2016-12-19
East London
TACOS
Breddos Tacos Restaurant

An all-day taquería open daily from breakfast through dinner in the heart of Clerkenwell, Breddos Tacos began as a makeshift taco shack in a car park in Hackney in 2011. After a series of residencies and pop-ups, Street Feast, a cook book and a cook-off at LA’s Tacolandia festival in 2016, Breddos Tacos found a permanent home with 40 seats in Clerkenwell. Influenced by the hundreds of roadside taquerias and restaurants founders Nud Dudhia and Chris Whitney encountered on their travels throughout America and Mexico, their food showcases the best of British produce. Using a volcanic stone mill and tortilla machine imported from Mexico, look for classic tacos plus unusual twists like sea urchin tostadas, salsa verde-braised chicharrón, and pork al pastor with roasted pineapple. Sweet lovers should check out the blueberry churro French toast and ice cream tacos. For the perfect fiesta, wash it all done with agua fresca, mescal and craft beers.

Tags: Mexican
 
2016-12-16
South Amsterdam
MODERN EUROPEAN
Reuring

If you like to eat with the seasons and aren’t a picky eater, you’ll love Reuring’s well-priced set menus. During the autumn season, guests dined on seasonal game – partridge and wild duck – with truffles, pumpkin and kale. The service is excellent, too. It’s a good safe bet for any occasion.

Local tip: Reuring's sister restaurant, Paskamer (which is more of a wine bar with sharing plates) is right across the street and is great for an aperitif before dinner or a more casual drinks and snacks evening.

See Vicky's Blog Post: http://tinyurl.com/hwpab8x

Tags: Dutch Cuisine, European, Seasonal
 
2016-12-16
Central Amsterdam
MODERN EUROPEAN
Breda

Restaurant Breda offers a five-, seven- or nine-course tasting menu that changes seasonally and is set by the chef. It generally features creative, well-prepared vegetables as well as fish and meat dishes - but what is serve depends entirely on the best produce available at the time. The wine list is extensive, with plenty of delicious organic and "raw" wines, and the service is impeccable. It’s a great venue for a special occasion.

See Vicky's Blog Post:http://tinyurl.com/zoafosg

Tags: Dutch Cuisine, European, Seasonal
 
2016-12-15
Hong Kong
LOBSTER ROLL
Coffee Alley(咖啡弄)

It's not often you see a café take off, but this Taiwanese coffee bar certainly has. It even has two branches in Hong Kong. It’s no surprise it’s popular. Not only do they provide good service, but they have a great choice of beverages and an affordable menu with a modern mix of delicious Japanese and Western dishes. Interestingly, if rather strange for a coffee shop, they don’t serve coffee. Instead, they offer a unique hot fruit tea drink. This is tea brewed with fresh fruit, resulting in a nice balance of fruity sweetness. And here’s a tip on the food front: Don’t opt for the sandwich selection, but go for the lobster roll, a warm toasted brioche stuffed with chunks of lobster meat, before finishing with cakes or a warm waffle. Delish! Pro tip: They don't accept credit cards. So take cash.

Tags: Seafood
 
2016-12-15
Hong Kong
SUSHI
Yue House (玥屋)

Fancy a high-quality sashimi lunch at an affordable price? Not only does this place source fish from Japan, it has a unique lunch menu that allows diners to customize their own Chirashizushi ("scattered sushi"), which is a bowl of sushi rice topped with a variety of raw fish. To do this, they provide you with a long list of available fish, and you simply indicate the kind you want along with the number of pieces. Your bowl of Chirashizushi is then freshly prepared by the chef. As it’s a very small shop, seating just 7 people, making a reservation is a must.

Tags: Sashimi, Rice
 
2016-12-15
Hong Kong
DESSERT
Kai Kai Dessert (佳佳甜品)

Here’s something new from Michelin – a section in the Guide that they’ve called "Recommended Street Food." There’s quite a few places on the list, but one that stands out is a dessert shop that specializes in Tong Sui (which literally translates as sugar water), a soup or custard dessert that is served at the end of a traditional Cantonese meal. Types of popular Tong Sui include red bean, mung bean, black sesame, almond and walnut, to name just to name a few, while some dishes include egg, sago, rice ball, dried bean curd and even papaya! Here’s a quick word to the wise: Unless you’re a particularly ardent ginger fan, don't go for the ginger-based Tong Sui, as this place has a reputation for treating its customers to tongue-incinerating doses of the spice! 

