For the Love of Food

Sushi Hanada- Incredible sushi meal at Hanada. Every single one of the plated dishes was fantastic, truly stunning. And then for the nigiri, the chef played beautifully with the temperature of the rice to each of the fish in order to create fantastic bites. He is much bolder with his flavors than most sushiyas in Japan, I wonder if he adapted this for the Western palate, but the boldness paid off and this was truly stunning. Even his dessert was incredible- a sticky rice ice cream with salt and olive oil

David Toutain- A nice but uneven vegetable-forward dinner at David Toutain in Paris. Some stand-outs include fantastic crispy roasted brussel sprouts, a pasta dish with hare, covered in a zabaglione, with hazelnuts and bitter cocoa power (that was one of the best meat dishes I have had all year), and a delicious milk skin dessert. The rest of the dishes were unexcited or needed some work.

A. T.- A lovely meal at A.T with highly creative dishes that meld Japanese techniques, flavors, and esthetics, with French high-end cuisine. The chef has a clear flavor profile, with bright, high-acid dishes. Very tasty.

Maison Sota- We had a wonderful lunch at Maison Sota in Paris. Highly delicious and creative dishes. Despite being Japanese, the chef definitely leans more French but with a definite Japanese flair. The tea pairing with the meal was also lovely. Would strongly recommend.

Table Verjus- An overall beautiful, rich, and very French meal at Table Verjus in Paris. Every piece of produce and was of the utmost quality, and most of the dishes were rich, creamy, delicious and eat like the most high quality French comfort food. And despite the richness of the dishes, they all had a very clean finish on the palate. Some of the dishes were less traditionally like an oyster served over leeks and kiwi, with a green tea foam. A fantastic meal. And compared to my meal at Bruno Verjus’s first restaurant, this space is stunning and one of the nicest open kitchens that I have ever had the pleasure of eating in.

Pavyllon- we had the most delicios lunch here. A perfect cheese souffle with a beautiful slice of foie in it to start, and then we shared the cordon bleu, which came with a stunning side of mashed potatoes. And the desserts, were a knock out. Such a delicious meal.

Le Doyenné- The farm house of Le Doyenné just south of Paris is lovely, and the ride down from Paris isn’t too arduous. Dinner was good, some bright bites including a delicious rutabaga tart, and the main dish, the duck, was very tasty. But ultimately its quite a short tasting menu, that isn’t the most exciting. So if you are choosing between a dinner here and somewhere in Paris, I would not necessarily say its worth it, unless instead you are coming for the staycation. We overnighted there and our room was lovely. Breakfast the next morning was excellent. The viennoiserie were perfect, and the homemade jams and juices were fantastic. Do yourself a favor and order an omlette. It was perfection.

Echizen SOBA TOGO- The soba noodles at Echizen would rival many soba spots in Japan. This place is fan-friggin-tastic. And their karaage is also bomb. Wow, wow, wow.

Ogata- The space is lovely but the food is not quite as good as you would hope. We went for lunch and had the Gyukatsu. The beef was too chewy, and not so well breaded. The side of steamed vegetables was nothing to write home about either. The side pickles and opening bites were nice. But all in all, really disappointing. We also ordered a green tea with lunch and our server prepared it wrong (too high temp water) so that what was a lovely green tea became quite astringent.

We had dessert downstairs in the tea room. The space is extremely hot and not well ventilated, and their selection of teas is also not what you would expect, and a far cry from the Ogatas in Tokyo.

IKOYI- After having one of the best lunches I have ever had at Ikoyi a few years ago, I was so excited to be back at the restaurant, this time for the full dinner tasting menu, in the new space.

Sadly, where my lunch had been absolutely perfect, I did not feel the same about dinner. It was very good, with some delicious bits, wonderful flavors, and real creativity. But the four most significant dishes of the menu all suffered from editing issues. Each one had at least three different sauces on the plate. And each time, we were told to "taste the dish with each of them individually, and then mix them together." Two of the dishes even had a foam, in addition to the three different sauces. The dishes also had numerous other elements, and all felt like they needed a good and substantial edit. If edited down, I think I would have absolutely loved all of them. I do not remember Chef Jeremy having this issue when I went do that incredible lunch years ago, and I am very surprised by the development- in my experience most great chefs get better and better at editing down as they progress in their career- this is the first time where I come across a chef that seems to have taken things in the opposite direction.

A. Wong- Wow, what an incredible meal, with bite after bite that demonstrated to me how little I know about the breadth of Chinese cuisines across the country. This meal is such a spectacular experience, with wonderful service to boot. While there isn't one particular dish that I will necessarily remember for years to come, each course with a dozen or so bites brought deliciousness after deliciousness. An absolutely fabulous meal. Makes me so eager to come back to the restaurant for lunch to try the a la carte option and more dim sum.

Benares- Nice spot with a much more creative range of dishes than the usual. However, I wasn’t blown away by any of them besides a chicken curry that was perhaps the least creative dish we ordered. The proteins are all of excellent quality. But honestly, I prefer Tamarind.

St. John’s- Excellent lunch here. This place never disappoints.

Kokin- After seeing this restaurant pop up, we hauled out to Stratford, looking forward to an amazing Japanese lunch. The nigiri bites were decent, but everything else was not great at all.

