Restaurant Martin in Shanghai

I had the day off, and decided to try something new for lunch. While digging through the local restaurant review sites, I found Restaurant Martin, the Shanghai location for three-star Michelin chef Martin Berasategui's award winning restaurant, a contemporary of Ferran Adrian. I was puzzled why none of my friends or colleagues ever mentioned this restaurant to me. Certainly a restaurant with such a reputation should have been in the news more often, or perhaps mentioned in the same breath as M on the Bund. Perhaps the food wasn't up to par, or the service was atrocious, well, there was only one way to find out.

Restaurant Martin was located in a very charming and majestic heritage mansion built in the 1920s inside Xujiahui Park. This alone should have made this a very popular establishment with the fine dining crowd. I stepped into the foyer of the restaurant slightly after noon, and was shown to my table on the upper level, inside a charming dining room with four tables. There was already a table of four Japanese women lunching as I entered.

I ordered the seasonal set lunch, which comprised of three courses and a dessert. I had high hopes for the first course, which was chilled peach gazpacho, because summer time has always been the best for the sweetest peaches. The gazpacho was served with oilve oil drizzled on top and tasted awesome, slightly chilled with a strong peach flavor that balanced well with the olive oil and tomato puree. The texture was so smooth it was like eating spoonfuls of my flavored yoghurt.

The second course was poached egg with hollandaise sauce over caviar and seasoned with truffle oil. This dish tasted light, the caviar was a very good choice, as was the touch of truffle oil. Overall, a medley of flavors that won me over right away.

My main course consisted of pan fried monkfish with steamed vegetables. It had been a long time since I had my last monkfish meal, so this was another dish I was very much looking forward to. When cooked right, monkfish can taste very much like lobster meat, and Restaurant Martin's version was cooked just right.

For dessert, I had the star anise flavored ice cream over carrot creme brulee, drizzled with olive oil. This was truly a very unique dessert, the flavors were extraordinary, simple yet delicious. I wished the portion was a bit more generous.

My overall dining experience at Restaurant Martin was amazing. Not cheap, by Shanghai standards, but considering the quality of food and excellent service, it was well worth it. Sunday brunch might be the perfect time to come back, for good food and long walks in Xujiahui Park.

Friday Lunch At L'Olivier

This place was barely 2 days old when we decided to give it a try for our weekly Friday lunch. Expectations were a little high, based on initial biased reviews, but then again, I hadn't eaten breakfast, so any food is good food for me that day.

We arrived to a very empty restaurant in the heart of the financial district. I guess word of mouth hadn't gotten round the block yet. Which was a good thing - we were ensured a nice quiet meal. The waiter brought us to the corner of the restaurant with booth seats, a great vantage point to check out the rest of the room and the people strolling past outside.

The set lunch for S$26.00++ looked tempting, and a good deal, so we decided to give it a try, along with the house wine on promotion for the month. My squid fritters appetizer was accompanied by grilled eggplant slivers, salsa and pesto sauce, and tasted ordinary, but well prepared. The main course of pan fried seabass was also well done, with a good creamy hollandaise sauce and pomme noisette. Again, nothing out of the ordinary, but delicious nonetheless. The dessert was a plum tart that was excellent, and we also ordered a serving of profiteroles to share.The chocolate sauce was a bit sweet, could have been more bitter with some quality Valrhona chocolate add to the mix. For the price, this was a very good meal, and we had a good time. The dinner ala carte menu looked more tempting, and we'd definitely be back to give it a try soon.

L'Olivier is located at 137 Telok Ayer Street, downtown Singapore. Tel: +65-6227-6022

Pietrasanta at Portsdown

Was looking for something new to take my folks out to lunch on a Friday, and I happened to remember this new Italian restaurant right in the heart of Portsdown Road in Singapore. Not exactly the lunch crowd gathering spot, so I figured this would be a quiet place for a family meal. We reserved a table inside the cozy restaurant adorned with simple homely decorative items, which reminded me a lot of the old Cantina restaurant down the road from where we stay.

