adding any protein.  The dishes were artfully created ..read more

We have nostalgic memories of Brussels. After all, we were stuck here at the beginning of the pandemic for close to seven weeks. It became like a second home of sorts. We got to know neighborhood restaurants, and even be-friended some of the families running those restaurants. Bozar was by far our most memorable meal during that period. Bryan fell in love with the signature pithivier that Bozar makes, and I just loved Chef’s overall approach to food and his obsession with quality. Since our first visit, Bozar has attained another Michelin star now holding two stars total. To be honest, I ..read more

This is the third post in our series about Greece. Other posts include The Zillers Rooftop Restaurant and HYTRA Restaurant and Bar. CTC Urban Gastronomy is certain an urban oasis in the middle of Athens. Unlike The Zillers Roof Garden Restaurant, which is right in the Plaka and thus easy to access, CTC is about a 30 minute walk from the Plaka, and, frankly speaking, not in the prettiest neighborhood. This is why it’s even more of a break taking surprise when you walk into the gates of CTC, because the big outdoor patio is absolutely beautiful. The Space - A Beautiful Garden Oasis Despite CT ..read more

This is the second post in our series about Greece. Other posts include The Zillers Rooftop Restaurant If possible, we like walking to restaurants when we can. However, Athens has been a bit of a surprise for us, as we’ve ended up in neighborhoods where we didn’t expect to find a Michelin-starred restaurant. It wasn’t straightforward finding HYTRA. The restaurant sits at a roof top on top of an office building. If it weren’t for the tiny sign with the words HYTRA at the first floor, we’d probably still be circling the non-descript gray concrete building (situated on a busy road that is almos ..read more

We are beginning a new series on our trip to Athens in spring 2023 to attend an actual Greek Wedding! I almost gasped when the elevator door opened onto the rooftop patio at The Zillers Roof Top Garden. Diners get an incredible view of the Parthenon from virtually every table! The ambiance is magical during sunset, and the warm afternoon light is certainly great for photos. We had just arrived in Athens the day before, and this was our first "real" meal in Athens. What a great way to start a trip! Bryan had done the legwork and booked most of these restaurants. He chose The Zillers Roof Gar ..read more

What a great find! We found this lovely izakaya just a few minutes' walk from our hotel in Shinagawa. Turns out it's a well-known popular restaurant with many locations throughout Japan! Tsukada Farm Izakaya serves jidori chicken from its own poultry farms and vegetables from a limited number of contracted farmers. The ambiance is super cozy, the prices are very reasonable, and the food is great. You order by scanning the QR code and choosing from a large variety of items. Thankfully, there are pictures (and you can also read it in English!). Fun Drinks! I decided to try the fun strawberry ..read more