Recent Favorite Food Cities + winner of Giveaway

Thanks everyone so much for your participation in the giveaway. I was thrilled at the response. I really think it's the most popular one I've ever hosted. I guess everyone likes to travel. :)

And the winner is . . . .

Gee Emm!  This was chosen randomly (using random.org) out of 187 entries. Gee Emm said "I would love to stay at the only North American Club Carlson Radisson Blu... in Chicago!"

I must say, I was surprised how many people picked Radisson Blu in Chicago. I didn't even know about the hotel, but it must be pretty incredible. That reminds me, I really need to get myself out of Chicago one of these days - go back to my Midwestern roots!

Anyway, thanks everyone else for playing. It was heartwarming to hear your comments (I hardly get any comments on this blog, so I'm never quite sure what people think about my posts!). It was encouraging to hear what aspects you all liked, and thanks again for some great suggestions!

For fun, in the spirit of this travel-oriented giveaway, I thought I'd share about some of my recent favorite food cities to visit.


JAPAN
Japan is one of my favorite countries to visit. I first got to know the culture when I spent a summer there during college working at a chemical research company. I loved experiencing the simplest parts of everyday life, such as riding my bike to work, shopping for groceries in the market, and cooking in my very Japanese kitchen. I made friends, explored the area, and really fell in love with the culture. It's in Japan that I first learned to enjoy raw fish.

The food in Japan is phenomenal. You won't find better sushi anywhere else in the world. For high end (and very, very expensive) sushi, check out Sushi Mizutani, Sukiyabashi Jiro (post coming soon), Sushi Sawada, Sushi Kanesaka or Sushi Mitani. My favorites are probably Sushi Mizutani and Sukiyabashi Jiro, but you can't go wrong with any of them.

If you'd rather not be forced to eat omakase (which was me after one of those days when I had a huge lunch), some places offer a la carte sushi at dinner, such as Sushi Kanesaka, Kyubey, and Sushi Aoki (post coming soon). It's a way to get that Michelin star experience without paying an arm and a leg.

Another way to save money is to go during lunch. Places like Kyubey have pretty reasonable lunch prices (though be aware - other places, like Sushi Sawada, charge the exact same price for lunch and dinner). Daisan Harumi is a great value, giving you excellent sushi at about half the cost of the highest end places.  Japan is also know for its beef, the most famous being Kobe (though there are many other just as famous types). You can try Kobe beef as shabu shabu at Seryna, where 6 thin slices of the prized meat will set you back over $100 USD (oh but it's so worth it!). There's also teppanyaki, which we tried at Ukai-tei this past time. (According to Bryan, the best steak he's ever had in his life).

The Japanese are obsessive about their pork too. Try Butagumi for specialty tonkatsu (pork cutlet), where you can find over 50 different breeds of pork offered. Maisen is more mainstream (there are several locations) and still excellent. On top of pork, they offer other breaded and fried options, such as shrimp.

For other fried goodness, you must try Tempura Kondo, which is still (to date), the best tempura I've ever had in my life. 
Although I've written mostly about high-end food, there's a ton of really good casual food in Japan as well. Just look for long lines at a ramen stall - it's bound to be pretty good. Rokurinsha is one of the most famous, and branches can be found at both Tokyo Station (Ramen Street) as well as at the Tokyo Sky Tree shopping complex called Solamachi. We also loved Suzuran in Shibuya, which is a little off the beaten path and very, very authentic.

For other fun casual food, try an izakaya (Kago specializes in Kagoshima cuisine) or a fun robatayaki when they grill all these gorgeous seafood and produce right in front of you (Inakaya in Roppongi).

Finally, if you want a taste of what cutting edge chefs are doing in Tokyo these days, check out Aronia de Takazawa for some really creative, artistic, and whimsical plates, as well as Tapas Molecular Bar for a sampling of molecular gastronomy bites while sitting at the top of the Mandarin Hotel in Tokyo overlooking the city lights.

 
TAIWAN

Taiwan will always bring back fond, nostalgic memories because that's where my family originates. I have been to Taiwan a lot as a kid but not as many times as an adult. I guess because Bryan hardly ever has business trips there, I have less opportunity to catch a "free ride" to Taiwan compared to Japan, where I've been visiting almost annually the past few years.