The menu was quite extensive, covering everything from appetizers and soups to entrees with pasta, seafood and main courses of meat, pizza and specials of the day. The only thing that seemed to be missing from the menu was carpaccio. Maybe there was a reason, but I didn't ask. The waitress went on and on about the specials of the day, and I lost track of what I wanted to order from the menu. We ended with most of the special dishes - burata, grilled portobello, chestnut flour crepes and the squid ink pasta with crab meat in tomato sauce.

The appetizers of burata, served with parma ham and arugula, and the grilled portebello with minced meat topping were both equally good. But it was the mains that we liked best. The chestnut crepe was filled with layers of ham, mushrooms and cheese and baked till crispy. It had a most unusual flavor and tasted amazing, My squid ink pasta dish was even better, the tomato sauce was a good tangy complement to the sweetness of the fresh crab meat. Needless to say, we cleaned up our plates and left no room for dessert. So that will have to wait another day. I'm very impressed with the quality of food at Pietrasanta, it's definitely a much better choice that Soprano's across the driveway.

Pietrasanta is located at 5B Portsdown Road, next to Klee and Soprano's.

My first Passover dinner experience

I've been meaning to try Firefly for the past 3 years, but was never quite made it there, for many reasons. So tonight must have been my lucky night, I was able to secure a table for 8:30PM at the last minute. I had heard many good things about Firefly and so my expectations were a little high when I arrived at the door. Above the main entrance sat a very large metal firefly sculpture with a blinking electric bulb affixed to its body. Quirky, but interesting. We were shown to a small table overlooking the main entrance, with a good view of the kitchen and the diners in the adjacent dining area. Kind of romantic, but I was there for the food, not romance.

This being Easter week, Firefly presented a special Passover menu featuring a number of traditional Jewish dishes, and some Californian fare. I have to admit this was the first time I've had a Passover meal, so this in itself was an adventure for me. I ordered gefilte fish with a two colored horseradish sauce, which was essentially cold fish dumpling meat served with a side of horseradish. Not how I would usually eat fish dumpling, but the flavor was very well balanced and delicious despite being cold. Perhaps a warm version of this would have tasted much better, over broth, but that's just the Cantonese in me talking. My main course was the beef brisket over sweet potato mash and warm gravy. The beef brisket melted in my mouth, and the sweet potato mash was an excellent complement as was the gravy. For dessert, I ordered the grapefruit sorbet with honey mousse and sliced fruit. The sorbet was very refreshing, not too sour or sweet, and the honey mousse was light as whipped cream with a delicate honey flavor. I can see why Firefly has remained so popular throughout the years, with amazing homestyle dishes that are affordable and very good value for money.
Firefly is located at 4288 24th St. San Francisco, CA 94114. Tel: (415) 821-7652

The largest tasting menu I've ever eaten

I must have looked like someone who could really eat a whole cow, or maybe the waitress was too polite to tell me NO, but anyway, I ordered the Rijstafel tasting menu at Bumbu Bali in Nusa Dua, Bali last weekend, and lived to regret it. Don't get me wrong, the food was fantastic, and with tasting portions that represented a large portion of the restaurant menu items, but there was simply too much food for one person to finish.

For starters, there were 4 different types of skewered meat, a very delicious and unusual green papaya salad, a tuna salad and a rice cake dish with 2 accompanying dips. The main dishes arrived on a large platter with various types of meat - marinated chicken, sweet pork stew, various types of grilled meat in wrapped in banana leaf, a spicy vegetable dish, beef rendang, another chicken stew and a final met dish that I couldn't remember (and barely tasted).

A barely made a dent, only managing to taste tiny morsels of meat while having some of the white, yellow and red rice varieties. Anyway, finally on to dessert, there was a mixed tropical fruit platter, a black rice pudding, a palm sugar rice pudding and some local glutinous rice pastries. There was definitely enough food for two, but it was just a pity I was dining alone that night.

