International
Using your iPhone in Mexico, Cancun – Android Smart phones
Posted on June 17, 2018Last Update: June 2018
Be sure to secure your iPhone or Android Smartphone before you travel. Precautions will help prevent disaster.
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International
Hanoi Street Food Tour Review
Posted on April 24, 2018Hanoi Vietnam is known for its dynamic street food scene. The language and culture are definitely big barriers to going it on your own. A street food tour was definitely a must.
We took our hotel’s Street Food tour to sample the local restaurants in the Hanoi Old Quarter. This was a fun and useful tour. We dined at several places that we would have been scared to approach ourselves. The guide explained the different types of local food and asked us about specific items we wanted. It lasted about 3 hours, cost $30/per person and included all food and drinks. Cheaper than other tours we saw.
Duong’s Restaurant, Hanoi, Vietnam
Posted on April 17, 2018
Red Bean Trendy Restaurant, Hanoi Vietnam
Posted on April 4, 2018
Using your iPhone in Vietnam – Android Smart phones
Posted on April 1, 2018Last Update: April 2018
Be sure to secure your iPhone or Android Smartphone before you travel. Precautions will help prevent disaster.
Conrad Hong Kong Brunch Buffet Brasserie on Eight
Posted on March 18, 2018Could this be one of the best Saturday – Sunday Brunch buffets?
Best buffet in Hong Kong? Conrad Hong Kong Buffet: Best buffet in the world? Also consider The Market buffet.
San Sebastian, Spain Pintxos Reviews
Posted on January 31, 2018We visited San Sebastian (Donostia), Spain in 2017 and have some reviews for more casual restaurants in this review. If you are a foodie, you definitely need to visit this beautiful area.
Also checkout our reviews of legendary gastronomy temples:
Arzak Review, San Sebastian, Spain
Posted on January 24, 2018
Some call this place the Best in the world! San Sebastian is teeming with Michelin Stars, some of the higher number in one area. We chose two 3 star restaurants for our trip, Arzak and Martín Berasategui. This was primarily driven from research and recommendations from others. Mugaritz was one 3 star restaurant that many people discouraged us from dining at.
Martín Berasategui Review, San Sebastian, Spain
Posted on January 17, 2018
One of the Best Meals We’ve ever had! In Lasarte-Oria(Gipuzkoa) about 15 minutes from foodie heaven San Sebastian, Spain, Martín Berasategui has been awarded three Michelin stars since 2001. Most people think about Arzak or Mugaritz, but you need to dine HERE! The chef holds eight stars in total, more than any other Spanish chef with many restaurants around the world. He has 3 stars at this restaurant, 3 stars in Barcelona at Restaurante Lasarte, and 2 stars in the Canary Islands.
McDonalds, Barcelona
Posted on December 4, 2017
We like dining at McDonalds at different countries around the world. What interesting items will we find. Our last trip was to Spain. We checked out the local McDonalds in Barcelona and found some interesting items.
Spain iPhone Prepaid Sim Card – Android Prepaid Sim Card
Posted on August 6, 2017
Be sure to secure your iPhone or Android Smartphone whenever you travel. Precautions will help prevent disaster.
Tokyo Foodie Restaurant Mini Reviews
Posted on August 24, 2015Where does a foodie eat in Tokyo?
In the spring of 2015, we visited Japan for the first time in many decades. Our original trip was set many years ago, but the tsunami changed everything. We finally got some time to visit a country that we really wanted to travel to and eat at.
How to use your iPhone in Japan with a prepaid SIM card
Xiecheng Seafood & Hotpot, Macau
Posted on July 20, 2015
Why did we dine here? – Xiecheng Seafood & Hotpot is a popular restaurant in Macau. This restaurant group owns many different restaurants through out Asia including Jinyuexuan. Our friend recommended this restaurant, and we noticed you will not find it in tour books, nor on Trip Advisor. This place is not located on a central street, so you may need a taxi to reach it.
South Sea Fishing Village Restaurant, Guangzhou, China
Posted on June 15, 2015
We finished up our latest culinary tour of China in the Summer of 2011 at South Sea Fishing Village for lunch. They have 2 locations here. Guangzhou is the origination point for Cantonese Chinese cuisine, making it a must visit for those serious about Chinese food. In late 2014 we returned for dinner.
