September 2010 by Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia

SEPTEMBER 2010

A–Z OF

L.A’S BEST EATING

EXPERIENCES

CHIANG MAI’S MOST

ICONIC DISHES FIVE FAB & FANTASTIC NOODLE SECRETS IN SAIGON

TOP TRADITIONAL CHINESE SPAS

Plus

65 MUST-DO’S BANGKOK

11 CLASSIC KHMER EATERIES

BALI’S BEST CHEFS OPEN THEIR SECRET ADDRESS BOOKS

EATING STREET IN KL, JAKARTA, TAIPEI, HONG KONG, SEOUL & SINGAPORE

THE ICE

THREE TOP ASIAN MILLINERS MAP OUT STYLE IN MELBOURNE HONG KONG, MANILA

CREAM

KINGS OF SINGAPORE

ASIA’S FOOD BLOGGERS REVEAL ALL

ISSUE

WINE TOURS

ALL THIS PLUS: THE ULTIMATE FOOD TOUR OF VIETNAM: 21 COOL IDEAS

TO WOW SINGAPORE SG$7.90 ● HONG KONG HK$43 THAILAND THB175 ● INDONESIA IDR50,000 MALAYSIA MYR17● VIETNAM VND85,000 MACAU MOP44 ● PHILIPPINES PHP240 BURMA MMK35 ● CAMBODIA KHR22,000 BRUNEI BND7.90 ● LAOS LAK52,000

Tra v e l a n d L e i s u r e A s i a . c o m

(destinations)09.10

Los Angeles 43, 122

New York City 154

Seoul 55, 72, 112

Bangkok 29, 81 Chengdu 146

Melbourne 74

World Weather This Month -25oC

-40oC

-40

20oF

-25

-10

-10oC

Issue Index

SOUTHEAST ASIA Bangkok029, 81 20 -20 40 Cambodia 92 Hong Kong 42, 55, 74, 112 Indonesia 64, 112 Kuala Lumpur 42, 55, 112 Manila 55, 74

40oF 0 oC

50oF

5oC

65oF

10oC

Seoul 55, 112 50 Singapore 60 42, 46, 75 55, 11280 Taipei 112 Vietnam 48, 134

ASIA Chengdu 146

75oF

90oF

World 20oCAir Temperature 30oC

15oC

40o+C

September

Hangzhou 98 Japan 110 55, 102 Seoul 55, 72, 112

EUROPE Florence 40 Paris 41

PACIFIC Melbourne 74 Tasmania 40

AMERICAS Los Angeles 43, 122 New York City 154

Currency Converter Singapore Hong Kong Thailand Indonesia Malaysia Vietnam Macau Philippines Burma Cambodia Brunei Laos (SGD)

US ($1)

1.35

(HKD)

7.76

(BT)

(RP)

(RM)

(VND)

31.9

8,950

3.16

19,080

(MOP)

(P)

(MMK)

(KHR)

(BND)

(LAK)

7.99

45.0

6.41

4,240

1.35

8,200

Source: www.xe.com (exchange rates at press time).

s e pt e mb e e r 2 0 1 0 | t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

m a p by e t h a n co r n e l l

0 oF

-40oF -20oF

IT’S

SAID THEY NEVER FORGET. W I L L YOU .

♥ 2010 Φουρ Σεασονσ Ηοτελσ Λιµιτεδ

NEITHER

C o n t a c t y o u r t r av e l c o n s u lt a n t , v i s i t w w w. f o u r s e a s o n s . c o m o r call (65) 6232−5926. From within hong kong call (800) 96−8385.

T R A V E L A N D L E I S U R E A S I A . C O M | V O L 0 4 | I S S U E 0 9

(Contents)09.10

>122 Mouthwatering pastrami on rye in L.A.

112 Out On The Street The assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to eat three street-food dishes you cannot do without when visiting each of these six Asian cities. That could mean anything from kerak telur in Jakarta to char kway teow in Singapore. Just remember, it’s not all offal. 8

122 Food Lover’s Guide L.A. to Z Los Angeles has always been well ahead when it comes to the real taste of America. Here are 26 reasons why that’s particularly true today. By PETER JON LINDBERG. Photographed by CORAL VON ZUMWALT 134 Vietnam The Ultimate Food Tour From north to south, stopping in food markets, street stalls, holes-inthe-wall and everywhere in between,

SEPT E M B E R 2 0 1 0 | t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

PETER JON LINDBERG goes in search of Vietnam’s best dishes. Photographed by BROWN W CANNON III Guide and Map 145 146 All the Chilies in China While Chengdu has changed since she lived there a generation ago, ROBYN ECKHARDT is thrilled to still find the chili-infused dishes that the city is known for. Photographed by DAVID HAGERMAN Guide 152

C O R A L V O N Z U M W A LT

111-146 Features

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Stylish & Ultra-Compact • Interchangeable Lenses • 14.2-Megapixel APS HD CMOS Sensor • AVCHD 1080i Movie Recording1 • 3D Sweep Panorama2 • Intuitive Interface •

For NEX-5; NEX-3 features 720p HD recording. 2 Available with a subsequent firmware update.

www.sony-asia.com/NEX

NEX-3

DSLR quality in your hands. Introducing the new Sony

S EP TEMBER 2 0 10

12 16 20 22 154

2010 Food and Drink Issue • Chiang Mai • Bangkok • Wine Tours • Saigon • Bali • L.A. • Khmer Food • Jakarta

Departments

TRAVEL+LEISURE SOUTHEAST ASIA

(Contents)09.10 > 55

SEPTEMBER 2010

A–Z OF

L.A’S BEST EATING

EXPERIENCES

CHIANG MAI’S MOST

ICONIC DISHES FIVE FAB & FANTASTIC NOODLE SECRETS IN SAIGON

TOP TRADITIONAL CHINESE SPAS

Plus

BANGKOK 65 MUST-DO’S

THE ICE

THREE TOP ASIAN MILLINERS MAP OUT STYLE IN MELBOURNE HONG KONG, MANILA

CREAM

KINGS OF SINGAPORE

ASIA’S FOOD BLOGGERS REVEAL ALL

ISSUE

WINE TOURS

Cover

Editor’s Note Contributors Letters Best Deals My Favorite Place

CLASSIC KHMER EATERIES

EATING STREET IN KL, JAKARTA, TAIPEI, HONG KONG, SEOUL & SINGAPORE

ALL THIS PLUS: THE ULTIMATE FOOD TOUR OF VIETNAM: 21 COOL IDEAS

09 COVER TYPO_ML.indd 1

BALI’S BEST CHEFS OPEN THEIR SECRET ADDRESS BOOKS

Tra v e l a n d L e i s u r e A s i a . c o m

10/08/2010 11:35

All the Asian food you can eat, plus a few surprises that you’ve probably never heard of.