Restaurants à La Carte:

El Mercado- the space is nice and lovely, and the ceviches we had and the crab party bao were very nice. Very solid lunch option. 

Siete- the sauce work here is great. We had a corvina belly with meuniere sauce that was excellent, and a very nice white fish in ‘thai curry,’ which didn’t taste thai, but was full of flavor. The pasta dish though was a miss.

Cosme- the food is decent. Some good dishes, some slightly less successful. The highlight is the lucuma fondant which is a stunner. Knockout dessert.  

La Mar- lovely, lively vibe and excellent seafood. We stuck to sushi for lunch and each bite was solid (though some of the fish wasn’t sliced quite the way it should be). Definitely recommend this spot if you want excellent fresh fish. 

Sapien- yummy ingredients infused with a great smoky flavor but each dish we had could have been more balanced.  

Maido- I was staggered by how disappointing this meal was, esp as its meant to be the 5th best restaurant in the world. We did not go for the tasting menu but instead sushi. Many of the nigiri bites were good, none though were incredible. But my issue is not with the food, it is with the service, which was TERRIBLE. During our lunch we watched an overcrowded open kitchen with chefs constantly bumping into eachother. Our waiter multiple times tried to push us to order dishes we clearly said we did not want to order, and after we expressly asked for 12 nigiri bites, only brought 7 and then said our order was done. The service was worse than at most fancy restaurants I have ever been to, which really makes me wonder how on earth the restaurant has the ranking that it does. If it’s a top restaurant, even if you don’t get the tasting menu, you should have an excellent meal with excellent service.

Matria- it’s a bit of a mixed bag here. The service was absolutely terrible and one of the dishes, the tonkantsu was totally overcooked. But the clam pasta was very nice, as was the tiradito (perhaps my favorite one during our whole trip). 

Restaurants tasting menu:

Central- Wow, this meal and restaurant go up there with the top meals I have had around the world. Almost every course was a knock out. The dishes are complex, highly technical, presenting you with totally unfamiliar ingredients. An absolutely incredible meal that is well worth traveling to Lima for. And both the alcoholic (we went for the experimental one with both cocktails and new world wines) and non-alcoholic pairings are a slam dunk.

Mayta- Stunning meal. This is a real ode to Peruvian ingredients which is highly creative, being executed by a chef who clearly has excellent techniques that he plays with very successfully Incredible scallop dish, amazing corn dish, delicious fish curry. The only letdowns of the meal were an unexciting last main (a short rib that wasn’t perfectly executed and nowhere near as exciting as everything else on the menu), and an unsuccessful non-alcoholic pairing. But otherwise, this was a real highlight.

Merito- An uneven meal. Opening bites were fantastic, with lots of focus on brightness, acid, umami, and textural components. But as of the 3rd course or so the dishes became less successful. The scallop dish was very sour, and less well balanced so not very nuanced. The lobster dish really fell flat, with the corn in it not carrying as much flavor as you would expect, and then the lamb gnocchi dish was decent but not perfect. Right before that came a fish curry dish that was very nice though. The desserts though were fantastic.

Astrid y Gaston- this was perhaps the worst tasting menu I have done in my life. The food wasn't good, with the exception of a nice dessert at the end and some fantastic chocolates (they present you with a dozen or more but say you can only pick four sadly). And it is crazy expensive. Do not believe the internet which says the tasting menu is $140 a person, it is almost double that and is truly terrible. Nothing exciting or innovative going on. 

Cafes in Lima:

Demo- fabulous breakfast spot with awesome pastries. Get the cheese and guava pain suisse, it's as good as the one from Rosetta in CDMX. Their dough across all the pastries is great. Their cold brew is stunning, though make sure to as for a regular cold brew and not the one on the menu, which has a syrup in it. Their beans are chocolatey, rich, but also light at the same time. Perfect. I had a melon passion fruit juice that was also delicious and fresh.

Milimetrica- good coffee but the vibe is not the most appealing here

Amarena- very nice cold brew, very rich though so needs ice. 

La Teoría de los 6 Cafés- also excellent cold brew, but very rich and needs dilution. 

Ciclos- their coffee is great, as is their chocolate. The nitro mocha is damn good, as is their nitro cold brew with hibiscus

Bars:

Lady Bee- the cocktails here are fan-friggin-tastic, and the recommendations of the bartender and wait staff are excellent. I wish I could have tried every drink on the menu. Wow wow wow. Such creative ingredients, mixed in perfect harmony.

Carnaval- I don’t understand how this is ranked one of the best bars in the world. While they made a damn good old fashion, one of the best I have ever had, the two specialty cocktails I tried were gimmicky and not particularly well balanced I found. Both were recommended by the bartender, so I don’t think I can chock it up to me ordering the wrong things. Restaurants outside of Lima:

Mil in Moray- this is owned by the same folks as Central and Kjolle. I strongly recommend going if in the Valle Sagrado. The space is stunning, the location beautiful, and the dishes very interesting with a beautiful presentation. Both the alcoholic and non-alcoholic pairings are also very interesting. You are exposed to ingredients and flavors that are entirely foreign if you aren't from Peru. However, I would say that while it's a great experience, I wouldn't call it a great meal. Almost half the courses come deconstructed, and you need to then mix them all together in a bowl. This makes them a bit uncomposed. And there aren't many bites I would necessarily want to have again- they were good and interesting but not great. If instead you look at the meal as a chef presenting you with ingredients rather than composed dishes, the meal is also a miss, they read out the names of the ingredients and sometimes place them on the table, but give very little information about them, almost all of which will be completely unknown to foreigners. 