Bumbu Bali also has cooking classes during the day, and will arrange to take students to the local market to shop for ingredients before the lessons start. The open air kitchen is a great place to watch the experts cook up a feast, and there are cookbooks on sale for those really keen on trying their hand at Balinese cuisine.

The restaurant is located at Jalan Pratama, Tanjung Benoa, P.O.Box 132 Nusa Dua 80363, Bali - Indonesia. Tel: 62 361 774502, 772299

Lian, Indochinese chic at the IFC

So, I finally managed to get a table at the ever-popular Indochinese bistro Lian on the second floor of the International Finance Centre in Central. I had just flown into Hong Kong just hours before, and was fortunate to get a slot for an early dinner, and although it was a Monday night, we were requested to vacate our place by 8:00pm for the next seating. I guess in these tough economic times, people still need to eat well.

Walking past the curvaceous foyer and into the main dining hall, we were greeted by an amazing water feature that was the centerpiece of the dining area - a lily pond with counter seats encircling it, bathed in glowing light in the water and adorned with hanging lilies from the ceiling. The decor was what you'd expect of a very hip, modern Indochinese bistro, with dark wood furniture, shades of rich fabric in brown and beige hues, and Asian accents embellishing the dimly lit room and dining booths.

We opted for a the counter seats in front of the lilly pond centerpiece, and ordered our usual Indochinese favorites. First up was the fresh tom yum goong with a large prawn that was so amazingly flavorful it almost didn't qualify as a traditional Thai soup. It reminded me of a blend between tom yum goong and a Vietnamese sweet and sour fish soup. But this is what Lian did best, deftly mixing the best of Indochinese cuisine into a unique, blended potpourri of exotic flavors.

Next we had the grilled beef with garlic, a typical Vietnamese restaurant staple that was done perfectly with tender beef strips and crispy garlic slivers. Then there was the jumbo prawn fresh roll that reminded me of a Japanese tempura roll, except the dip was made from prawn roe and coconut cream and tasted absolutely decadent. Not your typical Vietnamese 'goi cuon', but very tasty nonetheless.

Our last appetizer was the pomelo salad, and unlike your regular fare, the dish was served with just pomelo slices and a spicy sweet and sour dressing. This was the most refreshing dish for me, simple yet mouth-watering delicious. Our main course was 'pho', the traditional Vietnamese beef noodle soup, which we shared a bowl between the two of us. The broth was one of the best I've had since my hunt for the best 'pho' started in earnest two months ago - rich, flavorful and just the right amount of spice, accompanied by thin, smooth flat rice noodles reminiscent of the best 'hor fun' from Ipoh, Malaysia. But I'd have to say the sliced beef was the best part for me, they were so melt-in-your-mouth tender they could have been wagyu grade.

We ended the meal, too full for a go at the dessert selection. I'm glad I was able to give Lian a try this trip, it's been on my To Do list for the longest time, and will remain there for some time to come.

The first one of the year - Si Bon

Ok, I confess, it's been a really long time since I updated this blog with a new restaurant review. Not that I've been avoiding restaurants, on the contrary I've found quite a few really good ones around Asia and Australia. Guess it's a long drawn case of procrastination. At least I'm not the only guilty party here. As we enter yet another new year filled with endless choices of new restaurants to be discovered and new cuisines to be savored, I'll promise to be a bit more diligent about blogging. Note to D Girl - How about trying some video blogging with your new Mino, eh?