Tags: Almond, Red Bean
 
2016-12-14
West London
FINE DINING
Hedone

The first restaurant from former solicitor and food blogger Mikael Jonsson owes its Michelin star to its modern European cuisine with impeccable seasonality. Jonsson’s extensive knowledge and sourcing of the finest ingredients also earned its place at No. 60 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. The surprise menu evolves as the ingredients arrive, and no two days are the same. Amid open brickwork, painted ceilings and wooden floors at this laid-back eatery on a suburban high street, guests dine on such creations as savory petits fours of Morello jelly on a Parmesan wafer; smoked haddock tart and foie gras in a sourdough crisp; seaweed on savory custard; asparagus with crispy duck egg yolk, egg white mayonnaise and morels; Cumbrian salt marsh lamb; herb sorbet with a hint of chutney; and a layered chocolate dessert with powdered raspberry crust. Booking are essential.

Tags: European
 
2016-12-09
Taipei
CHICKEN
Peng's Gourmet & Banquet

Chef Peng Chang-kuei is best known as the inventor of General Tso’s Chicken, sizzling hot in temperature and flavor. A well-known and talented chef, Peng orchestrated and supervised the grand banquets of the Chinese Nationalist government from the end of World War II until they were toppled by Mao Zedong’s Communists in 1949. Peng fled the country and found refuge in Taiwan alongside the Nationalist leadership. He created the dish in 1952 in Taiwan while he was entertaining U.S. Seventh Fleet Commander Admiral Arthur W. Radford. He had already served most of his signature dishes and wanted to cook something new, so he fried chicken thigh chunks and added seasonings to create a sticky-sweet sauce. The dish is named after General Tso, a well-known general from Peng’s hometown in Hunan Province who helped quell the Taiping Rebellion. Uneasy at Taiwan’s ongoing tensions with mainland China, Peng brought the recipe with him when he emigrated from Taiwan to New York City in 1973. He opened a restaurant on 44th Street, between Second and Third avenues. Owing to the restaurant’s proximity to the U.N. headquarters, Taiwanese diplomats often hosted events there. The dish gained notoriety after the release of the popular 2014 documentary, “The Search for General Tso.” Peng’s original recipe has less batter and is less sweet and crunchy than American versions, but more oily, salty, tart and spicy. 

Tags: Chinese
 
2016-12-08
Las Vegas Strip
SPANISH
é by José Andrés

Tucked in a private room adjacent to Jaleo's bustling bar and paella grill at the Cosmopolitan Hotel, é is one of three restaurants from chef and restaurateur José Andrés (the others are SAAM in Los Angeles and Minibar in Washington, DC). The exclusive restaurant is accessed through a glass door emblazoned with the letter é. Surrounded by a dramatic red glass wall and red velvet curtain, diners are seated at an eight-seat bar served by a team of chefs who craft a progressive, seasonal menu of Spanish avant-garde dishes that often exceeds 20 courses. A cross between molecular gastronomy and traditional Spanish cooking, creations may include caramelized pork rinds glazed with honey and cayenne pepper, or cocoa paper with dried strawberry for dessert. Note: One of the toughest restaurants in Las Vegas to score a table, reservations are available by e-mail only three months in advance. When booked for one of two nightly seatings, diners receive a “golden ticket,” to be presented upon arrival. Diners are asked to turn their cell phones off during the meal.

Tags: Modern
 
2016-12-08
Centro Madrid
TAPAS
Mercado de San Miguel

Built in 1916, this beautiful gourmet market near La Latina is famous for its soaring wood-and-iron roof and early 20th-century glass walls. Private investors purchased the market in 2003, and after a six-year renovation, reopened it with granite floors in 2009. Within walking distance from Plaza Mayor, the market features more than 30 vendors and tapas bars that sell a wide variety of freshly prepared tapas, hams, olives, baked goods and other foods. Look for gambas al ajillo (garlic prawns) and banderillas (small skewers of olives, cucumbers, peppers and pickled onions).Beer, wine and champagne are also available. To offset Madrid’s sweltering heat, the air is infused with water droplets; every few minutes shoppers are bathed in a blast of micro-rain.

Tags: Spanish