Hacienda Huayoccari in Valle Sagrado- this place is a gem in the hills of the Valle Sagrado. The hacienda is beautiful, and the food is very tasty. A really nice place to lunch between site seeing. 

Mauka in Cusco- this was a phenomenal meal. Small menu, with killer dishes. Do not miss the signature grains bowl. What a fantastic meal!

Limo in Cusco- inedible sushi. 

Here is our latest Milan write-up from a December 2024 trip:

RESTAURANTS

Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia

Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia is stunning. The restaurant has been around since 1962 and has held 2 Michelin stars since 1990. And yet, it hasn't become dated or stuffy. It is modern and exciting, without being overly fussy. The dining room is well lit. The service is stunning. The staff so genuinely care about the diner's experience and opinion, to a degree that very few fancy restaurants do- it was marked how much the staff engaged and wanted to make sure we enjoyed our meal. This is the key to why this place can serve up an incredible meal.

The meal was not vegetarian but leaned hard into the beauty of letting the vegetable sing. Openers that blew my mind include a pumpkin and amaretto bite, a porcini macaroon, and a Jerusalem artichoke tart.

Then came a squid dish so incredibly subtle and complex. It was an incredibly mature dish, one that makes you really think.

Then pure deliciousness- a potato cream with sea urchin and caviar.

Then there was a banging cauliflower dish that I will remember for so long, it was delicious, creamy, and rich.

The risotto dish was delicious though more traditional.

Then there was a delicious, sweet bread and langoustine dish.

And then fabulous agnolotti.

The dessert was a saffron chocolate mindbender. A dish so good, I finished a whole extra one.

This is the ONE meal no one should miss while in Milan.

Seta

We were back at Seta four years after our last meal there. The meal was a bit of a rollercoaster. There were some great highs- a delicious steak tartar bite, an oyster and potato dish that was a perfect blend of land and sea, a risotto dish that up to this day is the best risotto dish I have ever (with only the risotto dish at Materia coming close), a delicious and luscious eel dish, a great apple fennel palate cleaner, and a bomb apple dessert.

And then there were some lows- a boring lobster dish, a boring spaghetti dish, and sweetbreads that were good, but not quite as fantastic as the last time we were there.

A good meal, but I wish it had been more consistent throughout.

Bentoteca

Meh. I would not go out of my way to go here. Most of the dishes were fine but not great. While the tuna was good for tuna in Europe, it wasn’t cut the way you would expect. And some dishes were downright disappointing.

Trattoria del Ciumbia

The starters, especially though that were too creative, weren’t great. Even the vitello tonnato was disappointing- a more traditional version would have been better. But the more traditional mains were great, especially the white truffle tagliatelle, the ragu, and the osso bucco with Milanese risotto.

Nuova Arena

We came here at the recommendation of the chef of Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia. The starters were delicious, especially the fried mozzarella and veggies, and the fresh artichoke salad. The pastas were also great. But the Milanese veal cutlet really wasn’t great. What a disappointment! For dessert I had a fabulous mandarin sorbet doused in amaro that was delicious.

Crosta

Very yummy sort of pizza sort of focaccia with toppings. Excellent lunchtime snack spot.

Loste Cafe

I waited online for one hour, hoping for Copenhagen-level pastries but sadly, this place just ain’t it.

BARS

Camperino in Galleria

Fabulous. If you like Campari, you have to go here and savour the experience.

Nik's & Co.

The cocktails here are stunning. The trick of serving up savory cocktails that don’t disappoint is one most bars fail at but man, this place serves up incredible ones. I would go here again and again and again to try everything on the menu.

Moebius

TASTING MENUS

Koan: This meal was perhaps our most exciting in Copenhagen. We didn't know that we should be expecting a knock-out meal but that's what we got. Insanely delicious, very clean flavors, with clear Korean influences but it is by no means a Korean meal. And PERFECT technique. And that oolong tea souffle at the end, served with a side of ice cream and caviar is just the most insane ending. Incredible meal, and I could easily see Koan getting 3 stars very soon. The Korean liquor pairing is good (they have a Danish-Korean woman they get their Korean rice wines from and her bottles are really impressive) but the two cocktails on that menu arent great. The non-alcoholic pairing is excellent, and really, really pairs well with the food. This meal is not to be missed. Jordaener: Much of the meal here was superb- some of the best bites of our trip during the first half of the mean, including an incredible king crab tart, lobster tart, caviar and blue fin tuna tart, oyster and horseradish, etc. Such high highs. I would say that the two main dishes- the fish and the lobster tail- were well prepared but rather uninspired. The wines were all fantastic, though not so particularly paired to the dishes. The non-alcoholic pairing was meh. 