So we'll start of this year's blog with a quick review of a new Japanese restaurant on Sentosa Island, Singapore. Probably the only restaurant that prides itself on serving Kushikatsu (or Japanese skewered food), Si Bon is a fantastic escape from the everyday mundane Japanese meal experience. What do I mean by this? You first need to get across to Sentosa Island and head towards the Amara Sanctuary Resort, where Si Bon is located. As you walk towards the restaurant at the far end of the resort, the scenery changes to lush bamboo groves and stone footpaths reminiscent of a private garden in Kyoto. The restaurant entrance appears as you round the corner, revealing a small brick house within the groves of green bamboo. The converted chapel that houses Si Bon contains a very small dining counter for 12 persons, facing the chef's kitchen where food is prepared and cooked in front of the diners. This reminded me of some of the tempura specialty restaurants in Tokyo where the chef cooks each tempura in front of the diners and personally serves them. We were there for the set lunch, which consisted of 3 appetizers, followed by 8 skewers of meat, seafood and vegetables, then a choice of udon/soba, steamed rice or sushi.

The skewers were lightly battered and fried to perfection and served immediately. The chef would then guide us to the appropriate sauce type to dip as accompaniment. Each skewer was a mouthful of delicately arranged tender morsels lightly battered and fried to perfection, and bursting with freshness and flavor. My particular favorites was the prawn skewer topped with fresh uni, and the duck and goose combination skewer wrapped in a shiso leaf. We opted for the steamed rice as it was a specialty from Osaka. The fluffy nori flavored rice was topped with thin slices of Japanese cucumbers, prawns, egg and pickles and was a good way to end the meal. The dessert was Japanese green tea ice cream with fresh strawberries. I have to say service was excellent, the wait staff were super attentive (probably because we were the only ones there that day).

Taxi at Federation Square, Melbourne

I found a reference to this hip restaurant in an issue of Wallpaper* magazine, and since it was just minutes from my hotel, I decided this would be my first stop in my culinary exploration of Melbourne. I've actually put together my own "One Perfect Weekend in Melbourne" guide after spending a few days sampling the local cuisine and watering holes, but I'll save that for maybe later. For now, I just wanted to rave about Taxi.

I was a little early when I stepped into the restaurant, but just in time to see the last golden rays of the sun setting behind the Melbourne skyline.
Seated at the bar counter, I was treated to the frenzied activity in the open kitchen area and the stream of well-heeled diners making their way in. I ordered a glass of champagne to start, and fresh oysters topped with Ahi and caviar in a Japanese punzu dressing to whet my appetite.
Yum! For the main course, I picked the sesame miso cod and zucchini strips with seared scallops over caramelized red onions. I loved the fusion flavors, fresh modern Japanese seafood yet with a lot of Western influence. There was no room for dessert unfortunately, so I decided a brisk stroll to the next bar was in order.

This was definitely the best meal I've had since arriving in Melbourne a day ago, and I was really looking forward to discovering more delicious local cuisine during the rest of my short stay.


This entry begins a series of fascinating discoveries in Melbourne over several days, and I'm including my "One Perfect Weekend in Melbourne" recommendations here:

Start with a hearty breakfast or brunch at Cumulus, where you taste some amazing blood sausages made fresh. Sit by the counter, take in the natural light streaming through the windows and catch up on your daily reading. If you like food and cooking, check out Books For Cooks, a bookstore for the budding chef and any professional looking for cooking references. Amazing selection of books from everywhere. I bought an El Bulli compendium volume here, couldn't resist. Next, take an afternoon stroll around the city, making your way to Brunswick, Gertrude and Smith Streets for a very interesting side of Melbourne life, part Bohemian, part grunge.

To wet your parched lips, walk into Gertrude Street Enoteca for a glass of excellent local wine and some fresh bruscetta, rest your feet, then head across the street to pick up some amazing toiletries from Aesop, the famous Australian skincare brand. Looking for a place for dinner? Try Taxi, a very trendy restaurant in the heart of Federation Square serving modern Aussie/Japanese fusion cuisine.

If you're still up for more exciting discoveries, take a taxi to Der Raum, voted one of the top 10 bars in the world. Order the El Moroccan Blazer, which takes over 5 minutes to prepare, but well worth the wait. They make awesome cocktails here!

