The Paon Bali Cooking Class is much more than chopping, dicing and stir frying. Along with these basic cooking tasks and learning about tasty Balinese cuisine, it’s an enriching introduction to Balinese life and customs. Ni Luh Made Puspawati, who asks to be called Puspa, and her husband, Wayan Subawa, … Read more
Nota Bene is an island in the middle of a stormy sea. Tucked away in the slightly gritty Queen St. West theater district of Toronto, you almost wonder how it found its home there. But a home it’s found and it’s one that Chef David Lee is most likely proud … Read more
Maine and lobster go together like wine and cheese or bread and butter. You really can’t have one without the other. The state and its signature crustacean are practically inseparable. Just as you can’t have New York City without hot dogs, Boston without baked beans or New Orleans without gumbo, … Read more
Michelin-stars are all well and good, but some restaurants go beyond approval from the French. Steeped in history, Yan Toh Heen at the InterContinental Hong Kong, formerly the renowned Regent, has decades of glory to look back on as an unrivaled epitome of luxurious Cantonese cuisine. Recently renovated top to … Read more
Hong Kong should have seen the Spanish inquisition coming. While French, Italian, and European cuisines have been popular and served to a high standard for decades in this international city, good Iberian-influenced cuisine was scarce. The fairly new phenomenon began with a few Spanish restaurants opening up in the early … Read more
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
A door in a discrete wooden fence leads you into the parking lot adjacent to Commonwealth. It’s an unusual entry, but then again nothing at Commonwealth follows the norm. A disco ball’s reflection circles the room within a skylight high above the sleek, minimalistic dining room. Anchored with warm hickory … Read more
In the hospitality business there’s always room for a new idea. After all, that’s what draws the crowds. And if the idea is one that ups the fun quotient then bring it on. Batch Gastro Pub is on to something. Their ingenious table taps (7 in total throughout the place) … Read more
When casino operating licenses were granted to the big corporations setting up in Macau in the early 2000s, it changed both the physical and cultural landscape of the city. In the inevitable excesses that followed, hotels and resorts tried to build bigger and more eye-catching behemoths than their counterparts.With the … Read more
The best parade in Washington D.C, is without a doubt the two dozen courses José Andrés and his team turn out at minibar. If you can get in, you may just experience the meal of your life. Minibar as a concept started ten years ago upstairs at Andrés’ Café Atlantico. … Read more
Dresden’s Neustadt neighborhood is an intersection of the bourgeoisie and the bohemian. There’s a distinct alternative scene with eccentric cafes and pubs, art galleries, small theaters and little shops. One of those shops in particular will surprise you. From the outside it doesn’t look like much, but open the door … Read more
You could easily blink and miss Tongue & Cheek, sandwiched between 3 other restaurants, 1 Greek and 2 Italian, in a kind’ve South Beach “restaurant row” strip mall. Talk about competition. But don’t miss this place if you’re headed to hedonistic SoBe soon; it’s like nothing else in Miami. Situated … Read more
In gaudy Macau, the Las Vegas of the east, there exists a serene gastronomic refuge from the excesses of sin city. While many of Macau’s finer restaurants are housed in soulless hotels, Casa de Tapas is tucked away in old Taipa village, a well-known area that’s gained a reputation for … Read more
The road bends sharply as you descend a hill into South Londonderry; blink and you’ll miss the small hamlet nestled along the West River. It was here that Chloe and Wesley Genovart decamped from New York City life to raise a family and build a restaurant. The result, SoLo Farm … Read more
A bright pink neon sign displaying the word “BAR” leads you into Jeffrey’s. It’s a telling marker for Austin’s most lauded restaurant, buzzing with every table full on a Friday night at 10 p.m. Having pounded the streets of Texas’ culturally rich capital for much of the day, we were … Read more