Sushi Kanesaka, Tokyo
Posted on June 1, 2015Best sushi ever!
Why did we dine here? – The first food we think about when we were planning our Japan trip was Sushi. Sushi or sashimi is a favorite dish of ours, so we were eager to plan a pilgrimage to eat some real Japanese authentic sushi.
Nihonryori RyuGin, Tokyo
Posted on May 18, 2015
Why did we dine here? – RyuGin (Inspired by a Zen poem that describes a powerful dragon) is a 3 Michelin Star Japanese restaurant in the Roppongi district of Tokyo. We had planned to dine here about 5 years ago, but the Tsunami got in the way. We finally crossed it off our bucket list.
Lei Garden Guangzhou Dinner, China
Posted on April 27, 2015
Why did we dine here? – Lei Garden is a top restaurant group with locations in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and Macau. In late 2014 we had dinner at the Guangzhou location of Lei Garden, based on our local friends re-iteration that even this location serves up great food. Interesting to hear that the Xi Jinping’s crackdown has affected business at this restaurant too. Government officials do not want to be caught near any fancy restaurants any more. This location takes up one floor and is 50% made up of private rooms.
8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Shanghai
Posted on April 13, 2015Incredible Italian in Shanghai
Why did we dine here? – 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana is the sister restaurant to their Hong Kong location. They have been awarded 3 Michelin Stars in Hong Kong. We were getting sick of several weeks of Chinese food during our Asia trip and decided it was time for something different. Being huge fans of Italian food, we went for the number one bet.
Zi Yat Heen, Macau
Posted on April 6, 2015Why did we dine here? – Zi Yat Heen is the Chinese restaurant at the Four Seasons Macau. We were staying in the hotel and saw that this restaurant had two Michelin stars, making it a no brainer to eat here. We knew nothing about the restaurant, so off we go on another dim sum adventure. Prior to this, we were in Taiwan, so we missed traditional high end Cantonese fare.
MGM Macau Rossio Buffet, Macau
Posted on March 23, 2015250lb Wagyu beef roast?
Why did we dine here? – MGM Macau Rossio Buffet is the main buffet at this huge resort in Macau. Macau is China’s Las Vegas, and generates $44 billion in gambling revenue in 2014, compared to $6 billion in Las Vegas. Clearly Macau has become the biggest gambling area around. We stayed here for one night to see how the small country has changed.
Da Chun, Shanghai
Posted on February 23, 2015
Why did we dine here? – Da Chun is an old school Sheng jian bao restaurant. We love Yang’s Dumplings (Xiao Yang) and try to eat there everytime we visit Shanghai, but made sure we visit the harbinger of this genre. This restaurant has several locations, yet we chose the Da Shi Jie outpost as it is supposed to be the best.
Shihlin Night Market, Taipei Taiwan
Posted on February 9, 2015
The Shihlin Night Market in Taipei, Taiwan is a must visit for food loving travelers. It is obviously located in the Shilin District of Taipei, just a couple blocks from the Jiantan MRT subway station. (Not Shihlin Station) This is the largest and most famous night market in the city and typically starts up around 4pm in the afternoon.
Shin Yeh 101, Taipei, Taiwan
Posted on February 2, 2015
Why did we dine here? – Shin Yeh at Taipei 101 is the flagship restaurant for this local restaurant group. This particular Shin Yeh is located on the 85th floor of the Taipei 101 Skyscraper. We were looking for a high end restaurant to celebrate Christmas and settled on this place. Of note, there really aren’t a lot of fine dining Taiwanese restaurants here. Night markets, small local places are all over the place. If you have other suggestions, please leave them in the comments.
Din Tai Fung, Taipei 101, Taiwan
Posted on January 19, 2015
Whisk Sunday Brunch Buffet, Hong Kong
Posted on December 11, 2013Post Pandemic, Whisk has buffets or semi-buffets on special holidays only.
Whisk is a restaurant in the posh hotel Mira, which is renowned for having Edward Snowden, the US whistleblower, stay. This hotel is conveniently located in the middle of the main Hong Kong tourist district. We were originally going to revisit our favorite Sunday Brunch buffet, Conrad, but after having an even better buffet in Singapore, we decided to try something new and less expensive. Whisk is a Contemporary European the rest of the week.