Of course, my all time favorite place to eat in Taiwan is the original Din Tai Fung for dumplings. The food is excellent at the other locations as well. I just like the ambiance and feel of the original one, which is more traditional, cozy, and less modern & sleek.  For a traditional Taiwanese breakfast, try Yong He Soybean Milk, where you can get all sorts of freshly made goodies such as scallion pancakes, egg pancakes, soy milk, and you tiao (fried crullers) for a mere few dollars. Taiwan actually has excellent food representing many regions of China. Bryan loves Peking duck, so we had excellent traditional (and reasonably priced) Peking duck at Celestial Restaurant. Of course, you can't leave Taiwan without visiting at least one night market. Bryan and I went to Shilin Night Market, one of the most famous ones.

I can't wait to go back again. There are still so many things I have yet to try!

CHINA

China is a vast, vast country and it will be impossible for me to summarize everything in this short paragraph. Check out the China Eating Guide for more details.

 Beijing is well known for its duck, noodles, and dumplings. As a result, we focused largely on those types of food while we were there. If you want to see a cool show of noodle making while you eat, check out Noodle Loft, made even more famous after Anthony Bourdain visited. Of course, there are many other excellent places where hand-pulled noodles are made (e.g., Noodle Bar). In fact, you can even take a class (in English!) and learn how to pull your own noodles and wrap your own dumplings. Frankly for $30 USD, the class was a steal.

We ate tons of Peking duck while we were there. Bryan's favorite is Made in China (he still goes back everytime he goes to Beijing!), while my favorite was Da Dong for their leaner ducks and wide variety of other types of dishes. We sought out several recommended dumplings places and they were all fantastic.  Xian'r Lao Man didn't have any English language menus, so we struggled a bit to understand everything that was offered. Even then, everything we ordered was fantastic. Bao Yuan Dumpling had lots of pretty photos on its menu and some English, which was very, very helpful. Bao Yuan offers different colored dumplings (all naturally dyed with beets, veggies, etc), which is both colorful and fun.

Finally, for a change of pace, check out Beijing's best snacks at Nine Gates Snack Street, right near the touristy and popular spot called Hou Hai.

In Shanghai, we mostly spent time at the World Expo. When we weren't visiting all the various pavillions, we had early morning soup dumpling breakfasts at Jia Jia Tang Bao or Yang's Fry Dumpling (both incredible and super cheap) late night dinners at Din Tai Fung and Crystal Jade (fantastic but expensive for China, even though still quite reasonably by US standards).

ITALY

Bryan and I first went to Rome for our honeymoon over 11 years ago. The past year, we took a spontaneous weekend trip back to Rome. It was my first time blogging about it.

Although high-end dining in Rome was perfectly enjoyable (we had a lovely meal at Il Convivio and Etabli), our favorite meals were actually the simpler ones. We fell in love with Roscioli for their incredible pasta carbonara (among many other things).  We couldn't stop raving about the incredibly thin crust pizza at Pizzeria dal Paino. As always, gelato was fun to get, and I ate it almost everyday. Don't miss the excellent coffee at the numerous cafes, of which Sant'Eustachio Cafe is one of the most famous.

A note from our sponsors: Consider traveling to Turkey! Though many of us food enthusiasts undoubtedly will be excited at trying the food there, Turkey has something for everyone. Check out the link and consider visiting Turkey for your next vacation.

I do want to see Turkey some day. The amount of history in that region alone is reason to visit. I've realized from my visits to Greece and Italy that I really love exploring really old cities. Of course, it would be fascinating to sample the cuisine as well. It's so different from Asian food, and frankly, an area at which I'm a complete newbie. My small exposure to Turkish-influenced cuisine in America has been quite positive, so I'm sure I would love it.

Papa Galos - Oceanview Dining in Santorini

It was our last day on the gorgeous island of Santorini in Greece.

Up until this point, we had dined on pretty simple food: delicious chicken gyros for lunch and grilled seafood for dinner.

For this last day, we wanted something a bit more special. We asked the inn owner, "can you recommend a place with really good food and a great view?"

He paused and then chuckled.

"The places with the best views do not have good food, and the places with the best food do not have the best views."

We decided we could forgo the best views in exchange for really good food. He recommended a lovely place in Oia called "Papagalos." Only a five minute walk from where we were staying, Papagalos was the perfect place to enjoy our last meal out in Greece.


Though the restaurant is not right on the ocean, it still has a lovely view. Honestly, I think there are very few places in Oia with a bad view.  After all, most of the buildings in the entire town are perched off of a high cliff overlooking the ocean. Sure, we were set a bit back, but you can still see the water quite clearly.

Frst thing's first - fresh bread accompanied by olive oil and olive tapenade!

We then enjoyed house made meat balls in a tomato-based sauce served with freshly baked pita bread, rice, and a fresh yogurt sauce.

Here's another stewed lamb dish served with a beautiful side of hummus.

These creamy sauteed oyster mushrooms were simple yet delicious.