The next day, if you still have time to spare, lunch at Rockpool, a very beautiful restaurant located inside the Crown Casino complex, also in the heart of downtown Melbourne. Order the ribeye, it's charred to perfection and wash it down with a local Chardonnay. Federation Square is an interesting area to walk around, sometimes you can catch art performances in the late afternoon in spring. For dinner, Gingerboy is a modern Asian fusion eatery and always very crowded. Food is not very Asian, but do get a seat by the bar and order several appetizers for dinner and wash it down with one of their house signature cocktails.

Cecconi's in SoHo

Been to this modern Italian bistro along Elgin St a number of times, and it's still consistently one of the better ones in the SoHo area. The first time was for lunch. I remember ordering the set lunch that consisted of a roasted garlic soup followed by spagetti bolognese.


Normally, I'd steer clear of bolognese (reminds me too much of Chef Boyardee's microwaved verson), but I'm glad I decided to give it a try. It used to be a favorite childhood meal of mine, and Cecconi's version is definitely one of my new favorites - flavorful yet tender, with a rich, aromatic tomato flavor balanced with the right amount of Italian herbs. All in all, a good deal at HK$108.


The second time I was there I tried the tasting menu which consisted of four courses, at HK$498. I didn't have time to take notes of each of the individual courses as it was a business dinner, but I did recall there was foie gras, scallops, Chilean bass and risotto, and I was very full by the end of the fourth course. The experience was most enjoyable and the fact that my company picked up the tab made it more than memorable. :)

Isola, Modern Italian With A Stunning View

The moment I walked into Isola I was mesmerized by the stark white tapestry pattern of the wallpaper in this modern minimalist restaurant at the International Financial Center in Hong Kong. Perched on top of the 4th floor of the IFC, diners are treated to the spectacular view of the Hong Kong skyline and harbor while dining alfresco on the patio.

My friend had reserved a table a week in advance fortunately, and we managed to secure a waterfront view by the window in a quiet corner of this very busy restaurant. It was Monday, and yet the restaurant was filled to capacity. Big, bold and beautiful, I was told this was still the place to see and be seen in Hong Kong.


Lately, I've been on a gastronomic quest to find the best squid ink pasta dish around, and so tonight I was pleasantly surprised to find a squid ink linguine vongole accompanied by baby asparagus. Naturally, that was my selection for the main course, and I also ordered an arugula and mushroom salad with grapes and shaved Parmigiano.

I have to say both dishes were executed with perfection, it was clear the scenic waterfront views were not just the main attractions at this popular Hong Kong restaurant, the food certainly stands up to a lot of accolades as well. Not to mention the excellent, top-notch service fitting for such a dining experience.

This entry marked the start of a 30 day, 4 country culinary journey that included Hong Kong, Mexico, San Francisco and Melbourne. Stay tuned for more delicious photos to come.

Limon - A Modern Peruvian Hit

I was very pleased to find a rave review of this Mission restaurant in the latest issue of San Francisco magazine. It had been on my To-Do list for the longest time, but something always came up at the last minute to scuttle dinner plans at this very popular Peruvian restaurant. But tonight, we were determined to keep our dinner reservations, enough though the only table they could offer us was at 10pm.



If you judge a Peruvian restaurant's quality by their signature cerviche, then Limon's shrimp and pacific corvina cerviche will bowl you over with its freshness and the tart flavor of fresh lime dressing over the ingredients.





My favorite way to sample cuisine is to do the small plates and tapas only, and skip the entrees unless they're absolutely irresistable judging from the menu descriptions.