> 81

39-64 Insider 40 Newsflash Formula 1 overtakes Singapore, a cook’s tour of Tasmania, Paris through local eyes and much more. 46 Quick Getaway Singapore’s ice-cream workshops. By liang Xinyi 48 Eat Searching out Saigon’s best noodles. By roByn eckhardt 52 Spas Traditional Chinese Medicine as a spa craze. By chami jotissalikorn 55 Guru Food bloggers worth their weight in recommendations. By amy ma 10

81-102 71-74 Stylish Traveler T+L Journal 71 Icon The Victorinox Swiss Army knife. By shane mitchell 72 Street Corner Seoul’s hotbed of young fashion. By felicia shelton 74 Spotlight Women with hats. By elle kwan > 71

81 Asian Scene Forget ambience or fine linen. Bangkok’s oldest eateries equal great meals. By jennifer chen 86 Drink A well-crafted wine tour can deliver Bordeaux’s best or a one-on-one with cult winemakers in Italy. By Bruce schoenfeld 92 Food Cambodian cuisine is often overlooked, but there are a few stops worth considering for the real thing. By naomi lindt 99 Detour A clutch of new hotels has turned this ancient capital near Shanghai into an alluring stop for travelers, writes jennifer chen. 102 Portfolio Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market is a hive of activity before most of the city awakens. jackie rado catches the early morning frenzy.

C L O C K W I S E F R O M FA R L E F T : WA S I N E E C H A N TA K O R N ; C O U R T E SY O F J O E M C P H E R S O N ; C E D R I C A R N O L D ; N I G E L C O X

Special ● Bangkok > 29 This year, T+L readers voted Bangkok the World’s Best City. Here, a list of 65 can’t-miss experiences in the City of Angels, everything from dining out on the best Thai food to staying in five-star comfort

60 Classics Ordering Chiang Mai’s best dishes. By roByn eckhardt 64 The Expert Where do Bali’s chefs eat on their days off ? By samantha Brown

Special Promotion

European Elegance Arrives In Hong Kong

The Langham brings back a touch of European elegance to Hong Kong with The Langham Club

esigned by the award winning interior team, Three Wise Monkeys, The Langham Club has re-opened as a stunning wonderland, to enchant even the most frequent of traveler. The design journey of The Langham Club has been meticulously thought out. Every corner of this space has an air of European elegance, from the hand-embroidered wall panels created by a lingerie designer, to the original rent table; a splendid mahogany table which was originally used by English landlords in the 18th century. The Langham Club has been smartly divided into a total of seven separate rooms, each with its own distinct character and design. The Ante Room is the private check-in area and has been designed to welcome guests in a most stylish manner. Handmade chairs, sourced from a London based fashion designer, stand smartly in the entrance of this room. Upholstered in Chanel-inspired tweed, they boast exquisite pleating and button details. The sweeping floor length curtains, made from Savile Row suit fabric, are the final indulgent touch to this stylish room. The Library has an eccentric English feel. From the entrance, a striking red leather door, to the wall-to-wall bookcases artfully

displaying a selection of books on fashion, travel and historical Hong Kong. It is, however, the stylish positioning of eight uniquely designed chairs, each one covered in a different fabric and texture that gives The Library its charming, whimsical feel. The Lounge is the master room within The Langham Club and is the most opulent of all the rooms. From the hand painted leather wallpaper in hues of gold and deep purple, to the Tiffany blue sofas and vibrant turquoise pouffes. The Lounge is a truly enchanting wonderland for guests to escape to after a busy day in Hong Kong. The four remaining rooms are The Bureau, Butlers Pantry, The Salon and The Dining Room. No corner of these rooms has been overlooked and guests can expect to find extravagant design touches in each of these; ranging from marble tables with mother of pearl inlay to bright purple handmade chairs with corset detail. The Langham Club is fast becoming the new residence of choice for those in the know.

(editor’s note) 09.10 As I write this, I’m recovering from some tropical malady or other and have essentially been laid -up on a sofa for four days . This has , I’ m pleased to say, afforded me the hands down. In our photoset, stark industrial backgrounds are set off by the colors of both the fresh catch and the local people: a treatment of the subject that ref lects the spirit and harmony of the whole market. I also love that T+L SEA mainstay: our guide to the best way to eat street (“Out on the Street,” page 112). In this year’s special, we’ve extended our reach to include Taipei and Seoul, given the increasing popularity of these destinations among our readers. I also love the guide to Bangkok’s oldest eateries (“Back to Basics,” page 79). Bangkok is definitely back on the tourist map, so we decided to drop by some of the most storied stops in this storied city and take a bite or two. And speaking of Bangkok, we have dedicated more than five pages to an extended article detailing why the City of Angels—a literal translation of “Krung Thep,” the short form of its lengthy Thai name—is still a great place to visit. My advice as a long-term expat? Head straight to the nearest street stall and fill up on nam tok moo, my current Thai food favorite. Make sure you’re prepared to have your tastebuds torched, though!—m a t t l e p p a r d

Travel + L eisure editors, writers and photographers are the industry’s most reliable sources. While on assignment, they travel incognito whenever possible and do not take press trips or accept free travel of any kind. 12

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tom hoops

much-needed opportunity to watch the approximately 200 different food-related shows I get at home on cable. From scaremongering “what’s really in your food” pseudo-scientific hand-wringing programs to advanced culinary experimentation courtesy of avant-garde food creationists like Heston Blumenthal. It’s all a bit baff ling, to be honest. Thank goodness, then, for our yearly food special this month: a realistic and hands on—yet inspirational and effortlessly stylish—guide to the best and most authentic food and drink choices in Asia and beyond. This special issue is always the one we look forward to planning and then building the most, considering the tremendous variety and quality of food in Southeast Asia and Asia as a whole, and its popularity among you, our loyal readers. Personal favorites of mine this issue include the photo essay by T+L newcomer Jackie Rado (“Catch of the Day,” page 100), although it may seem to some an odd choice to name first. But I really don’t think that you can beat an early-morning fresh food market—and especially Tsukiji Market—for a sudden jolt to the senses that beats any espresso-strength coffee