Geranium: We came to Geranium years ago and had an incredible meal- and also perhaps the most beautiful we had ever had. We came back to find that the dishes are just as strong as ever, and as beautiful. There is no doubt that this is a 3 star meal of light, bright, delicious and highly technical dishes. The only negatives I would point to are- the head chef and his sous are now vegans and since covid the restaurant has removed all meat from the menu. This doesnt need to be a bad thing, many restaurants we went to in Scandinavia don’t serve meat, but in the case of Geranium this somehow translated into a delicious, expensive tasting menu where you were still hungry at the end of it, becuase there werent enough proteins; service isnt great; the dining room is BUSY, and almost feels like a train station with people coming and going. Still though, a fab meal. Great wine pairing- very classical. The non-alcoholic pairing was meh.

Alouette: the tasting menu here is lovely. The meal feels like a thoughtful progression. The dishes were all beautifully balanced, the sauces perfect, and some real punches of umami. The standout dish was a dish of beets and gooseberries that was out of this world. It was one of those 3* dishes that you enjoy every bite of, dream about later, and wish you could have again and again. The apple and schnapps palate cleanser was also superb. And the meat course, almost always the single most disappointing during a tasting menu, was fabulous. The buns you get at the end of the meal are so deliciously addictive- they give Frantzen's legendary madeleines a run for their money. Worth mentioning that chef Nick Curtin is the best kind of presence in the kitchen. We were sitting at the kitchen table, so were very close to the team and I have rarely, if ever, seen such a harmonious kitchen having so much fun together https://www.instagram.com/p/C-cq4X7tgh-/?img_index=1

Jatak: this place isn’t in the top star big leagues yet, but overall the chef served up an excellent meal, with lots of delicious bites. And of all the lobster tails we had in Copenhagen (and we had many), this one was the best by far https://www.instagram.com/p/C-f0K4au4Y5/?img_index=1

Alchemist: I am so glad I went to Alchemist, if you can get a booking and are ready to spend that kind of money, it's worth it. You enter the space and leave reality, only to return to it when you leave 4 hours later. It is like no other evening u have ever had, and the rooms, music and visuals, coupled with the food, work beautifully and the experience is not gimmicky at all. In terms of the food, there were some amazing bites and many really interesting and impressive techniques. I wouldn't say though it was the best meal we had in Copenhagen, but to think of Alchemist as just a meal would be entirely missing the point. One challenge for chef Rasmus is that because he wants to serve you these 50 'impressions', almost everything you have is a 1 or 3 bite dish. This limits things slightly in terms of serving a complex dish that has different ingredients that changes bite by bite. But again, if you can get a booking and afford to go, it's totally worth it, no question.

Anaba: I can easily say this is the best sushi meal I have had in Europe. Great nigiri pieces that were all perfectly seasoned with rice of the right temp and very nice Shari. The plated dishes were also excellent. And wow did we get some great squid, scallop, clams and amazing uni. Excellent sake selection as well. This really is a sushi meal worth traveling for.

Mota: Mota was nice but perhaps not worth the drive all the way from Copenhagen. Some great dishes like a lovely, creamy cold opening soup, a delicious egg dish that had great textures and rich umami flavor, a buckwheat and celeriac cheese course, a celery yogurt mint palate cleanser that was really fab (I say that as someone who hates celery), and an awesome fried hemp and blackberry sorbet dessert. Some of the bigger plated dishes like the onion course were a bit one note and less successful. If you are in the area, then worth stopping by.

RESTAURANTS

Alf: this is a real chef’s restaurant. All the dishes were supremely delicious, complex, and perfectly executed, with the chef playing around with very unconventional combos. Really an awesome meal https://www.instagram.com/p/C-f1OKxOjXJ/?img_index=1

Seks: I know people rave about this place. I would say the eggs here are good, but not raving good.

Esmee: Years ago I had an amazing meal here, but on this trip we went back and the food was BAD. Bad, tasteless steak. Over-greasy croque monsieur. Disappointing garlic bread. Everything was just bad, and very expensive.

Silberbauers Bistro: classic french food at its best. The onion tart cannot be missed, nor the lemon tart, both of which are better than the best onion and lemon tart I have had in Paris. And the quality and cook of the fois gras was perfection. Fab, fab place https://www.instagram.com/p/C-f0luZORHS/?img_index=1

Marchal: the food here is fancy and French, but really well executed and delicious. For classic fancy French, its well worth it. We had a fantastic artichoke dish over lunch https://www.instagram.com/p/C-f03BJuXgU/?img_index=1

Gasoline Grill: these burgers are insane. Truly the best fast food burger I have ever had. The butter burger with cheese is the way to go.

Montergade: very solid smørrebrød. Generally I love Selma’s where the toppings are more creative, but this is great for your traditional ones https://www.instagram.com/p/C-f1i4luzUg/?img_index=1

Surt: maybe its worth coming here at night for the pizza? But for lunch definitely not. The dough on the surpies is good, but it is a LOT of dough and not much topping. The focaccia sandwich was also a disappointment- the filling was just lettuce from the salad, and a slice or two of coppa and a bit of cheese. Good bread but boring.

Baest: pizza was decent, stracciatella was good, eggs Benedict were no good. 