The Perfect Brunch at Zuni Cafe

Ah, Zuni Cafe, my quintessential weekend brunch spot in the city. This beautiful, sun drenched cafe along Market Street has come to represent the best qualities of the San Francisco dining scene - fresh organic produce from local farmers dedicated to sustainable harvesting, simple yet tasteful seasonal menus paired with the freshest selections of oysters and crustaceans from the bay area. Local chef Judy Rodgers has made this quaint little corner establishment one of the city's popular dining spots, and have also published a cookbook containing all the signature dishes that made Zuni Cafe such a hit.

My friend David and I drove up from San Jose Saturday morning and headed to Zuni Cafe without a reservation. Sometimes, you do get lucky, and today, we did not have to wait more than five minutes. We were shown to a table in my favorite corner of the restaurant facing the street. I've tried almost all the popular dishes on the menu, but not the grilled porkloin, so that was my choice. David picked the signature caesar salad and minestrone soup. The dishes were perfect, as always, and evoked subtle nuances of Alice Water's Chez Panisse cooking. It's all about simplicity in the preparation, so that the naturally fresh ingredients are allowed to shine.



Today we decided to skip the fruits de mer, and save our appetites for an afternoon snack at the Hog Island Oyster Co. bistro in the Ferry Building. And so began our perfect Saturday afternoon in the city. If you ever come to Zuni Cafe, try the signature oven roasted chicken.

Aurum, Singapore - Cutting Edge Gastronomy

Molecular Gastronomy. It doesn't exist. At least according to Edward Voon, Executive Chef, of Aurum when asked what it was. I had been intrigued by this term (not to mention the food), and made reservations to find out whether my visions of a foam-filled dishes with no real substance were accurate. Although this might be the biggest scam in recent history, I HAD to sample this new form of cooking. Chef Voon prefers to call his creations "New Age". Regardless of label, I was absolutely thrilled that someone felt Singapore was ready for a restaurant like this and was gutsy enough to take a bet on us.

Located on the second floor of The Cannery at Clarke Quay, the restaurant is not the easiest to find. Amidst a slew of bars and restaurants, Aurum's entrance appears more like a waiting area for a plastic surgeon's office than a portal into a new dimension of dining. Once the wall of refrigerator doors (more like morgue doors) swing open, you quickly realise that you are in for an extremely unconventional experience.

Not for the superstitious, the whole atmosphere simulates a hospital setting with the chefs working at the operating theatre while diners are seated at metal dining tables on wheelchairs. Wheelchairs! I must admit that my fears of premature descrepitude did initially make the seating arrangement feel a little awkward, but the enchanting degustation menu soon took centre stage. Amusingly, the dominant color in the restaurant was gold (Aurum is Spanish for gold) which was accentuated by a large disco ball and gold polka dots achieving a funky Grey's Anatomy meets La Cage Au Folles feel.

We were fortunate enough to have the very personable Chef (who was also easy on the eyes) talk us through each dish. He described the various preparations and the best way to consume it - usually all in one mouthful. The menu and the food is hard to describe. Chef Voon's foie gras, ham, spanish omelette and soba were my favourites and all the dishes were amazing in flavour and entertainment value. Aurum only serves a 13-course degustation menu which changes every three weeks. Last night we sampled his sixth menu since they started.

Penang-born Voon made his name at the Oriental's Dolce Vita restaurant where he created an exciting, completely revamped menu consisting of mediteranean cusine with an Asian influence. Voon was also voted Best New Chef at the 2004 Food and Hotel Asia Competition out of 90 other chefs from the region. Paco Ronchero, a disciple of El Bulli's Ferran Adria, is a consultant for Aurum and Voon intends to spend three months this summer honing his skills at Ronchero's restaurant in Spain.

The night was a veritable feast of tastes, textures and temperatures (liquid nitrogen playing a key role). Go without any preconceived notions or expectations (I have purposely left out photographs) and you will be pleasantly surprised. Aurum will be undergoing a renovation pretty soon so I would urge the more adventurous to visit before the decor becomes more mainstream.

Voon also oversees the menu at Barfly, a great after-dinner place, just around the corner.