BANGKOK + DIM SUM + ARCHITECTURE + NIGHTLIFE + BLOGS + ISLANDS + BOUTIQUES NOODLES + STYLE + WINE + SPAS + HONG KONG + DESIGN + GALLERIES + SINGAPORE + HUA HIN + DRIVING + ONLINE BOOKING + LAKSA + FASHION + REVIEWS + GOLF + KHAO SOI BEER + DIVING + CLUBBING + HOT DEALS + tRAVEL NEWS + CRUISING + LAOS + BARS MUSIC + ART + ECOTOURISM + MALAYSIA + trekking + saigon + shopping + deals + BANGKOK

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editor-in-chief art director deputy editor features editor senior DEsigner DEsigner ASSISTANT editor/Illustrator Assistant Editor

Matt Leppard James Nvathorn Unkong Christopher Kucway Lara Day Wannapha Nawayon Sirirat Prajakthip Wasinee Chantakorn Liang Xinyi

Regular contributors / photographers Jennifer Chen (editor-at-large), Jen Lin-Liu, Robyn Eckhardt,

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J.S. Uberoi Egasith Chotpakditrakul Rasina Uberoi-Bajaj

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CONSULTANT, HONG KONG/MACAU chief financial officer production manager

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Executive Editor, International

travel+leisure southeast asia Vol. 4, Issue 9 Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia is published monthly by Media Transasia Limited, Room 1205-06, 12/F, Hollywood Centre, 233 Hollywood Road, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2851-6963; Fax: +852 2851-1933; under license from American Express Publishing Corporation, 1120 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10036, United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or

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(contributors) 09.10

David Hagerman | Photographer The Assignment Photographed

our Chengdu feature story (“All the Chilies in China,” page 146). Spice Tolerance Nuclear, I haven’t found my limit. Funniest Chinese menu item

“Pork with strange smell,” and a snack package that announced “food just for eating.” In Chengdu, don’t miss… Sunday in People’s Park. Ballroom dancing, karaoke, kite flying and Chinese opera all at an only-in-China volume. Bring a camera and earplugs! Favorite cuisine After 14 years in Asia, Sichuan is where it’s at. Robyn Eckhardt | Writer

rou, luscious little bowls of beef or pork coated with seasoned ground rice and steamed for hours. Standout Chengdu Meal Dinner in a no-name restaurant before closing. We got what was left: la jiao, or cucumber stir-fried with pork and garlic. No matter the time it’s nearly impossible to have a bad meal in Chengdu. Funniest restaurant name In Taipei, I saw a place called “Shanghai Aftertaste.” Favorite place to eat Based on recent travels, Chengdu, Saigon and Kars in Turkey are in a dead heat. Amy Ma | Writer The Assignment Wrote this

month’s inside look at online food critics (“They Came, They Ate, They Blogged, page 55). Best Eating Advice If you see a line, get in it. Favorite Culinary Destination Japan by a long shot. Taiwan is a distant second. Best Comfort Food Leftovers in the middle of the night. Strangest Thing on A Menu An appetizer called “Love Potion” that tasted like bacon in, no joke, a Moroccan restaurant in Amsterdam.

A b o v e , f r o m l e f t : c o u r t e s y o f d av i d h a g e r m a n ; d av i d h a g e r m a n . m i d d l e , f r o m l e f t : d av i d h a g e r m a n ; c o u r t e s y o f r o b y n e c k h a r d t. b o t t o m , f r o m l e f t : c o u r t e s y o f a m y m a ; c o u r t e s y o f a u n k o h

The Assignment Wrote the Chengdu article. Chengdu’s best-kept secret Mizheng

(contributors) 09.10

How I Got That Shot Vietnam Brown W Cannon III | Photographer The Assignment Shot Hanoi, Saigon and Hue in 12 days (“Vietnam: The Ultimate Food Tour,” page 134). Trip Time It took 30 hours—including a transpacific leg and layovers in Seoul and

Singapore—to get to Hanoi, but I was invigorated upon arrival. Just stepping out to explore the city was energizing. The Country in Two Words Blazing. Tasty. Must Try Dish Pork belly stewed in a clay pot with hardboiled eggs. In a land of spring rolls and soups, it stands alone. Favorite Mealtime Moment Everyone measures their chopsticks before eating to make sure their pair is well-matched. I loved that. When Crossing The Street… Follow the elderly— clearly they’ve learned how to survive the chaos of scooters, bikes, cars and buses.

From cosmopolitan Saigon to historic Hanoi, see it through Cannon’s lens. Page 134.

Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi The Scene Early morning rites. Why This Moment The park was full of people, but everyone

was exercising in their own way—walking, lifting weights, jogging, doing tai chi. They kept to themselves. This image brings out the quiet of the place. How I Got That Shot I prefer not to use a motor drive, meaning I can’t do rapid-fire, 10-snaps-a-second shooting. So it becomes a question of waiting for the elements to fall into place before pressing the shutter button, which is what I did here: I framed first—then photographed. The Key Here Was… Timing. A split second later and the man walking on the right would be hidden by the tree; an instant earlier and that lamppost would have been sprouting from the woman’s head. 18

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i n s e t: co u rt esy o f b row n w ca n n o n i i i

more vietnam

throughout Southeast Asia

(Letters)09.10 letter of the month

SOUTHEAST ASIA

Indulge yourself

Fees and Fares

Just wanted to commend you for your stories that tell it like it is. In August, you had good reads on hotel charges [“Hidden Hotel Fees”] and taking a taxi in Asia [“A Survival Guide to Taxis”]. If I did have a complaint, it’s that these stories weren’t longer. I mean the trials of taking a cab are endless. In many cities, a taxi is the only real way around town—take Jakarta or Manila—and the hassles are endless. But your advice to get a destination written down doesn’t always work: many drivers are unable to read. That said, at least we don’t pay London-sized fares. —howard wong, hong kong

the world’s leading travel magazine www.TravelandLeisureAsia.com

)

India Preserved I’ve never been to Pondicherry but after reading your story [“Cheery Pondy,” August 2010], I think I have to go. I was amazed to hear of all the foreign influences on the Indian city and also curious to know about all the preservation efforts going on there today. All too often around Asia, I think serious preservation work takes a back seat to making money, so it’s good to read about somewhere I’m proven wrong. Now I just have to see it with my own eyes! —s a r a s u n d o s , ba n g ko k Old Haunts Your story on the English capital [“London Calling,” August 2010] brought back a flood of memories not only of the city, but of a memorable trip I made there in the 1980’s. While the writer’s nostalgia was for the decade after my visit, I could still relate to—and laugh about—the things he now misses about the city and to what’s still very special about London. —l i s a s o o n g , s i n g a p o r e In our July article about the Maldives (“Paradise Found”), we quoted an incorrect room rate for the Banyan Tree Madivaru. The rate for a double room should be US$2,190. T+L policy is to correct all errors for the benefit of our readers.