Barabba: The dishes at Barabba were a bit hit and miss. The caviar and anchovy pasta, while salty, is so delicious and the pasta is perfectly Al denté. The pork neck on the yakitori is also fabulous. But I really didn't love the tortellini or the desserts. Mixed bag.

Kødbyens Fiskebar: I wanted to love Kødbyens Fiskebar but I just didn't. The scallop dish was good and the peas were nice, but I didn't find the other dishes to be particularly good and the fish and chips was bad- by far the worst we had on this trip, during which we had quite a few. The fish was overcooked and dry, the breading had no flavor, and the fries weren't very good.

Places we didn't get to go but heard are great from chefs in town- Jah

COCKTAIL BARS

Pulp: The drinks here are great. Interesting, fun, thoughtful, and funky.

Ruby: LOVE the drinks here. Really serious stuff going on.

BAKERIES

Juno: This place is fab. The real highlights are the cardamom bun and the Berliner, which is perhaps the best Berliner I have ever had. The pain au chocolate is also great. Sadly, this place is on the tourist lists so there is a LONG line at most hours of the day.

Rug: Rug had perhaps the best sourdough bun with butter and cheese of all the bakeries in town. Their cinnamon bun was also perhaps the best we had in town. And we got a choux filled with rhubarb and topped with cream that was insane. This and Juno are def my overall fav two bakeries of the ones we tried.

Rondo: the croissant and cinnamon roll are truly fantastic. The best buttery, crunchy croissant I have had in years!

Hart: the cardamom croissant dough Kouign-amann is the bomb. Their pain au chocolate is also very good, nice and airy.

Københavns Bageri: the cardamom bun is super fluffy as opposed to gooey, and very nice. The flavor of the krinkle is also nice.

Meyers Bageri: good cinnamon bun, but not the best.

Andersen & Maillard: chocolate croissant wasn't great. Salt and pepper bun with butter and cheese was very nice.

COFFEE SHOPS

La Cabra: the coffee I had here was excellent. Really, complex and interesting, and perfectly.

Andersen & Maillard: good coffee

April: their roasts are all far too light for my liking.

Coffee Collective: the coffee is good, but didn't blow me away.

Darcy’s: very solid filter coffee and nice relaxed vibe for getting some work done. 

TEA SHOPS

Sing Tehus: excellent teas, especially their cold brews. Really high quality stuff.

io いほ: good selection, but not the best vibe to hang out for a cup of tea. Its a bit too stuffy and taking itself too seriously

ICE CREAM

Østerberg: The ice cream here is excellent. Perfect consistency, and amazing flavor. The mint chocolate chip is WOW.

Kadeau: The meal was incredible. Most of the dishes were 3*- melding incredible unique flavors and ingredients with the highest level of technique, leading to mind-bendingly genius dishes. Highlights include an oyster, greens and fig dish; a ham and strawberry tart; a crab, cauliflower and brown butter dish that was just beyond; a stunning scallop and caviar dish; and frozen berries and pine. Slight disappointments were the space itself, which isn't the most atmospheric at least where we were seated in the corner, and the main meat course- a large piece of pork that was classical and boring. But overall, stunning, stunning meal. And they served up a fantastic non-alcoholic pairing- one very much worth paying what is always a hefty price for https://www.instagram.com/p/C-NbMk3ODt6/?img_index=1

Vinøst wine bar & restaurant: the food here is excellent. Really delicious yet simple dishes made with excellent produce.

Brødre Bageri: the pizza they make here in the afternoons is BOMB. Awesome dough, awesome flavor. The best one we had was the one with potato and prosciutto.

Provianten: Lovely place for lunch, with delicious bites.

Nexø Gammel Røgeri: The smoked salmon here is excellent, and they also make one of the best fish and chips we have ever eaten.

Norresân: Their smørrebrød are delicious

Dinner atHotel Siemsens Gaard: The food here really is nothing special. I dont recommend it. 

dinner at Râzapâz: despite all the great reviews, the food here was meh

Hoze sushiya in Gothenberg: The sushi here is excellent. The chef has an incredible level of understanding of Japanese history and sushi technique. His rice and shari are excellent, as are his selection of fish and his plated dishes. One of the best dishes of the meal was a simple bowl of rice with some cured egg yolk- his rice is that good. This is a sushi meal worth having outside of Japan https://www.instagram.com/p/C94Bt-UuNMD/?img_index=1

Knystaforsen: This restaurant feels like a dream, like you enter an enchanted garden for the entirety of the night. The food was very good, the space stunning, and the overall experience really, really magical. Some stand out bites included a charred strawberry, a tart with smoked cheese and trout roe, rainbow trout in a strawberry broth, a rhubarb jelly with smoked eel, a ‘waldorf salad’ dish that was really a 3* dish, and duck heart with a burnt oil sauce. The smoky element of each dish really makes it an excellent meal. The only major issue I have with the place is their bread and pastries, which are really no good, which also made the cheese course less enjoyable. They need a new pastry chef. I would recommend staying the night at their hotel, so you get the full experience. Breakfast the next day is expensive for what it is, but also very nice https://www.instagram.com/p/C977GRwuQ-W/?img_index=1

Holy Smoke BBQ: The place is hip and a great vibe. The food is darn expensive though, and though the short rib and spicy bacon were great, everything else really wasnt- the brisket was too chewy and not juicy enough, the jalapeno sauce had no real flavor, the mac and broccoli was dry and no good at all, and the creamed corn was fine, but nothing exceptional https://www.instagram.com/p/C9wempMu4t7/

Flickorna Lundgren på Skäret: This cafe is oh so cute and lovely, especially on a sunny day. Their rhubarb juice is delicious, as is their princess cake. Sadly their cinnamon buns are nothing to write home about.

