Healthy eats, not Happy Meals, at Element Fresh

May 20, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – It’s too bad that across Asia, “Western” fare is most often represented by fast food joints and greasy spoons. True, one of the Western world’s most notable culinary claims to fame is burgers and fries, but with the proliferation of fast food franchises in the Far East,… (more)

Architecture goes for the gold at Olympic Park

May 19, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – The 2008 Summer Olympics was sort of like a debutante ball for the city of Beijing. Nearly 5 billion people from all corners of the world trained their eyes and ears on the ancient-meets-modern city for the Olympic broadcast, and the riotous spectacle of Fou drummers, folk… (more)

Beijing hair gets a British branding at Toni & Guy

May 18, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – British hair salon chain Toni & Guy claims to be “the most powerful hairdressing brand in the world.” I’m not exactly sure how one might wield hairdressing power (lobby the U.N. for more humanitarian hairstyling missions?), but at least in the case of Toni & Guy, there’s… (more)

Tempting Tuesday: Dragon Boat Festival treats from Whampoa Club

May 17, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – With the Dragon Boat Festival just around the corner (June 5th to be exact), Beijing’s streets are chock-a-block with enthusiastic vendors peddling zongzi, the bamboo-leaf wrapped sticky rice triangles that are the holiday’s signature snack.  Here’s the story: as legend has it, sometime around 275 BC, unjustly… (more)

Happy as a clam at chic J Sheekey

May 16, 2011

LONDON, UK – One of the great things about London is its abundance of pleasures both high and low.  If you’re craving seafood and a show, you could be perfectly satisfied by a bite at a chippie and the £1.50 first matinee at the cinema.  But if you’re aiming for… (more)

Everything under that sun at Ritan Park

May 15, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – Today when you hear the term “sun worshippers,” you probably think of diehard sunbathers who flagrantly flout warnings about wrinkles and skin cancer in the pursuit of catching some rays. But in ancient China, sun worship had nothing to do with bronzed bodies and everything to do… (more)

A comfort-food cure for homesickness (and hangovers) at Grandma’s Kitchen

May 14, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – Despite all the upheaval and rapid changes in Chinese society in the past couple of decades, filial piety, or respect for one’s elders, remains one of the foundational philosophies of life here. It’s a country where Grandma is treated like the wise old lady she really is.… (more)

Custom Crafts and Bespoke Buys in Florence

May 13, 2011

FLORENCE, ITALY – I’d bet my favorite hand-tooled leather jacket that in the city of Florence, there are more custom boutiques than there are tourists toting Nikons. This is a town where you can find artisans who are still making paper, leather, and gold the same way their stylish ancestors… (more)

Mutton, honey! at Crescent Moon

May 12, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – Not many first-time visitors to China have familiarity with the Uighurs, an ethnically Turkic people who hail from the deserts of northwestern Xinjiang province and comprise one of China’s two largest Muslim ethnic groups. But as soon as you hit the dining scene in Beijing, you really… (more)

The Purple Passport Helps You Tie the Knot

May 11, 2011

Here at The Purple Passport we work hard everyday to bring you the finest and most fun spots around the globe. From hotels to restaurants and spas to shops, we want to make sure your travel planning goes as smoothly as possible. But we think travel planning isn’t the only… (more)