CORRECTION

E-MAIL T+L send your letters to editor @ travelandleisuresea.com and let us know your thoughts on recent stories or new places to visit. letters chosen may be edited for clarity and space. the letter of the month receives a free one-year subscription to travel + leisure ( southeast asia only). reader opinions expressed in letters do not necessarily reflect those of travel + leisure southeast asia, media transasia ltd., or american express publishing.

(best deals) 09.10 deal of the month

Suite Experience package at The St. Regis Beijing (8610/6460-6688; stregis. com/beijing). What’s Included A stay in a

Looking for a bit more with your booking? Check out these perks n HONG KONG Save More package at The Fleming (thefleming. com; 852/3607-2288). What’s Included Daily American breakfast; free local calls; free access to California Fitness Center (subject to availability); 10 percent off laundry, food and beverages (excluding wine menu), and businesscenter services. Cost From HK$838 per night, through December 31. Savings 56 percent. n INDONESIA Surf Lovers package at InterContinental Bali Resort (62-361/701-888; bali. intercontinental.com). What’s Included A stay in a Singaraja room; airport transfers; daily buffet breakfast for two; access to Spa Uluwatu and 24-hour Fitness Center; and a choice of two complimentary water-based activities. Cost From US$220 per night, three-night minimum, through December 23. Savings 25 percent. n MALAYSIA Better Tomorrows package at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur (60-3/2263-7888; lemeridien. com/kualalumpur). What’s Included 50 percent off second night. Cost From RM400 per night, two-night minimum, valid for Friday, Saturday and Sunday only, through October 30. Savings 25 percent. 22

n SINGAPORE Re!Treat package at Hotel Re! (65/68278288; hotelre.com.sg) in Singapore. What’s Included A stay in a Superior room; buffet breakfast for two; free Wi-Fi Internet; and a 45-minute Full Body Pressure Point Massage for two at Re!Fresh wellness center. Cost From S$198 per night, valid on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays only, through December 31. Savings 50 percent. 1 Night 2 Days ZED package at The Scarlet (65/6511-3333; thescarlethotel.com) in Singapore. What’s Included A stay in a Deluxe room; breakfast for two; free entry for two to Zouk (valid on Friday and Saturday nights only); and check-in at 2 p.m. and late checkout until 6 p.m. Cost From S$230 per room per night, through December 31. Savings 40 percent. n VIETNAM Hanoi and Halong Bay package at Mövenpick Hotel Hanoi (84-4/3822-2800; moevenpick-hotels. com). What’s Included A one-night stay at the hotel with breakfast; a one-night cruise, including meals; and round-trip transfers between Hanoi and Halong Bay. Cost From US$399 for one and from US$449 for two, through December 31. Savings 30 percent.

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Statesman Suite; daily buffet breakfast for two; airport transfers; free in-room Internet access; late check-out until 4 p.m. (subject to availability); and in-room check-in for Ambassador suite bookings. Cost From RMB2,800 per night, two-night minimum, through December 31. Savings 56 percent.

Garden lounge, The St. Regis.

F r o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f t h e s c a r l e t ; c o u r t e s y o f t h e s t. r e g i s b e i j i n g

A stay at The Scarlet.

(Best Deals)

Thailand Special 09.10 deal of the month

Intimate Indulgence package at Hansar Samui (66-76/245-511;

Gear up for the high season with these exceptional getaway deals Green Escape package at Supanniga Home in Khon Kaen (66-89/9444-880; supannigahome. com). What’s Included A two-night stay in a one-bedroom Banyan Villa or Lom Laeng Villa; and two breakfasts, two lunches and two candlelit dinners for two. Cost Bt12,000, through October 31. Savings 42 percent. l

Hot Deal package at De Lanna Boutique Hotel in Chiang Mai (66-53/326-266; delannahotel.com). What’s Included Breakfast for two; free Wi-Fi; complimentary in-room coffee and tea; in-room DVD player with movie selection; access to swimming pool; and free round-trip airport transfers for stays of three nights or more. Cost From Bt2,200 per room per night, through October 31. Savings Up to 50 percent. l

3 Days 2 Nights package at The Puka Boutique Resort (66-84/5170-253; pukaboutiqueresort.com) in Chiang Mai. What’s Included A two-night stay in a Deluxe room; round-trip airport/train station/bus terminal transfers; daily breakfast for two; welcome fruit basket; a set dinner for two; free Wi-Fi Internet; no charge for one child under 10 years old; and late checkout until 4 p.m. Cost Bt4,500, through October 31. Savings Up to 60 percent.

Garden room; buffet breakfast; daily fruit platter; a one-hour spa session for two; an airport transfer; free shuttle services to nearby beaches; and late check-out until 4 p.m. Cost Bt9,500, through November 30. Savings 50 percent. l Amazing Family Escapes package at Sheraton Grande Laguna, Phuket (6676/324-101; luxurycollection.com/phuket). What’s Included Round-trip airport transfers; daily buffet breakfast; complimentary dining for kids when accompanied by full paying adult; free extra bed for one child, free access to Kids Club for children between 4-12 years old; free kayaking, lagoon sailing and tennis; and late check-out until 2 p.m. Cost From Bt5,279 per room per night, two-night minimum, through October 31. Savings 46 percent.

hansarsamui.com). What’s Included A three-night stay in a Sea View or Sea View XL room; airport transfers; local fruit selection upon arrival; daily a la carte breakfast; a private dinner for two prepared by Chef Stephen Dion; a private massage class; brunch-in-bed with butler service; and early check-in/late check-out. Cost From Bt19,000 per room, through December 19. Savings 55 percent.

