Maxim-izing dim sum fun at Maxim’s Palace

August 28, 2011

HONG KONG, CHINA – When it comes to choose-your-own-adventure dining, dim sum is king. It expertly takes the “miss” out of its hit-or-miss rival, the buffet, eliminating the lines, the mysterious dishes that’ve been under a heat lamp for too long, and the uncomfortable feeling that the person behind you… (more)

Bourgeois decadence at Serve the People

August 27, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – You can be excused for thinking that Serve the People might dish up the simple peasant fare eaten on the Chinese Communists’ Long March or have wait staff dressed as People’s Liberation Army operatives–after all, it is named after one of Mao’s favorite catch phrases. But in… (more)

Seafarers meet starlets at the HMS Bounty

August 22, 2011

LOS ANGELES, US – Hollywood has long had a romance with tales on the sea, especially the kind that intertwine love and disaster (Titanic, anyone?). In Hollywood’s imagination, the ocean’s expanse is like the “Wild West,” uncharted territory where anything is possible and the rules on land don’t necessarily apply.… (more)

A Little Slice of Italy in NYC

August 17, 2011

NEW YORK, USA – In a city like New York there are plenty of authentic eateries– dumpling houses straight out of Hong Kong, curries direct from Mumbai, and tamales from our neighbors to the south. But when I start dreaming of the vino and crostini from the trattorias of Rome,… (more)

Eating the whimsical and unexpected at wd~50

August 10, 2011

NEW YORK, USA – Until last week, I had never been starstruck. Until last week, I had never tried everything bagel ice cream. Or eaten an eggshell. But I was, I tried, and I did—all in one night at wd~50, Wylie Dufresne’s restaurant on New York’s Lower East Side.… (more)

The Brite Spot: a beacon of love and tofu enchiladas

August 8, 2011

LOS ANGELES, US – It may sound farfetched that a late-night, throwback LA diner could bring two soulmates together, but I’ve lived to tell the tale. Well, not my tale exactly, but the tale of my close girlfriend, let’s call her April. One summer night as April and I shared… (more)

Shop ’til you rock in Silver Lake

August 6, 2011

LOS ANGELES, US – In LA’s Silver Lake neighborhood, the focal point of the boho shopping district is known as “Sunset Junction,” located at the intersection of Sunset and Santa Monica Boulevards. But it might as well be at the intersection of Hip and Hipster. Chock-a-block with organic cafés, crafty… (more)

Martini madness for the new millennium at Lola’s

August 4, 2011

WEST HOLLYWOOD, US – Remember apple martinis? The fruity-tart cocktail was all the rage in the ‘90s as the martini became the favored cocktail palette for novel flavor combinations galore. Apples may have originated in the Garden of Eden, but this ‘tini temptation was invented right in Hollywood’s backyard at… (more)

Nosh with a side of nostalgia at the Fountain Coffee Room

August 3, 2011

BEVERLY HILLS, US – As it turns out, so much beloved Americana from the 1940s and ’50s ended up being pretty bad for us. Our nation’s love affair with “glamorous” cigarettes? A precursor to a cancerous epidemic. The era’s iconic burgers, shakes, and fries? A heart attack waiting to happen. … (more)

What’s in a name?: folksy fine dining at Joe’s Restaurant

July 30, 2011

VENICE, US – “Not your average Joe” is such a cliché that I hate for it to even cross my keyboard. But in the case of Joe’s Restaurant in the beachside LA hamlet of Venice, it’s really quite apropos. From the sound of the name, you’d think this was a… (more)