Aurum, The Cannery, Clarke Quay, +65 6887 3733

T8 For Easter Brunch

So I find myself in Shanghai again this April. It seems this is my annual Spring Break, the time of the season when I get to sample the wonderful cuisine of Shanghai and partake in some bar hopping along the Bund. I had casually mentioned to my folks that I would be in Shanghai for work, next thing I knew, they had booked flights over to spend the weekend with me. Good thing my work was off to a slow start, so I had plenty of time show them a few of my favorite restaurants in town (and have them pay for the meals).

I made reservations at T8 for our Easter Sunday brunch, for a "Mezza Mayhem" degustation set consisting of 8 dishes including desserts, cocktail and unlimited coffee and tea. T8, being my favorite restaurant in Shanghai, always manages to titillate me with their innovative fusion of Aussie recipes with eastern ingredients to create dishes that are very original and sumptuous, and pleasing on the eye all at the same time. Incidentally, they're also the only restaurant in China that made it to the Top 50 Restaurants In The World list 2004 by Conde Nast.

I love the way T8 dishes are presented, usually in a simple, yet very beautiful and elegant manner, melding color, form and a lot of anticipation into the mix. Of course it helps that there's usually a spotlight at each table setting, which makes for a great opportunity to snap some great food photos. For the brunch, we were seated on the upper level of the restaurant in a beautifully renovated pre-war conservation house called a "shikumen", decorated with Asian art pieces amid a western dining room influence. The ceiling beams were exposed, giving way to a lofty, airy ambience while sunlight drifted into the room through the big windows that were opened on one end of the room. This was spring, and you could almost smell it in the cool breeze wafting in.

We made our selection of 8 dishes from the list of appetizers, entrees and desserts - all of the items looked yummy, and it wasn't easy just picking 8. So we decided to select one of each and dine family style. The most memorable appetizer had to be the pan fried foie gras, for it's melt-in-your-mouth texture and full flavor complimented by the black peppered pineapple salsa. I guess raisins would have worked fine, but I liked the use of local fruits in the dishes. Another dish that left a good impression was the fin de claire oyster with beetroot bubbles and wasabi panna cotta. The beetroot was actually finely diced, which lent a slightly crunchy texture while the wasabi panna cotta wrapped the oyster in its smooth embrace as it slid down my throat all too quickly. Yum! Yup, T8 never ceases to surprise me.

They should also be introducing their Spring menu this week, so I'm planning to head back for another meal this weekend before I skip town.

No. 8 Xintiandi North Part, Lane 181 Tai Cang Road

Where Do I Begin?

I think it was the way she gobbled up her warm chocolate brownie at the Hard Rock Cafe that caught my eye and made me sit up and take notice that fateful evening. Or maybe it was the way she spoke of her mother's beef noodle soup, the delicate name dropping of the various ingredients rolling off the tip of her tongue that made my heart yearn for the same taste that was lingering in her mind.

Whatever the reason, we became fast friends and swift dining partners ever since then, cavorting across continents, sampling each region's delicacies and moving on to the next like Galactus on a hunger binge. In this case, there were 2 Galactus' hurtling across the universe, ever hungry, ever looking out for that next cuisine to dig in.

Thank goodness for great genes (and jeans). We don't look like two gigantic bouncing masses, but we sure have the appetite to conquer a universe populated with unknown eateries and bistros in far flung corners of the globe - and we have the photos to prove it (of the food, I mean).

It's heartening to know that even distance can't keep our stomachs apart. Though we live on different continents now, we still meet up halfway, or sometimes in each other's backyard for that occasional feast around town and a weekend of bistro hopping.
We even talked about writing a travel book with a gastronomic twist, but that's still a thought in progess, and in the meantime, we're snapping up photos of our meals and jotting down notes of the amazing cuisines we've discovered on our journeys together.

And you can read about it and sample every morsel in here.
Bon appetit.
D