stumbling upon the good life – savoring food, discovering wine, and exploring places
From the monthly archives:
Anyone who’s ever talked to me about dining in Bangkok knows my passion for spreading the word of Soi Polo Chicken. You’d think that’s the only chicken I ever eat in Bangkok. As much as I’d love their beautiful fried garlic encrusted chicken every day of the week… well, that’s not incredibly healthy. Thai’s do a mean grilled chicken as well. That and some Som Tam is a tasty meal that’s not too bad for you. My favorite for grilled chicken currently is “Hai”. [keep reading…]
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An unlikely place for breakfast on Bangkok’s Sukhumvit Road
I first discovered The Robinhood Pub when I lived across the street at Emporium Suites. For me it was a go to place for a beer with friends or to watch a game. It’s just your typical unpretentious, down-to-earth English pub. The crowd is varied….expats and Thais of all ages…the burger is good…and the beer is reasonably priced. So when Paul told me they also served breakfast, I had to check it out. We love the Dubliner breakfast, so I wondered how The Robinhood would stack up. [keep reading…]
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Hey all,
It can be hard to discover new music in Asia. Radio stations are spastic at best… playing such random gems as “Achy Breaky Heart” followed by “You’re Beautiful” and then a hard-core rap song. Not ideal for those wanting to keep informed of the latest indie darlings. If your musical tastes stray away from Top 40 or club anthems you’ll have to seek music out online. A long trusted source of great & varied music online for me is NPR’s All Songs Considered. Host Bob Boilen (and frequent guests and contributors) cover the important festivals and give great round-ups throughout the year. They’ve just published their listener’s choice and editor’s choice of the year. Check it out after the jump and see how informed you are of the top albums to come out in 2009. [keep reading…]
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Visiting the celebrity chef’s signature restaurant in Hanoi
Bobby Chinn is one of the most celebrated chef’s in Asia. If you watch the Travel & Living channel, there is no doubt you have seen his show Bobby Chinn Cooks Asia. Beyond that, he is regularly featured in newspaper and magazine articles and even recent Sony handycam commercials. We wondered if after all the media exposure, if his restaurant could really live up to all the hype. [keep reading…]
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2 days and one night aboard a luxurious boat on Indochina Sails on Halong Bay
One of the must do’s if you are visiting Hanoi is a side trip to Halong Bay. I personally have done it twice – once on a bit of a budget and most recently in style on Indochina Sails. Indochina Sails presents a truly elegant cruising experience on its lovingly restored, lacquered wood, antique junk. [keep reading…]
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Iggy’s. 45th Restaurant in the world according to the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2009 (the same list with El Bulli, Fat Duck, Tesuya’s, La Bernardin, and other greats). There are only 3 restaurants from Asia covered in the top 50 and this is one of them. It was 2nd in the Miele Guide for Asia’s Finest Restaurants 2009/2010. Could it possibly be that special? Could anything live up to that amount of hype and not fall short?
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The notion most people have of high teas is that they’re precious events… tables covered in doilies & groups of woman gathered round gossiping through the afternoon. Well I’m a tattooed, boot wearing, Texas-born male ( 
)and I’ll come out and say it – I love high teas! [keep reading…]
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Bubbly wine tasting debunks the ‘has to be expensive’ and ‘has to be French’ myth
We were invited to a blind bubbly wine tasting by our friends at The Local Nose. The idea of the event was to taste both champagnes and sparkling wines of all price points and from various regions to see if one could discern the difference between champagne vs. sparkling wine, and expensive vs. inexpensive. [keep reading…]
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Homestyle, satisfying Italian served alfresco on a cozy Silom rooftop terrace
Vicolo 4 opened in 2008…however, unless you know Silom Soi 4 well, it’s not really the kind of place one stumbles upon. It’s tucked away on the second floor over top of a bar with very little signage. But it is so consistent in its presentation of homestyle Italian that Bangkok insiders often hear about it by word of mouth. When I was growing up in the southern part of the US…this was most often a formula for success. A hole in the wall tiny place, that regulars love. Nothing pretentious or flashy…but just delicious homemade dishes and friendly service that keep people coming back again and again. In fact when we are in Bangkok, we always make a point to stop by and here’s why you should too. [keep reading…]
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A chill seaside locale for brunch in Singapore
It was a typical Singapore afternoon….hot, sunny and humid. What better to do than chill by the water over a leisurely brunch with friends? So off we set to Keppel Bay Marina to meet a group of friends at Prive Bakery & Café. Iced cappuccinos, sunshine, muffins, friendly conversation, mimosas and chill atmosphere await… [keep reading…]
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