Ayurveda Spa package at Golden Tulip Mangosteen Resort and Spa (66-76/289399; goldentulipmangosteen.com) in Phuket. What’s Included A two-night stay in a Superior

Bed & Breakfast package at Radisson Plaza Resort Phuket Panwa Beach (6676/602-500: www.radisson.com/phuketth). What’s Included A two-night stay in a Deluxe room; daily breakfast for two at Aqua restaurant; complimentary use of fitness center; free Wi-Fi; and free shuttle service to Central Festival shopping centre and Phuket town. Cost From Bt3,600 per night, two-night minimum, through October 31. Savings 35 percent. l

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Infinity pool, Hansar Samui.

F ro m to p l e f t: co u rt e sy o f d e l a n n a b o u t i q u e h ot e l ; co u rt e sy o f s u pa n n i g a h o m e ; co u rt e sy o f h a n sa r sa m u i

De Lanna Boutique Hotel, left. A villa at Supanniga Home, right.

T+L’s GUIDE TO

wa s i n e e c h a n ta ko r n

Bangkok must-do's

This year, T+L readers voted Bangkok the World’s Best City. Here, Greg Jorgensen chooses 65 can’t-miss experiences.

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MANMADE MARVELS Get a concentrated dose of Bangkok’s 10-million-odd residents by heading to the Old City’s Amulet Market (Maharat Rd., near Wat Mahathat), where you’ll find the capital’s best people watching, and dive into the commotion of shops and street stalls selling amulets, talismans, charms and even the odd set of false teeth. If Bangkok’s pace is a bit too manic for 24/7 immersion, leave the city without leaving the city at Phra Pradaeng, a lush expanse of raised pathways, parks and mango swamps on the east side of the Chao Phraya River. Rent a bike, have a picnic or simply take a walk under the near-silent jungle canopy for a mindclearing escape from Bangkok’s noisy streets. Keep an eye out for Varanus salvator, the monitor lizard, which scurries away when you get too close. View the colorful interactive exhibits and multimedia displays at the modern Nitas Rattanakosin museum (100 Ratchdamnoen Klang Rd.; 66-2/621-0044; admission Bt100 for adults, Bt30 for children) for a cutting-edge glimpse into Thailand’s Rattanakosin era (1782–1932), a period during which Thailand’s modern identity was conceived, forged and realized. Join the faithful amid dense joss smoke and fragrant wafts of garlands and scented oils to make offerings at the Erawan Shrine (494 Rajdamri Rd.), one of Bangkok’s most popular attractions with locals and visitors alike. Even if you’re unable to catch a bit of its legendary luck, the traditional Thai dancers are pretty funky.

To see firsthand why Bangkok was once known as the Venice of the East, take a longtail boat from Saphan Taksin Pier and explore what’s left of the city’s winding khlongs, or canals. Their role as bath, kitchen, fishing hole and main thoroughfare for the riverside communities hasn’t changed in centuries. Make sure to buy some bread from a vendor to feed the dozens of 76-centimeter catfish that make the water roil during feeding time. If time is short, Muang Boran, or the Ancient City (296/1 Sukhumvit Rd., Bangpoo, Samut Prakan; 66-2/7091-6448; admission Bt350 for adults, Bt150 for children), gives you the best of Thailand in a day. Hop on a rental bike and cycle through the 130-hectare park’s 116 scaleddown replicas for a quick tour of the country’s most historic structures. Omnivores and vegetarians alike should not miss the annual Vegetarian Festival (October 8–17), a meat-free gastronomic extravaganza in the heart of Chinatown where crowds heave to and fro as they navigate the narrow lanes to seek out healthy snacks and sugary treats. In the evenings, the loud, boisterous dance and theater performances are an added draw. Seek out the kanom toop tib, a caramel/ peanut mix hammered into mash by two very large wooden hammers. One of the most magical events of the year, the Loy Krathong Festival (November 21) features millions of small candlelit rafts drifting lazily across Thailand’s waterways in honor of the

Become a part of 200plus years of monastic history by wandering the grounds of Wat Pho (2 Sanamchai Rd.; watpho.com; admission Bt50): pay homage to the revered 46-meter-long Reclining Buddha, consult one of Thailand’s sought-after fortune tellers, or wind down with a massage.

goddess of water. Thousands of airborne Lanna-style lanterns are also released, turning the night sky into a homegrown Milky Way above shimmering expanses of yellow waterborne candlelight.

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Wonder at the little-known Golden Buddha at Wat Traimit (661 Charoenkrung Rd.; 66-2/2259775), an eye-popping threemeter-tall effigy made of solid gold that sat ignored and covered in plaster for hundreds of years until a lucky accident exposed its true identity. For the perfect day trip, drive to Ayutthaya, now a unesco World Heritage Site. Before being abandoned in 1767, visiting dignitaries from throughout Asia remarked that the heart of the Siamese Kingdom was the most beautiful city in the world. Stunning examples of its grandeur remain in the dozens of crumbling temples. The island of Ko Kret (Pak Kret Pier), on Bangkok’s northern outskirts, is ideal for exploring; cycle around the island on a bike path and enjoy a fresh cooked Thai meal on the banks of the Chao Phraya River. Wander through the expansive, welltended grounds of Ayutthaya’s Bang Pa-In Palace (admission Bt100), a colorful European-style folly built as a getaway for Thai royalty. Amphawa Floating Market (open Fridays to Sundays) remains popular with Thais but has so far kept a low profile on the tour industry’s radar. The bustling riverside community offers everything from daytime markets selling food and handcrafts from low-slung boats to evening beer gardens complete with live music.

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shop & do There are certain markets you have to hit (see Chatuchak) and then there are the smaller ones you should visit. Deviate from the usual tourist circuit and try the Saphan Phut, or Memorial Bridge night market (underneath Saphan Phut Bridge; 7 p.m. to midnight) an unbelievable spread of fashion items, jewelry and general curios. Also check out the neighboring Pak Klong Talad flower market for the biggest and cheapest haul of fresh flowers you’ve ever seen.

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The mother of all Bangkok markets and one of the biggest in Southeast Asia, Chatuchak Weekend Market (Mo Chit Skytrain station or Chatuchak MRT station; 9 a.m.–6 p.m.), spans 14 hectares and has everything from used cowboy boots to great street food live animals to fine art. There are no socio-economic barriers here, just good shopping. If it isn’t here, you probably won’t find it in Thailand. Hip teenagers, fashionistas and bargain hunters in the know head to Wang Lang Market (Wang Lang, near Siriraj Pier; open daily) for bargains on retro clothes, jewelry, shoes, trinkets and knick-knacks of every ilk, plus a healthy helping of vintage gear. Bonus: the huge amount of food stalls and snack opportunities keep you busy while browsing. Lose yourself in the retro goodness of Ratchada Night Market (corner of Ratchada and Lad Prao rds.; Saturdays only, 5 p.m.–midnight), which abounds with traffic signs, old record players, antique liquor bottles and poodle skirts from the 1950’s. If you’re forever looking for that one great find, you might just find it here.