My favorite! Halloumi cheese (I'd never tried it fried!) served over beautifully grilled vegetables. This was one of my favorite dishes.

We spent our final day just walking around the peaceful island.

The scenery is stunning in Santorini, to the point of seeming unreal sometimes . . .

I woke up super early before my 9AM flight my last morning to catch the sunrise.

Good by Santorini. I'll surely miss you . . .

This is the last post in the larger Greece series.
Greetings from Greece! 
Sweets in Greece 
Gyros, Souvlakis, and Pitas, Oh My!
Tavernas - Everyday Dining in Greece
Eating in the Greek Isles - Santorini

Eating in the Greek Isles - Santorini

A trip to Greece is incomplete without a visit to the Greek Islands of the Cyclades.

I'm typically a city-sort of person. I love walking in bustling areas, taking in the energy of the people, the buildings, and (of course!) the food. I enjoyed Athens a lot. It was rich with history, full of culture, and had great food.

Having said that, I can see why most people flock to the islands when they visit Greece. The scenery alone is absolutely phenomenal. Furthermore, after a few days in Athens (which can start to feel crowded, polluted, and overwhelming), the Greek isles are a much needed oasis from the craziness of it all.

For this trip, due to limited time, I only visited one island - Santorini.

Despite the short duration of my trip, I absolute will never forget this magical place.

Thira

The island is small, with the two major towns (Thira and Oia) perched high on top of the steep cliff.  You get gorgeous ocean views from almost every building on the island.

Oia

The town we stayed in, Oia (pronounced ee-ya), is well known for its blue-domed white buildings. It's also known as the location for one of the most beautiful and romantic sunsets in the world.

One of my favorite experiences in Santorini was hiking the six-mile trail between Thira and Santorini. The scenery is breathtaking throughout (rolling hills, expansive ocean, a gorgeous sunset) plus the exercise is refreshing (can you see us walking in the picture?).

Of course, by the end of that hike we were famished. Though we had already traversed six miles, we made another tiring and steep descent down to the bottom of the island. You can see the steps leading all the way down to the oceanside.

We ate at a well-known seafood shanty with prime outdoor seats facing the famous sunset. Essentially, you pick out your fish and they grill it for you.

In Greece, fish is served with the head and tail (though they do filet it for you!). The preparation is simple (grilled with a splash of lemon), but very good. We also tried some traditional Greek appetizers, such as Greek salad and roasted eggplant. We also had deep fried tomatoes, which is a specialty of Santorini (known for its tomatoes).

Overall, we enjoyed our meal very much. Because we were visiting off-season, the fish was not as fresh as we would have liked (we saw some cloudy eyes while picking out fish - never a good sign!). Nevertheless, we enjoyed our meal immensely, and our waiter was super nice. In fact, he was so nice that he drove us all back up the "mountain" to our hotel at the top so we wouldn't have to climb the steep stairs ourselves.

We slept very very well that night.

This post is a part of a larger series on Greece
Greetings from Greece! 
Sweets in Greece 
Gyros, Souvlakis, and Pitas, Oh My!
Tavernas - Everyday Dining in Greece

Tavernas - everyday dining out in Greece

This is part 3 of a longer Greece Series. Please see bottom of the post for hyperlinks to the rest of this series.

While in Athens, we ate almost exclusively at casual, local places called "tavernas" (ταβέρνα). A taverna is sort of like our equivalent of a pub - a small, casual restaurant that serves local, Greek cuisine. Prices are usually quite reasonable, and the atmosphere is decidedly very Greek - traditional Greek music or even Greek dancing is not unusual.

In the touristy parts of Greece (e.g., Plaka), there are tavernas everywhere trying desperately to get your business. They are not shy, and they will stand outside their storefronts fearlessly beckoning you to enter.

We decided that any place that's super aggressive must not be very good, so we took care to do our research and sought out well-reviewed places. Not surprisingly, the places we chose (which were all very good), did not have a single aggressive person standing outside trying to get people to come in.

The first place we visited was a lovely restaurant called Psarras, which bills itself as Plaka's oldest restaurant. It's situated up the hill (towards the Acropolis) and serves authentic, traditional Greek fare.

I love the traditional Greek salad, which consists of a base of tomatoes, peppers, and onions topped with olives and a big chunk of feta cheese, A simple drizzle of extra virgin olive oil serves as the dressing.

We ordered a classic "oven baked lamb and potatoes," which is a common Sunday dinner dish in Greece.

Moussaka
This very traditional Greek dish consists of 1) layers of thinly sliced eggplant on the bottom, 2) ground lamb sauteed with onions, garlic, tomatoes, and spices in the middle, and 3) bechamel sauce or custard on top. The entire, hearty entree is baked and then served with a flavorful sauce.