Talldungen Hotel: The hotel is lovely, especially in the summer with the gorgeous flowers in the garden, and the restaurant is excellent- the meal was incredibly reasonable priced, and the food was so bright and fresh. They served one of the best gazpachos I have ever had https://www.instagram.com/p/C99rK1pxrLG/?img_index=1

Vollmers in Malmo: After three weeks of eating at the best restaurants in southwest Sweden and in Copenhagen, I sadly report that this was the one really disappointing meal that we had- this is simply put not a 2* meal and doesn't stack up against its many competitors in the area. The pacing was off, the service wasn’t great, and many of the dishes weren’t great, or weren’t well executed. There were a few good dishes- a potato foam dish, a squid dish that was very delicious, complex, punchy, highly technical and well executed, and sweetbreads with beets that were very good. But many of the other dishes tended towards the overly sweet side, and there was an overuse of vanilla in multiple dishes. I sent feedback to the chef, who wasn't there the night we eat there, and he refused to concede any issues re pacing or execution of the meal. Total and utter waste of money https://www.instagram.com/p/C-crt8stZ4Y/?img_index=1

Surf Shack in Malmo: this place makes a damn good smash burger. I wouldn’t recommend the garlic fries, they are over-fried so a bit too greasy. 

From southwest Sweden, we took the ferry to Bornholm and stayed for several days at the lovely Stammershalle Badehotel. Here are tips for food on the island-

Kadeau: The meal was incredible. Most of the dishes were 3*- melding incredible unique flavors and ingredients with the highest level of technique, leading to mind-bendingly genius dishes. Highlights include an oyster, greens and fig dish; a ham and strawberry tart; a crab, cauliflower and brown butter dish that was just beyond; a stunning scallop and caviar dish; and frozen berries and pine. Slight disappointments were the space itself, which isn't the most atmospheric at least where we were seated in the corner, and the main meat course- a large piece of pork that was classical and boring. But overall, stunning, stunning meal. And they served up a fantastic non-alcoholic pairing- one very much worth paying what is always a hefty price for.

Vinøst wine bar & restaurant: the food here is excellent. Really delicious yet simple dishes made with excellent produce.

Brødre Bageri: the pizza they make here in the afternoons is BOMB. Awesome dough, awesome flavor. The best one we had was the one with potato and prosciutto.

Provianten: Lovely place for lunch, with delicious bites.

Nexø Gammel Røgeri: The smoked salmon here is excellent, and they also make one of the best fish and chips we have ever eaten.

Norresân: Their smørrebrød are delicious

Dinner at Hotel Siemsens Gaard: The food here really is nothing special. I dont recommend it. 

dinner at Râzapâz: despite all the great reviews, the food here was meh

We traveled from Gothenberg to Kullaberg to Kivik to Malmo in late July 2024. The areas we visited were stunning and we were lucky to get lots of sun. Here are our foodie tips-

Hoze sushiya in Gothenberg: The sushi here is excellent. The chef has an incredible level of understanding of Japanese history and sushi technique. His rice and shari are excellent, as are his selection of fish and his plated dishes. One of the best dishes of the meal was a simple bowl of rice with some cured egg yolk- his rice is that good. This is a sushi meal worth having outside of Japan.

Knystaforsen: This restaurant feels like a dream, like you enter an enchanted garden for the entirety of the night. The food was very good, the space stunning, and the overall experience really, really magical. Some stand out bites included a charred strawberry, a tart with smoked cheese and trout roe, rainbow trout in a strawberry broth, a rhubarb jelly with smoked eel, a ‘waldorf salad’ dish that was really a 3* dish, and duck heart with a burnt oil sauce. The smoky element of each dish really makes it an excellent meal. The only major issue I have with the place is their bread and pastries, which are really no good, which also made the cheese course less enjoyable. They need a new pastry chef. I would recommend staying the night at their hotel, so you get the full experience. Breakfast the next day is expensive for what it is, but also very nice.

Holy Smoke BBQ: The place is hip and a great vibe. The food is darn expensive though, and though the short rib and spicy bacon were great, everything else really wasnt- the brisket was too chewy and not juicy enough, the jalapeno sauce had no real flavor, the mac and broccoli was dry and no good at all, and the creamed corn was fine, but nothing exceptional.

Flickorna Lundgren på Skäret: This cafe is oh so cute and lovely, especially on a sunny day. Their rhubarb juice is delicious, as is their princess cake. Sadly their cinnamon buns are nothing to write home about.

Talldungen Hotel: The hotel is lovely, especially in the summer with the gorgeous flowers in the garden, and the restaurant is excellent- the meal was incredibly reasonable priced, and the food was so bright and fresh. They served one of the best gazpachos I have ever had.

Kivik's Musteri: A great place to buy very high quality cider and all sorts of apple products.