Jim Thompson House (6 Soi Kasemsan 2, Rama 1 Rd.; 662/216-7368; jimthompsonhouse.com; admission Bt100) deserves its place on almost every tourist map of the city. Well-trained tour guides show the house of the silk magnate who disappeared more than 40 years ago. Bring home a skill that will impress and satiate your hungry friends – learn to cook Thai cuisine from the best at Khao Cooking School (D&D Inn Hotel, Khao San Rd.; 66-89/111-0847; khaocookingschool. com), whose head instructor Kobkaew Najpinit consults internationally on Thai cuisine, and even gives demonstrations at the Culinary Institute of America.

Explore the bustling side roads and hidden corners of Bangkok that most never see with Grasshopper Adventures (66-

2/280-0832; grasshopperadventures. com). Knowledgeable guides will lead you on a bicycle journey through some of Bangkok’s most unique and out-of-the-way neighborhoods. Jaded by alleyway knockoffs and dodgy vendors eyeing your wallet? Head to Gaysorn Plaza (999 Ploenchit Rd.; 662/656-1149; gaysorn.com) for a refresher of what real shopping is like. Five floors of the genuine article, from Gucci and Prada threads to Swarovski and Omega watches. Break for tea at THANNative on the third floor, which offers unique varieties from far-flung locales. When you’re tired and hot from battling crowds and traffic, Paragon Cineplex (5th floor, Siam Paragon, 991/1 Rama 1 Rd.; 662/129-4635; paragoncineplex.com) offers cinephiles and regular folk alike the best way to recharge via the ultimate movie experience: think a full bar, plush recliners

and even comfy blankets. Loud action movies make sure you don't nod off. Those of an indie persuasion should head for the surprisingly bright and minimalist House RCA (RCA Plaza, 31/8 Royal City Ave.; 66-2/6415-1778; houserama.com), an old-style movie theater specializing in documentaries and art-house films. Bangkok’s wordsmiths and bookworms have tended to the Neilson Hays Library (195 Surawong Rd.; 66-2/233-1731; neilsonhays library.com) with a loving touch since it opened in 1922. Its fine architecture and book collection are a joy to look at and explore, but the art gallery, tea shop and shaded garden are the icing on the cake. Head away from downtown and into Bangkok’s historical Bangkok Noi district to discover the dying art of stonepolished bronzeware at Jiam Sang Sajja Bronze Factory (133 Soi 32 Charansanitwong Rd.; 66-81/615-7840; call ahead). Khun Metha will show you the manual ovens and heavy tools used in casting, and a display room for the hand-worked bowls. Peek inside former prime minster M. R. Kukrit’s Heritage Home (19 Soi Pra Pinit; 66-2/287-2937) off Sathorn Road, a collection of wooden houses, all built without a single nail, transported from central Thailand to serve as his home, studio and art gallery. Don’t miss Bangkok’s 12th International Festival of Dance and Music (September 11—October 24; Thailand Cultural Center; bangkokfestivals.com; tickets from Bt400), featuring dance and music performances from around the world, from Russian ballets to Cuban salsa to Swedish jazz.

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fo0d & drink

Venture down a sleepy soi and you’ll find Café Ice (44/2 Pipat Soi 2, Sathorn Soi 8; 66-2/636-7373) in a three-storey Chinese shop house. Sample Thai and international dishes like the giant Caesar salad, which is assembled at your table, all served in an artful interior. Excellent Italian eateries abound in this cosmopolitan city: try Big Mama Pizzeria (139 Soi 1, Asoke Rd.; 66-2/259-0232), a cozy joint with a wood-burning oven, a decent wine selection and huge portions. Don’t miss the succulent beef ravioli, each as big a child’s fist. Ignore the art on the walls—it’s caked with grease and dust—and focus on the food at Roti Mataba (136 Phra Athit Rd.; 66-2/2822119). The servings are small but intensely flavorful so be safe and order two of everything. Tuck into the dense masaman chicken curry, or savor the gaeng kiaw waan gai, a common but delicious coconut chicken curry. Forgo dainty eating and pull up a stool at the nameless stand on Sukhumvit Soi 3

(175 meters up from Sukhumvit Rd.; near Nana Skytrain station) for a tightly packed beef or chicken shwarma. An added plus: the corner is great for people watching among the city’s colorful Middle Eastern and African communities. Right where the west-bound Khlong San Saeb canal boat stops at the central Pratunam pier, you’ll find some of the best boat noodles in town (daytime only, closed Sundays). The busy stall rolls out the thin noodles in rich, darkly spiced broth almost nonstop to serve the steady stream of boat passengers and shoppers on their way to the local markets. Inspired and trained by Michelin-starred chefs, owners Bo and Dylan opened the handsomely decorated Bo.lan (42 Soi Pichai Ronnarong, Sukhumvit Soi 26; 662/260-2962; bolan.co.th) to showcase the absolute best that Thai food has to offer, such as the subtle but powerful stir-fried squid with palm heart, or the gaeng kii lek, curry with tender braised beef. Sukhumvit Soi 38 (next to Thonglor Skytrain station) is a street-food stalwart, a hamlet of stalls and open-air restaurants that shouldn’t be missed. Almost every kind of Thai food is served here and young and old alike often come from across the city for their favorite dish, such as the khao na pet, fried rice with duck, or the unbeatable khao niaw mamuang, mango with sticky rice and sweet coconut sauce.

For the best brunch in town, head to Crepes & Co. (18/1 Soi 12, Sukhumvit Rd.; 66-2/653-3990; crepes.co.th) and order the Full Brunch of fruit, yoghurt, pancakes, French toast and coffee.

Mingle with connoisseurs at

Opera Riserva Wine Bar (53

Sukhumvit Soi 39; 66-2/258-5606; operariserva.com), founded by wine lovers. Look out for their Italian cheese buffet, held on the first of every month.