Our second night in Athens we visited yet another taverna in the Plaka where we sampled even more traditional Greek dishes.


Grape Leaves!
You see stuffed grape leaves (dolmadakia) all over America, and you see them in Greece too! I love grape leaves, so of course I enjoyed these delicious rice stuffed grape leaves, which were served with olives and lemons.

The fried fish dish initially looked pretty boring. "How is this any different from Fish & Chips?"

The secret is completely in the sauce. The fish came with a generous side of this lovely garlic sauce, called skordalia (αλιάδα), that was absolutely delicious. The sauce is simple - pulverized garlic with olive oil, mashed potato, and an acidic component (either lemon or vinegar). It sort of reminds me of aoili or allioli from other European countries. It worked beautifully with the fish and we actually couldn't stop eating it!

The fried calamari was good - nothing particularly special or different, but decent.

Here is a lamb dish that (I believe) was topped with cheese. Flavorful, rich, and hearty on a cold rainy night (yes, so sad, but it rained in Greece several days while I was there!).

This baked eggplant dish was much richer than we had expected, though it was quite good.

Fresh fruit with cinnamon - a surprisingly simple but perfect ending to a satisfying meal.


This post is a part of a larger series on Greece
Greetings from Greece! 
Sweets in Greece 
Gyros, Souvlakis, and Pitas, Oh My!

Gyros, Souvlakis, and Pitas, Oh My!

Note - I think the word "gyros" above should be souvlakis!

One of the my favorite parts of travel is the opportunity to sample the local, casual cuisine.

I've always been a huge fan of street food. I feel like I get to know the culture on a much deeper level when I experience what the locals are having, not what's being served at the local Michelin star restaurant (though those are fun for different reasons).

In Athens, we stayed right inside the Plaka, a cute, historical area right at the foot of the Acropolis. The neighborhood consists of narrow cobblestone roads and tight buildings all scrunched up next to each other. It's a charming, very walker-friendly area full of restaurants, shops, and cafes. Frankly, I wouldn't stay anywhere else if I were visiting Athens.

After "hiking" up the hill in the morning to see the Acropolis and surrounding sites, we were famished by lunchtime. What lovely Greek food could we find in the Plaka?


My friend is a Rick Steves junkie and swears by his book for all her European travel. Rick recommended a few restaurants in and around the Plaka that were inexpensive and quite tasty. We decided to eat at one called Thanasis, right on the edge of the Plaka in an area called Monastiraki square.

Since the weather was nice, we ate outside. The restaurant is huge and seats probably over a hundred. The place was packed with locals and tourists alike.

The freshly made pita bread all over Greece is so good. It's soft, warm, and just downright addictive. Even though we were full, we couldn't help but continue to munch on the bread!

Greek Salad
One thing we quickly learned about Greek salads - they have no lettuce! Frankly, I much prefer the salads in Greece compared to the "Greek salads" we get here in the US. I love the chunky mixture of fresh ingredients - tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, and olives.  No filler! Of course, you must drizzle on some gorgeous olive oil plus add a nice chunk of feta cheese.

"Cheese" salad
We thought we were getting a real salad when we ordered the "cheese salad." Instead, it's more like a whipped feta spread, which was good, but hard to finish without eating too much bread!

We then ordered a bunch of things on the menu to try. It's great fun traveling with a slightly bigger group because you get to try so many more things! My favorite from that meal? The chicken souvlaki, which was absolutely incredible. It was among the best chicken I'd ever had - hot, juicy, tender, and full of delicious spices.

Similarly, the lamb sausage souvlakis were juicy, perfectly seasoned, and delicious as well.

I guess it takes a lot of muscle power to carry so many gyros all day long!

Fries just seem to be a part of every culture! In Greece, they put fries inside the gyros!

It's easy to find souvlakis, gyros, and the like all over Greece. At most of these shops, you can choose between various types of meats. Here in a tiny place near the bus stop in Oia, Santorini, we have a choice of lamb (left) or chicken (right). You can see pita bread grilling at the right of the rotating meat.

Here are some chicken gyros we had at another street side gyro place in Oia, Santorini.

Back to Athens! 
After enjoying a nice lunch in the Plaka area, you can just walk around and enjoy the ancient sites of Athens. There's so much to see within walking distance of the Plaka.

Old Roman style ruins.

You can't forget the Acropolis (which is just up the hill . . .)

And surrounding buildings . . .

This post is a part of a larger series on Greece
Greetings from Greece! 
Sweets in Greece