Vollmers in Malmo: This is not a 2* meal. The pacing was off, the service wasn’t great, and many of the dishes weren’t great, or weren’t well executed. There were a few good dishes- a potato foam dish, a squid dish that was very delicious, complex, punchy, highly technical and well executed, and sweetbreads with beets that were very good. But many of the other dishes tended towards the overly sweet side, and there was an overuse of vanilla in multiple dishes. I sent feedback to the chef, who wasn't there the night we eat there, and he refused to concede any issues re pacing or execution of the meal. Total and utter waste of money. 

Surf Shack in Malmo: this place makes a damn good smash burger. I wouldn’t recommend the garlic fries, they are over-fried so a bit too greasy. 

We did a road trip from Seoul to other parts of the country, and back. Here are the places we stopped along the way and our observations:

ROAD TRIP

Sokcho/Seoraksan- we slept at the Lotte resort in Sokcho, and from there did two days of hiking trails in Seoraksan national park. It was truly stunning- I recommend the Guemganggul cave temple trail (about 2.5 hrs) and the Ulsanbawi trail (about 3 hrs). It’s worth a meal in Sokcho’s food market (get crab, and squid sundae) and a meal at Sindasin in Abai village, the North Korean refugee enclave- get the cold buckwheat noodles. 

From there we drove to Ojukheon, a lovely and grand home of a family of great national import. It is just outside of Gangneung, and in  Gangneung it’s well worth having breakfast/lunch at  Geumhak kalguksu- get the spicy noodles and the rice and bean sprout bowl, both are delicious. 

From there we drove to Dosan Seowon, a gorgeous Confucian school on a lake- this place is well worth the detour

Then we went to Hahoe folk village, which is also lovely. Though it’s a quick walk around the village, with the shuttle back and forth, the whole thing takes a while. And it’s worth doing the mask museum at the parking lot as well. 

From there we pressed on to Gyeongju. After 2 days there we drove on to Jeonju to eat bibimbap at Hangugjip, the restaurant allegedly making the best bibimbap in the country. It is absolutely delicious, especially the dolsot bibimbap. 

Then we drove to the fortress in Gongju, which is not worth visiting at all in my view

From there we went to Magok-sa, which is a lovely temple complex and well worth the detour on the way back to Seoul.

Here are some tips for Gyeongju:

GYEONGJU

Overall, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend making the trip to Gyeongju unless you are doing a road trip through the country like we did. The museum is amazing for the Silla gold but the sites are not as impressive as one might expect. 

Sites

In addition to all the main sites in town, it’s very worth it to drive to Bulguk-sa, and up to Seokguram grotto, and then to Golgul-sa and make sure to be there at 3pm for their sunmudo demonstration (every day except Monday/tuesday). 

Restaurants

Yosukgung 1779- absolutely fantastic. Get their homemade 1779 rice wine, and add to the set menu the beef tartar. Stunning space, delicious meal.

Oncheon Jib- very tasty sukiyaki. The beef isn’t the best, but the quality of the veggies are great. 쿠우동 Udon- the udon noodles here are legit. Great texture

When in Seoul, don’t miss going for drinks, the city has a fabulous cocktail scene. 

ZEST- very cool vibe and interior, though the acoustics are bad. The drinks though are absolutely excellent, dont miss the Soy Caramel and the Einspanner. Two of the best, most balanced cocktails I have had in a very long time. 

Alice- the place looks gimmicky at first sight, but man the drinks here are incredible. They are all tastier than they sound on the menu, and are perfectly balanced, many of which have a lovely savory element to them. 

Le Chamber- decent drinks but not as exciting as Alice. 

Salt Bread was a new discovery for me and it was love at first bite. After having a bite of salt bread on the second day, I made it my mission to find more salt bread for the rest of the trip. 

Soha Salt Bread- excellent salt bread in tons of different iterations

Lowide- we had a salt bread here stuffed with egg salad and it was sublime 

The main focus of our time in Seoul was eating good food. Here is a deteailed write-up of the restaurant scene.

Based on the below, if you can only do a few fancy meals, I would recommend Mingles, Eatanic and Onjium, and possibly also Kwonsooksoo if you want to really start to understand Korean food, and then Born & Bred if you want the best of the best Korean beef. And if you want Japanese, Tenjimon is flipping fantastic. And I think unlike some countries where the simple meals and street food are where it’s at, in South Korea, fine dining is a real must if you want to experience Korean cuisine at its best. 

Tasting Menu Restaurants

Born & Bred speakeasy- this was an incredible meal. The quality of the meat is incredible throughout, and they serve each piece with enough variation that it never gets boring, and each cut is cooked to perfection. As part of the meal we got their burger, which is perhaps the best burger I have ever had, and we ended the meal with a bowl of pho, which definitely was the best pho I have ever had. The galbi pieces dipped into crab head was also insanely delicious. This is a meal not to be missed, and if you can’t book the speakeasy, eat on one of the higher floors and make sure you get the burger.

Byeokje Galbi the Cheongdam- this is the other beef tasting menu we did. Good, but nowhere near the same level as Born & Bred. The beef is beefier tasting though, which some may prefer.

Mingles- This is really a 3 star meal, dishes featuring French and Italian techniques and inspiration, but made with the best of the best Korean ingredients, and crazy levels of creativity. Top top top.