Head to the newest addition to Bangkok’s high-end culinary scene, Nahm, at the Metropolitan Hotel (27 South Sathorn Rd.; 66-2/625-3333). Following in the steps of his Michelin-starred restaurant in London, David Thompson and staff work their magic to make sure that every dish is an edible work of art. Finely mixed cocktails are the thing at Face Bar (29 Sukhumvit Soi 38; 66-2/7136048; facebars.com), an elegant wooden compound designed to mimic a traditional Thai family abode. The decadent Thai/ Indian/Japanese food options will not disappoint, nor will the muted and slightly mysterious dining areas. Try their superb take on a frozen mojito. For an old-fashioned slice of Ireland, head to The Dubliner (440 Sukhumvit Rd.; 662/204-1841; dublinerbangkok.com), a longtime favorite with locals and tourists alike who enjoy the friendly crowds. Live Irish music and hearty pub fare, plus beer from around the world. Tucked away down a dark soi near the Chao Phraya River, past a leafy patio you’ll find the small but tasteful The Deck (Arun Residence; 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Yoong,

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The first rule of street food: go where the locals go and eat what they do. In front of Chinatown Cinema in Yaowarat, sidle up to the crowds waiting around the Kway Jup Auan Pochana food cart and tuck into the restaurant’s specialty, the mouthwatering kway jup (rolled noodles in pepper soup with pork).

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Maharat Rd.; 66-2/2219-1589; arun residence.com). Situated across from the fabulous Wat Arun, it’s a perfect place to enjoy a quiet drink with friends and watch the sun set.

to hear a (truly) wide variety of live music from every decade since the 60’s. Kitschy retro furniture and knickknacks are stuffed into every corner, and the diverse and loyal crowd is as friendly as they come.

watering hole which opens when everything else is closing. Usually standing-room only, it caters to everyone from college kids to CEO’s with its comeone-come-all vibe.

Balance cultural exploration with a nighttime social celebration at Q Bar (34 Sukhumvit Soi 11; 66-2/252-3274; qbarbangkok.com), where Bangkok’s hip and pretty come to play. Dance to worldclass DJ’s pounding out to a killer soundand-light system, and one of the largest collection of vodkas, tequilas and whiskeys in town.

Open only in the evening, upscale gastropub Hyde & Seek (65/1 Athenee Residence, Soi Ruamrudee, Wireless Rd.; 66-2/168-5152; hydeandseek.com) is both cozy and boisterous, and draws a buzzy crowd with its rotating menu of superlative cocktails by the mixologists at Flow. On the food side, don’t miss the signature chocolate-chili ribs.

Like a big-city oasis, the gorgeous Lake House (18 Soi Promitr, Sukhumvit Soi 39; 66-2/662-6349; lakehousebkk.com; closed for renovation until November) dates back 50 years to when this bustling area was a sparsely populated marsh with a few dirt roads. Enjoy tapas and a huge selection of wines amid a lush jungle garden.

Bring out your inner hipster with a visit to the bizarrely named Parking Toys (17/22 Soi Mai Laap, Ram Intra 14; 66-2/907-2228)

Night owls and social butterflies will love tiny Wongs (27/3 Soi Sribamphen, Rama 4 Rd.; 02-901-0235), a legendary

It isn’t easy to earn accolades for Thai food in Bangkok, but Baan Khanitha (36/1 Soi 23, Sukhumvit Rd.; 662/258-4181; baan-khanitha.com) has done just that—it was named the best Thai restaurant in the city for 10 years. Its patrons come back for the northern Thai speciality laab moo, tangy minced pork with basil.

Professional wine appreciator Kit Marshal keeps a tight eye on his collection of overmore than 100 labels at Beccofino (146 Soi 4, Sukhumvit Soi 55 (Thong Lo); 66-2/392-1881; beccofino.co.th), and loves converting amateur tipplers into dedicated wine buffs. The stylish restaurant also offers some outstanding Italian food, prepared with imported ingredients by the animated chef and owner, Angelo.

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stay & Play

Within walking distance of Bangkok’s biggest and busiest shopping malls, the elegant VIE Hotel (117/39-40 Phaya Thai Rd.; 66-2/309-3939; viehotelbangkok.com) is offering a two-for-one Sunday brunch special. A bonus is the closeby Skytrain, and the rooftop pool with a glass edge.

Check into the Shanghai Mansion (479-481 Yaowarat Rd.; 66-2/221-2121; shanghaimansion.com), a 120-year-old building decked out with rich silk wallpapers, hanging umbrellas in all the hues of the rainbow and rooms decorated with furniture in the style of long-vanished Chinese dynasties. S15 (217 Sukhumvit Soi 15; 66-2/651-2000; s15hotel.com) has all the amenities of a big hotel, but in a smaller package. Its modern, chocolate-toned lobby feels like home, and a rejuvenating oil massage at the spa will erase any physical memories of Bangkok’s uneven sidewalks. When you stay at the Dusit Thani (946 Rama IV Rd.; 66-2/200-9999; dusit.com), you will understand why it’s remained at the top of the pack since it was built in 1970. Although its original tallest-buildingin-Thailand crown has been passed on, its facilities, like the award-winning Devarana Spa, have remained a sublime escape. For the ultimate pampering excursion, head to the Four Seasons (155 Rajadamri Rd.; 66-2/126-8866; fourseasons.com/ bangkok), one of Bangkok’s most prominent high-end hotels and about as close to Bangkok’s beating heart as you can get. Don’t miss the 90-minute poolside massage by the hotel’s Spa by MSpa. Voted as one of the world’s best hotels by T+L readers, the spectacular Peninsula Bangkok (333 Charoennakorn Rd.; 66-

Smack in the middle of some of Bangkok’s most desired real estate sits the newly opened Siam Kempinski

(991/9 Rama 1 Rd.; 66-2/1629000; kempinski.com), a monument to fine living when you’re away from home. Opening deals such as a third night free make it hard to say no.

2/861-2888; peninsula.com) shoots straight up from the mighty Chao Phraya River like a giant luxury monolith. The gorgeous gardens, breezy riverside restaurant and comfortable sofas are perfect for an afternoon of sipping wine and observing the bustling pace of life on the water. If you’re coming to town for more than just a fun vacation, set yourself up in style at The Ascott Sathorn (187 South Sathorn Rd.; 66-2/676-6868). Be it a short-term studio apartment or a long-term serviced suite, you can find what you’re looking for, from limo pickups to laundry service to in-room kitchens.

plush rooms. Don’t forget a visit to the rooftop bar to get your bearings on your next Bangkok adventure. It’s easy to lose yourself among the expansive dining rooms and winding staircases at the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit (250 Sukhumvit Rd.; 66-2/6498888; sheratongrandesukhumvit.com), but a few hours at their cutting-edge Grande Spa or a relaxing night in your room will ease any worries. The lunch buffet presents an opportunity for gluttony the likes of which you’ve never seen.