Cuisine Cuisine, Hong Kong
Posted on December 9, 2013.jpg)
Why did we dine here? – Cuisine Cuisine is a One Michelin star restaurant in the posh Hotel Mira (They had 2 Michelin stars in the past), which is renowned for having Edward Snowden, the US whistleblower, stay. Executive Chef Lee Yuk Lam has a ton of experience cooking fine Chinese fare. This hotel is conveniently located in the middle of the main Hong Kong Tsim Sha Tsui tourist district. Other parts of our party were dining upstairs at the Whisk Sunday Brunch Buffet. This restaurant has received many accolades and also has a branch in the swanky IFC shopping center on Hong Kong Island. The IFC branch looks exquisite and is full of financial types on an given day. Cuisine Cuisine is owned and operated by the Miramar Group, which runs many fine establishments. A Beijing location opened in 2011.
Bo Innovation Restaurant Review, Hong Kong
Posted on December 4, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Bo Innovation is a molecular gastronomy Chinese restaurant in Hong Kong’s Wanchai District hidden away down an alley and upstairs. They were featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations TV show way back in 2008. Bo received two Michelin Stars in the latest edition of the Hong Kong Michelin guide, previously had one star. Chef Alvin Leung Jr, is a bit of a renegade and has attracted a lot of attention world wide. He was not in the kitchen on our visit.
Lot 10 Hutong Restaurant Review, Kuala Lumpur
Posted on November 18, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Lot 10 Hutong has more than 30 of the country’s best eateries in the ground floor of a Kuala Lumpur shopping center, right in the heart of the city. Each needs to have been around for at least 40 years. This is the only heritage hawker center of its kind in Malaysia.
After having dined at a fancy restaurant, Bijan, which was very good but full of tourists and business folks, we felt it would be fun to a place like this to try lots of different foods. No need to taxi and walk all over town to sample all sorts of food.
I Made Joni Restaurant Review, Ubud, Bali
Posted on November 13, 2013
Why did we dine here? – I Made Joni in Ubud, Bali is a touristy place, famous for their deep fried crispy duck. It is located near the center of the island in lush and beautiful Ubud, roughly 5 minutes from downtown Ubud. Our tour guide suggested we visit this restaurant for lunch. Apparently many tour guides come here. We had just came from a ‘mini’ lunch at famous Ibu Oka for roast pig, so we stopped in to try the duck. The pig at Ibu Oka was ok but far too small portion wise. The Trip Advisor ratings are very poor for this restaurant with a majority of terrible reviews. 2.5 out of 5 rating.
St. Regis Boneka Sunday Brunch Buffet, Bali
Posted on November 11, 2013
Boneka is a restaurant in the posh St. Regis Hotel on Bali. We were in paradise and told by a friend that we had to try it. High end Sunday Brunch Buffet? We are there! This hotel is awesome, there would be no way we could afford to stay here.
Samwon Garden Restaurant Review, Seoul, Korea
Posted on October 11, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Samwon Garden is a long standing Korean BBQ restaurant in Seoul. It opened in 1976 and serves traditional Korean dishes with an emphasis on BBQ. We had to try a restaurant like this to see what authentic Korean BBQ is. We asked a leading Seoul food blogger which of the famous high end joints we should dine at and he recommended Samwon Garden.
Song Jook Heon Restaurant Review, Seoul, Korea
Posted on October 9, 2013
Why did we dine here? – Song Jook Heon is a classic hanjeongsik, or traditional Korean restaurant.
This restaurant is located across the street from the secret garden of Changdeok Palace.
This meal is pre-designed by the chef and can include up to 30 dishes. The food served here originated in royal palaces of ancient Korea. With the popularity of Korean soap operas, more people are being introduced to this type of meal. We noticed another room had a bunch of businessmen and some female accompaniment.
2012 Rome Restaurant Reviews
Posted on December 26, 2012
We recently finished up our culinary tour of Rome in the Summer of 2012. It was interesting to see how authentic Italian food and restaurants in Rome compare to the ones we have in the San Francisco Bay Area. Below are several Roman restaurants we dined at.
2012 Sorrento, Italy Restaurant Reviews
Posted on November 26, 2012We recently finished up our culinary tour of Sorrento in the Summer of 2012. This is a very touristy area, one of those classic challenges for foodies. Avoiding a tourist trap is very difficult. Below are several restaurants in and around Sorrento that we dined at.
