This is the second post about my Japan Travels in 2023. Other posts in this series include Sushi Zanmai Tsukiji Tokyo. Wagyumafia is an elite members-only club that has spawned out a number of restaurants in Tokyo focusing on different aspects of Wagyu beef. For those obsessed with the top beef in the world, Wagyumafia is at the pinnacle. Wagyumafia started out in 2016 as a private supper club in Tokyo. Beef exporters Hisato Hamada and entrepreneur Takafumi Horie held private wagyu-themed pop-up dinners in Tokyo showcasing top cuts of beef from the best producers in Japan. Membership was extr ..read more

Hello Tokyo! We came to Tokyo in July 2023 to meet up with friends who were visiting the first time with their pre-teen daughter (who is a huge foodie). One purpose of this trip was to introduce her to a variety of foods representing different aspects of Japanese cuisine. First stop: Sushi in Tsukiji! Although the famous Tsukiji Fish Market left Tsukiji in 2018 (so glad we had a chance to go in 2017!), the outer market is still thriving, as well as the area sushi restaurants. Sushi Zanmai Tsukiji is a famous restaurant "headquartered" in Tsukiji, where they have several restaurants. In fact ..read more

I have a friend who has been visiting us in Hong Kong regularly (from the US!) ever since we moved here in 2017. Every time he comes, there are a few favorite foods that he has to eat. One is any rendition of sweet & sour pork ribs (“咕嚕肉” or ”京都排骨“). The second is the fried chicken with pomelo at The Yuan (原汁原味）in Wan Chai. And the third is the fantastic aromatic duck seafood stew at Forbidden Duck (Causeway Bay). Ever since the pandemic ended and international travel resumed, we've seen our friend on a regular basis again, which has been great. One side effect of that is more visits to F ..read more

I love a good sandwich, but I'm extremely picky. The bread has to be crusty on the outside, but soft on the inside. The ratio of bread to fillings has to be just right, and I personally like have less meat and more veggies. I am a bit partial to pickled vegetables in general. So, for example, I love a good banh mi. Finally, ideally it's not too messy to eat, and each bite should be a balanced combination of all the ingredients inside. Bread is important (and there's really no better place to get fantastic bread than Paris). I’m also not a purist when it comes to bread because I actually love ..read more

Bryan's in Paris right now. I'm a bit bummed I can't join him this time on his business trip. So instead I'll catch up on some way overdue posts about some of my favorite Paris places. I can't believe I hadn't written up some of these posts before. Another one of our favorite places to have a traditional Parisien sandwich is at Le Petit Vendôme. This tiny little traditional French restaurant serves a full menu of classic French dishes (e.g., escargot cooked in Burgundy, French onion soup, veal kidneys, beef tartare, duck confit, etc.). However, they also make fantastic charcuterie, terrines ..read more

Many people who are in-the-know say that this private kitchen is one of the best Cantonese restaurants in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong!! That's quite a statement, considering how many top notch Cantonese restaurants are here. It's nearly impossible to get a reservation at No. 9 SBI Canteen (or Softbank Private Kitchen) if you don't know someone. The private kitchen is hidden away on an upper floor in a high rise in Central. I was kindly invited by a friend who's "in-the-know", and was able to get a peek into this other world of Hong Kong wine and dine culture. I arrived a bit early, so they let m ..read more

I've really gotten quite spoiled with the amount of fantastic Italian food that exists in Hong Kong. Another new one that opened during the pandemic (in 2022) is Testina Hong Kong. Testina arose out of a collaboration between a restaurant in Milan, Italy called Trippa Milano and ZS Hospitality in Hong Kong (Feuille, Hansik Goo, Whey). Testina's unique aspect is its genuine focus on nose-to-tail dining, offering dishes made with veal tongue, beef tripe, chicken liver, chicken offal, bone marrow, and pig's head. Recommended in the Michelin Guide, the quality of the food is excellent, and it wa ..read more

I think I first heard about Estro at Sushi Shikon (of all places!). You know, when you sit at a sushi bar, it's easy to strike up a conversation with the people sitting around you. We met this woman who was obsessed with food. She couldn't stop gushing about Estro. She also lamented about how hard it was to book. After all, it was new, word was flying around about how amazing the food was, and . . . well, it was impossible to book. Well, not impossible, but you had to contact them early. We ended up having a couple opportunities to go. In a lot of ways, I agree with the hype. The food really ..read more

"AMA signifies our love for food, while also being short for AMAtriciana, a classic Italian sauce" reads the menu of this newish Italian restaurant steps from our home in Wan Chai. The food is classic, rustic fare from Rome, and you almost feel like you are in Rome when you are there. They have a HUGE screen that just shows a video of a person wandering the streets of Rome. Because I've been to Rome before, the video evokes memories of our times in Italy. For me, it's a bit nostalgic, and just brings back pleasant memories in general. We love this place because the food is great, the ambiance ..read more

Sai Kung is one of Hong Kong's most beautiful corners, and a haven for nature lovers or anyone who wants to get away from Hong Kong's crowded, hustle-and-bustle, overwhelming intensity (not to mention pure urban density!). We had out-of-town friends visiting us (it's been sooo nice to finally have visitors in Hong Kong again!), so we took them on a relaxing Saturday excursion to Sai Kung to see another face of Hong Kong. 11:45AM - Early Dim Sum "Brunch" on the Seaside No one wanted an intense schedule (it's vacation, after all), so we took it easy. Leave home at 10:30AM, arrive in Sai Kung ar ..read more