Onjium- the space is gorgeous, as is the dishware. And the local alcohol pairing is wonderful. The chef is heavily influenced by Buddhist temple food and so some of the dishes were good, others were bland. That being said, it’s a lovely overall experience and gives you a good sense for clean Korean culinary flavors. Get a seat at the chefs counter if you can. 

Kwonsooksoo- the food here is excellent, though the dining room space isn’t great. The local alcohol pairing is also great. Highlights include the kimchi cart. Really fantastic food. Book the kitchen tour if you can. 

Tenjimon- this is Japanese new-age Kaiseki, with Korean ingredients. It is fantastic. The meal we had here is as good as any such meal in Tokyo. Really delicious and much cheaper than what you would pay in Tokyo for that meal.  

Eatanic- Wow, this meal was a highlight of the trip. The space is perhaps the most beautiful I have ever seen. Try to get seated at the chef’s counter. Each dish features a single ingredient and treats it with such dignity and honor. The food was just beyond. This place is easily a 2 or 3 star restaurant and I am sure will get more stars very quickly. Stunning beyond words. 

Jungsik- the space of the shared dining room is charming. The meal was very good overall, though some dishes were more successful than others. Some standouts included a first banchan bit of a custard with a delicious herbal green mixture, and the crispy octopus. Then the kimbap was outstanding, and worth it to spring for the all in one, though the shrimp one is also very good. The uni bibimbap was not worth adding as a supplement in my view, not a particularly exciting dish. The ok dom, the red snapper dish, was stunning, definitely the highlight of the meal and one of the best white fish dishes I have had in a long time- that dish could live on the menu of any 3 star restaurant. The Hanwoo dish was nice- the beef was well prepared and the different kimchi bites that came with it were excellent. Dessert was another highlight, both the carrot cake and the Dol hareubang Jeju statue dessert were excellent.

Jueun- the food here is very tasty, and the dining room is very zen, and the images on the screens add a lovely dynamic. But I would definitely go to Eatanic, Kwonsooksoo or Onjium over Jueun. 

7th Door- what a disappointment this meal was. First off, the whole concept is meant to revolve around fermentation, but there really isn’t much of it that comes through in the dishes. There were a few bites that were good, like the starting little bowl of congee, the hand roll with caviar and with crab, the mandu in cabbage (the mandu itself was ok, but the veggie broth it was served in was delicious), and the “hotdog” made with abalone and shark fin. But the lobster tail was a bit chewy and there were too many elements on the dish that were confused, the Hanwoo steak course where the larger piece of steak was not cooked properly, it was being served rare, which for that kind of meet with super high fat content isn't the right way to serve it (the chef should go spend some time at Born & Bred to learn how to cook his steak), and a noodle dish that was boring. So overall, not a meal I would recommend.

Solbam- if you lived in Seoul and wanted a European style fine dining meal with an interesting  use of Korean ingredients, and fine wines, then you can consider a meal here. The opening of the meal in the living room is lovely. But if you are coming to Seoul to try Korean food, skip Solbam. 

Kojima- terrible sushi, so underwhelming that I was in slight shock that this place could possibly have a good reputation… 

Other Restaurants

Gebangsikdang- the soy marinated crab set is friggin delicious. A must if you like crab. 

Guemdwaeji Sikdang- the pork neck was the best of the three cuts, and the stew was also good. Worth getting the basil to wrap the pork in. Overall, tasty but not the most exciting

Hwangsaengga Kalguksu- Mandu are whatever, dough not great. Noodles lovely and broth very nice and simple but nourishing. Really delicious 

Mugyodong Bugeo-guk- breakfast pollock soup. A very specific taste, worth trying once.

Hyodo fried chicken- good but I doubt the best fried chicken in town, even though everyone says it is. That being said, we didnt have any incredible fried chicken on the whole trip.

Osulloc Tea House Bukchon- the space is beautiful, and I recommend going up to the bar on the 3rd floor and having one of the non-alcoholic cocktails. All the other Osullocs are good for a tea pit stop but this one is by far the nicest in terms of the space and areas to enjoy your tea.

Dorrell Seongsu- the green tea coffee cream drink is pretty darn yummy, would recommend it if you are walking around Seongsu-dong

We traveled to Seoul in March 2024, and traveling the country, eating delicious food and seeing amazing sites. Here are my thoughts on the museums we visited in Seoul:

Leeum Museum of Art- suggest making this the one contemporary art museum you go to. Give yourself time here, especially for the incredible gift shop

National Museum of Korea- this museum is one of the better national museums I have been to, and their immersive art installations are truly impressive, as is their overall collection. Give yourself two hours at the very least here.

The National Folk Museum of Korea- absolutely fantastic, not to be missed when you are visit the Gyeongbokgoong palace

War Memorial of Korea- very worth going here and taking time in the museum, especially in the bits covering the last 100 years of history.

Korean Stone Art Museum- this is a lovely place to wander the garden and see lovely stone statutes, with great views of the city in the background

Seodaemun Prison History Hall- interesting, but not necessarily worth the journey

MMCA (National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art) Seoul- the exhibitions that were on when we were there were awful contemporary “art”