Possibly the best pizzaiolo you have never heard of is Dan Richer from Jersey City. His pursuit of bread and butter perfection is beautifully captured in the attached video and the resulting pizza is outstanding. He bakes in a wood-fired oven and sources his Buffalo cheese locally. Tomatoes are sourced from the USA and Italy and are blended for optimum results. There is real artisan talent on display in these pizzas. Don't forget to try the stunning bread and butter while you are there.
Rated as the best Hong Kong milk tea and best Pineapple buns with butter (菠蘿油), this place is always packed because they go an extra step to make things right! To avoid using ice to chill the tea which would watered-down the flavor, they pre-made it in the morning and store it in the fridge allowing both the richness from the milk and the fragrance from the roasted tea leaves to shine. And to ensure customers can enjoy their pineapple bun warm, they ensure each one is taken fresh from the oven. While you are there, give their chicken pie is try as well, it is also a popular choice for locals.
Chua Lam, probably the most influential food critics in southeast Asia of the era. A review from him can either turn an empty restaurant to the hottest table in town or it can destroy a restaurant overnight. Though he has been involved in many projects over the years from TV show to restaurants to food tours, he finally established a restaurant using his own name while he is now well into his retirement age. A casual eatery specializing in Vietnamese beef noodles that span over two floors using a broth built on the bone, meat and fish sauce. This place is worth the queue not simply because of the Chua Lam, but it's because of the well-balanced broth full of flavors without being greasy at all. Don't worry if the beef is too rare for you, just soak it into the broth for another minute, I guarantee it will be one of the best beef pho you could find in Hong Kong.
Founded in 1935 by chef/owner Hisaji Imada, Kyubey is famous for its 1941 invention of the gunkan-maki ("battleship wrap"), the technique where sushi with a loose topping like fish roe is held together with a nori seaweed wrap. Imada invented the gunkan-maki as an efficient way to serve newly popular ingredients, such as uni and ikura. He ran the establishment until his death in 1985, when his son, Yosuke Imada, took over as head chef. Despite its long history as a “mecca for sushi lovers,” Kyubey's chefs don’t rest on their laurels. The fish is still as fresh as it gets, the egg custard is inspired, and the palette cleansers, such as pickled eggplant, are outstanding. Footnote: A dish of wakame seaweed and daikon begin each meal. The vegetables are "all you can eat" and refilled when they run low. Reservations are easy to obtain, and walk-ins are allowed at lunch.
Proud to have this restaurant in Canada. It's not a country necessarily known for fine dining, and upscale Canadian restaurants generally fly under the radar in a global context, but restaurants like Patrick Kriss', Alo, help put it on the map. They don't rest on laurels or get "too comfy" even sitting at #1 on many "Canada's Best Restaurants" lists. They're not coasting on name recognition or awards either, although it may have helped them open more casual concepts like Aloette (downstairs from Alo) and Alo Bar (in Yorkville). Alo's extended tasting menu at the counter gets better every time - seamless service and simple well-executed food. It's classic French in technique, Japanese in style, and ingredient-driven, which means internationally sourced here. Expect to find Japanese fish, Italian caviar, French butter, Spanish vinegar, local fruit and Canadian seafood. It's their definition of "Canadian cuisine" which is often global. Well done.
The closest I've found to traditional kaiseki in Japan, in Canada. What a gem. Kaiseki Yu-zen Hashimoto is a 20+ year old family owned and operated restaurant serving only 3 tables, a total of 6 seats (private dining), for lunch and dinner a day. It's obscure yet very appropriate location, inside the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre in Toronto, makes it a destination for even locals. Chef Masaki Hashimoto trained in kaiseki cuisine in Kyoto (the cuisine's birthplace) for 10 years before opening his own kaiseki restaurant in the city. He imports most of his ingredients from Japan to keep flavours authentic and prepares them using classic techniques. He's committed to preserving Japanese culture and showcasing the art of kaiseki. Truly one of its kind in Canada.
Chef Ron Blaauw already has a series of restaurants in Amsterdam showcasing everything from French cuisine to Oriental specialities. But it’s worth taking a trip to Oudekerk aan de Amstel (approx. 40 minutes by bike from the south of the city centre) to try the rijsttafel at Ron Gastrobar Indonesia. And here, Java-born Chef Agus is in charge. His satay is to die for – the chicken and goat meat perfectly moist yet charred on the outside, and the sauces spicy yet sweet. Both the eggs and the fried shrimps have the perfect level of chilli heat. And all the curries are succulent and distinctly different in flavour. A rijsttafel (collection of small dishes to share, eaten with rice) costs €35 for the full gamut, and is well worth it.
The cutest trattoria in Florence features three tables with – you guessed it – three planks. The place is tiny but that is what makes it so cute. They also specialise in local truffles from Florence called "Oro del Bosco" which are available in either black or white around the year depending on the season. Try them with the overstuffed ricotta ravioli or on the deep fried mozzarella. A treasure in Florence.
David Chang put Pizzeria Baest on the map but the revelation in Copenhagen is Neighbourhood. They pay tribute to the legendary crispy, organic pizza from Story Deli London with a significant twist. While Story achieves their ethereal light crusts from edge to edge - Neighbourhood manages to attach a chewy crust to the insanely thin and brittle crusts. Magic.
Augustin Banchero immigrated from Genoa in 1893 to Buenos Aires to open a bakery in "La Boca" called Richuelo with his son Juan. Here it is believed the legendary Fugazetta was invented as a derivative of the famous Genovese focaccia. The story goes that Juan cut an onion focaccia in half and added cheese because he thought it was too dry. Banchero is a cornerstone of world pizza history.