I first went to Prague ages ago, in 1977, motivated by a desire to see the birthplace of the first serious writers whose work meant the world to me as a young adult. Although Franz Kafka and Rainer Maria Rilke never wrote explicitly about Prague, the city’s literal darkness, Gothic … Read more
It’s no secret that food culture is now practically synonymous with entertainment, as cooking channels with their celebrity chefs are becoming a part of pop culture. People love the drama and energy of a kitchen and the personalities working within them. Entertainment aside, though, working in the restaurant industry requires … Read more
I was reluctant to visit Thailand thanks to its reputation as a haven for sexpats – old geezers with their drooping, chicken skin arms around the shoulders of girls and boys forty years younger. But when I realized how much I loved the spices of Southeast Asia, and legitimate massages, I … Read more
Cities, restaurants, temples, shops, markets? Cultural experiences? Museums? Bars, late night jazz clubs? Dancing? Drinking? Who needs any of it? Japan offers, instead, a unique and magical one of a kind opportunity to explore the depths of your soul, and live to tell the tale. Ryokans, a type of … Read more
Weasel Coffee and Bowls of Pho I landed in Saigon a few minutes past midnight exhausted and wired but excited to be in Vietnam, a country that had occupied my imagination for decades. I’d had just enough time at Narita airport to pick up a liter of Yamazaki Single … Read more
Less is More You’ve had sushi, tempura, yakitori, and udon, but if you really want to eat like the Japanese, it’s time you tried kaiseki. Kaiseki is a kanji word that means, “stone in the bosom,” and refers to a centuries old practice that the Buddhist monks followed in the … Read more
Eating in New York City Daniel Hype in New York often trumps reality. No place on earth can brainwash people into thinking that the show, the art, the exhibit, the performance, or…the food is better than what you sense. It’s like Harpo Marx and Richard Pryor said: “Who you … Read more
It’s the Top – Banking on Swiss Cuisine Fondue, raclette, and cured, air-dried meats … to outsiders Switzerland might seem to be a backwater place when it comes to culinary matters. Way off the mark because it’s not just about the meat and the cheese. In terms of quality, … Read more
I love Tokyo and in my next life I imagine you’ll find me in my suite on the 47th floor of the Park Hyatt showering and dressing for drinks and dinner with Scarlett Johansson between takes of, “Lost in Translation,” which was filmed at the hotel. Tokyo invokes manic … Read more