RE Foods
Ristorante Quadri Review, Venice, Italy
Posted on October 10, 2012
Why did we dine here? – Quadri is a popular restaurant that overlooks St. Marks Square in Venice, Italy. We chose this relatively new restaurant because of its convenient location and the fact that it had one Michelin star. This restaurant has stunning decor which blends Italian style with modern sensibility. With a view of St. Marks square, you can watch all the action while dining on some of the best food in Venice. Our focus was on seafood, as Venice is known for fresh food from the sea. Considering the amount of water around here… This restaurant was a major splurge! It was our only meal in Venice.
2012 Munich Restaurant Reviews
Posted on October 8, 2012We recently finished up our culinary tour of Germany in the Summer of 2012. It was interesting to see how authentic German food and restaurants in Munich compare to the ones we have in the San Francisco Bay Area. Below are several Munich restaurants we dined at. See our Tantris Review for a two Michelin Star Munich Restaurant.
Wirtshaus In Der Au
Crown Princess Fine Dining Restaurant Review, Toronto
Posted on September 17, 2012
Why did we dine here? – Crown Princess is a top rated Chinese restaurant in Downtown Toronto. We were here for a couple of days and wanted to try several Chinese restaurants to see how they compared to the ones back in the San Francisco Bay Area.
La Pergola Restaurant Review, Rome
Posted on September 12, 2012
Grand Chinese Cuisine Restaurant Review, Toronto
Posted on September 10, 2012
Why did we dine here? – Grand Chinese Cuisine is a Chinese restaurant located almost next to Toronto’s International Airport. This convenient location made it a no brainer for a quick dinner before our flight.
Pipero Al Rex Review, Rome
Posted on September 5, 2012
Pizzeria Starita Restaurant Review, Naples
Posted on August 29, 2012
L’Antica Pizzeria Da Michele Restaurant Review, Naples
Posted on August 27, 2012
Shenzhen Citizen Center Restaurant Review, Shenzhen, China – 深圳市民中心礼堂
Posted on February 22, 2012
Shenzhen Citizen Center Restaurant is a restaurant located underneath the ultra modern Shenzhen Citizen Center. This restaurant caters to Government officials and may not be open to the public. We were lucky enough to be invited by a friend and dined in a private VIP room. The food here was extra-ordinary when compared to Chinese food back in the San Francisco Bay Area. The service was very good as a waitress was assigned to our private room. Be sure to check out our review of Fu Gow in Shenzhen.
Nanling Restaurant, Shanghai, China – 南伶酒家
Posted on January 27, 2012Nanling Restaurant in the French Concession is a restaurant in Shanghai, China serving Huaiyang cuisine, famous for its carving techniques using specialty knives. Nanling also serves Yangzhou specialties, including lots of fresh seafood dishes and the signature dish, roast duck. Interesting Asian art hugs the walls. Our excellent US$50 meal could feed six people or more. After dinner, hit one of the many bars down the block.
Subway: Hengshan Road Station
Tin Lung Heen Restaurant Review, Hong Kong
Posted on November 9, 2011
Why did we here? – This restaurant is located in the brand spanking new Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong, making it a no-brainer for those seeking out beautiful new restaurants. They received a surprising 2 Michelin stars in 2013. Guess the food has improved since our visit in 2011.
Guangzhou, China Fish Market – Seafood Market
Posted on October 24, 2011A taste of the fish market in Guangzhou, China. The market has hundreds of vendors similar to these. Not as beautiful as most food markets, but worth a trip for foodies like us. There are some restaurants located upstairs.
Fu Gow Restaurant Review, Shenzhen, China
Posted on October 10, 2011Why did we dine here? – Fu Gow is a excellent restaurant located near the Shenzhen airport. Our local friend highly recommended this restaurant, which is frequented by many government officials and is way under the radar.
Shi Qi Lao Restaurant Review, Zhongsan, China
Posted on September 19, 2011
We recently finished up our latest culinary tour of China in the Summer of 2011. Cantonese Chinese cuisine originated from this area, making it a must visit for those serious about Chinese food.
Here are some quick mini reviews of places we ate at. We feel this will be useful as more people visit this up-and-coming area. We found few reviews on Trip Advisor and Dianping.