Category: travel

where my mouth has taken me…

review: pig out…

Cochon Butcher New Orleans, Louisiana Apparently, a trip to New Orleans is an obligatory race to see how many calories one can intake, how high one can boost their cholesterol, in the course of their stay.  The only prize is the satisfaction of one’s own gluttony. My trip happened to be four days short, and […]

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review: pig out…

Cochon Butcher New Orleans, Louisiana Apparently, a trip to New Orleans is an obligatory race to see how many calories one can intake, how high one can boost their cholesterol, in the course of their stay.  The only prize is the satisfaction of one’s own gluttony. My trip happened to be four days short, and […]

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review: mr. kowalski…

Stanley New Orleans, Louisiana Chef Scott Boswell owns two restaurants in New Orleans. Named after the two lead characters in Tennessee Williams’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley and Stella! (yes, the exclamation point cleverly included) sit a few blocks apart from each other on Chartres (pronounces “charters”) Street in the French Quarter. […]

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review: mr. kowalski…

Stanley New Orleans, Louisiana Chef Scott Boswell owns two restaurants in New Orleans. Named after the two lead characters in Tennessee Williams’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, A Streetcar Named Desire, Stanley and Stella! (yes, the exclamation point cleverly included) sit a few blocks apart from each other on Chartres (pronounces “charters”) Street in the French Quarter. […]

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travel: laissez les bons temps rouler…

New Orleans, Louisiana The Saints beat the Cardinals. Bourbon Street was as colourful as I remembered it. We were spared a full day of forecasted rain. The po’boys were delicious. I finally got out for a few nice, long runs. And there was enough pork fat and coffee (and for some, alcohol) to keep even […]

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travel: laissez les bons temps rouler…

New Orleans, Louisiana The Saints beat the Cardinals. Bourbon Street was as colourful as I remembered it. We were spared a full day of forecasted rain. The po’boys were delicious. I finally got out for a few nice, long runs. And there was enough pork fat and coffee (and for some, alcohol) to keep even […]

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review: expatriate…

Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Salad Union J, Hong Kong In 2006, I met Eric Johnson, then executive chef at Jean Georges Shanghai, inadvertently. Though we had exchanged a few emails, I hadn’t anticipated that he’d call me out when I visited the restaurant unannounced. We kept in touch loosely over the subsequent years. Serendipitously, […]

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review: expatriate…

Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Salad Union J, Hong Kong In 2006, I met Eric Johnson, then executive chef at Jean Georges Shanghai, inadvertently. Though we had exchanged a few emails, I hadn’t anticipated that he’d call me out when I visited the restaurant unannounced. We kept in touch loosely over the subsequent years. Serendipitously, […]

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best of 2009, the restaurant edition…

Corton New York, New York The course of any meal unfolds in a highly personal and circumstantial way.  Evaluating any restaurant experience devoid of personal context (e.g. company, mood, and personal preferences) is an impossible task. Though I like think that I can be scrupulously objective, I know that emotion trumps reason, personal preferences cloud […]

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best of 2009, the restaurant edition…

Corton New York, New York The course of any meal unfolds in a highly personal and circumstantial way.  Evaluating any restaurant experience devoid of personal context (e.g. company, mood, and personal preferences) is an impossible task. Though I like think that I can be scrupulously objective, I know that emotion trumps reason, personal preferences cloud […]

Continue

best dishes of 2009…

Petales de Melon Confit Pierre, Hong Kong 2009 arrived on the heels of an incomparable eating tour of London, Paris, and beyond.  I can’t believe a year has gone by since I stuffed myself silly with macarons, cheese, bread, butter, and truffles. As memorable and impressive as my eating itinerary was last year, I can’t […]

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best dishes of 2009…

Petales de Melon Confit Pierre, Hong Kong 2009 arrived on the heels of an incomparable eating tour of London, Paris, and beyond.  I can’t believe a year has gone by since I stuffed myself silly with macarons, cheese, bread, butter, and truffles. As memorable and impressive as my eating itinerary was last year, I can’t […]

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review: constant, steady, ever-faithful…

Salmon-Caviar Le Bernardin, New York I don’t take my birthday too seriously.  All I ask for is a very good meal (or a few) shared with good friends. For the past few years, I’ve made it a point to celebrate my birthday away from home.  I’ve had a strong bias for New York, which has […]

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review: constant, steady, ever-faithful…

Salmon-Caviar Le Bernardin, New York I don’t take my birthday too seriously.  All I ask for is a very good meal (or a few) shared with good friends. For the past few years, I’ve made it a point to celebrate my birthday away from home.  I’ve had a strong bias for New York, which has […]

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review: two-star ascendant…

Saddle of Venison le Bristol, Paris, France I had had a good run. But sadly, my luxurious, two-week romp through restaurants in the U.K. and France was coming to an end.  It was my last night in Paris. Four years ago, I struck up a conversation with my server at le Cinq, who seemed quite […]

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review: two-star ascendant…

Saddle of Venison le Bristol, Paris, France I had had a good run. But sadly, my luxurious, two-week romp through restaurants in the U.K. and France was coming to an end.  It was my last night in Paris. Four years ago, I struck up a conversation with my server at le Cinq, who seemed quite […]

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review: put it on vibrate, please…

4th Course: Fresh Washington State Black Cod Bouley, New York When I last left Bouley in March, I said to my dining companions that I’d never go back on my dime. I didn’t have to. You can read about how this third visit to Bouley came about over HERE. Doubtful I’d return to New York […]

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review: put it on vibrate, please…

4th Course: Fresh Washington State Black Cod Bouley, New York When I last left Bouley in March, I said to my dining companions that I’d never go back on my dime. I didn’t have to. You can read about how this third visit to Bouley came about over HERE. Doubtful I’d return to New York […]

Continue

review: comedy of errors…

1st Course: Porcini Flan Bouley, New York I’ve been to Bouley thrice now. The first time I went was in 2007, when the restaurant resided in that sumptuously red, arched space at 120 West Broadway where Bouley Bakery is now. To this day, I count it as one of the most beautiful dining rooms I’ve […]

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review: comedy of errors…

1st Course: Porcini Flan Bouley, New York I’ve been to Bouley thrice now. The first time I went was in 2007, when the restaurant resided in that sumptuously red, arched space at 120 West Broadway where Bouley Bakery is now. To this day, I count it as one of the most beautiful dining rooms I’ve […]

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