The Centara Grand at Central World (999/99 Rama 1 Rd.; 66-2/100-1234; centarahotelsresorts.com) stands tall and proud above Bangkok’s busiest shopping and eating areas, and offers elegant rooms, superb restaurants and top-flight drinking establishments. We dare you to take in the view from rooftop bar Red Sky and not feel like Hollywood royalty. Sheathed in glass and giving off a unique blend of rock’n’roll attitude and boutique charm, Dream Bangkok (10 Sukhumvit Soi 15.; 662/254-8500; dreambkk.com) offers luxury in a compact package, within walking distance from Bangkok’s busiest shopping district and skytrain and subway. Opening next month, the Four Points by Sheraton (Sukhumvit Soi 15; 66-2/3093000; starwoodhotels.com) sits at the crossroads of Bangkok’s nightlife and shopping districts, and proudly offers its specially designed Four Points Four Comfort™ beds in each of its

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A true standout among Bangkok’s hotels, The Eugenia (267 Sukhumvit Soi 31; 662/259-9011-7; theeugenia.com) is elegant in a way that’s rarely seen these days. The 12 guest rooms are cozy and clean, while the public areas are stately, stylish and retro. Gentlemen of every ilk will appreciate Conrad Bangkok’s Barber Shop (87 Wireless Rd.; 66-2/690-9999), where the barbers use luxury grooming products from Taylor of Old Bond St. in London to keep you in line with high society. Immerse yourself in Bliss Massage & Spa (12/1 Sukhumvit Soi 33; 66-2/2258-5018), one of the best foot massages in the city on comfortable chairs. It’s likely your hour of kneading won’t be enough; go for the two-hour option and enjoy every second. ✚

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Eastern

paradise Thailand’s eastern coast is dotted with lushly forested, largely unspoiled islands boasting the sort of serenity and tranquility that can rarely be found elsewhere in Asia

Ko Chang

Ko Kood Ko Chang

Ko Chang is Thailand’s second-largest island and the primary destination for those visiting Ko Chang Marine National Park, which includes dozens of unspoiled islands. Located in Trat, about 300 kilometers east of Bangkok, Ko Chang is 70 percent covered by unspoiled rain forest. Now serviced by an airport just 15 minutes from the ferry terminal in Trat province, Ko Chang is more easily accessible than ever before. Drawn to Ko Chang’s pristine beaches and sparkling waters, travelers have started flocking to the island, and numerous luxury spas and resorts have sprung up to cater to them. Nonetheless, the island is still a dream destination for budget travelers and families, and is home to a wide range of wildlife, including native birds, snakes, deer, and a number of elephants. As for activities, Ko Chang and the nearby islands that make up the national park are great for snorkeling, diving, camping, and jungle hiking.

Ko Kood Far quieter and less developed than neighboring Ko Chang, Ko Kood is covered almost entirely with native forest or coconut and rubber plantations, and boasts a number of pristine beaches lapped by crystal-clear waters.

Ko Chang Being so unspoiled, simply relaxing and enjoying the leisurely local lifestyle are the mainstay activities on this island. Snorkeling and exploring the island’s beaches and forests, as well as boat trips to nearby islands, are also popular. As for accommodation, there are plenty luxury choices, although remote but accessible aptly describes the Thai island of Kood—it is set amid lush tropical rainforest, off the southeast coast of the Gulf of Thailand. International guests are personally met on arrival at Suvarnabhumi airport and transferred to their resort’s own airplane for the one-hour flight to the airfield. From the air, the beauty of untouched Thailand and Ko Kood, with its white sandy beaches, is immediately evident.

Ko Mak

This is a large island to the south of Ko Chang that is blessed with several picture-perfect bays and beaches, and glittering coral reefs in perfect condition. A natural, tropical island, Ko Mak, Thailand’s preserved “treasure,” is an ideal destination for visitors who enjoy a tranquil environment unspoiled by mass tourism.

For more information, visit www.tourismthailand.org

Scoop Dreams. Singapore has fallen in love for all things to do with ice cream <(page 46)

Little Black Menus. So where exactly do Bali’s chefs dine on their days off? <(page 64)

Body Balance. Traditional Chinese medicine: the latest spa craze <(page 52)

• Northern Thailand’s iconic dishes • Food bloggers worth a mouse click • Tea time with F1 greats in Singapore

(Insider) Photo credit by tktktk

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Oodles of Noodles. When in Saigon, five dishes you can’t miss (page 48)>

Where to goWhat to eatWhere to StayWhat to buy

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Fast food, italian-style e at

Imagine yourself sitting on the terrace of the 14th-century Palazzo Capponi delle Rovinate, watching the sleepy crawl of the Arno as you savor a plate of hand-cut french fries and a big, juicy gourmet burger cooked to a pitch-perfect medium rare. Welcome to Lungarno 23 (23 Lungarno Torrigiani; 39-055/234-5957; dinner for two €54), Florence’s newest must-hit café, where there’s nary a porcino or pappardella in sight. Dedicated to the fine art of preparing Tuscanstyle meat, the trattoria is run by the owners of Tenuta La Fratta, just outside Sinalunga—one of the last farms in Tuscany’s Val di Chiana to raise pure Chianina cattle. Order your choice of an organic burger, a roast-beef sandwich or tartare. Don’t forget a glass of one of the reds on offer from the likes of Biondi-Santi, Frescobaldi and Antinori. —m a r i a s h o l l e n b a r g e r

by the numbe rs

Let Them Eat Cake

The cupcake craze has gone global. Here’s what one will cost you, from japan to jordan. tokyo

$ $ $

(7.1 by 6.1 cms)

Tokyo Sweets Factory 5-28-1 Okusawa, Setagaya-ku; 81-3/5483-8811.

COOK'S TOUR A view of Derwent Estate, near Hobart, left. Fresh oysters and clams from Freycinet Marine Farm, right.

US$5.17 melbourne

$4.53

hotel

(6.3 by 3.8 cms) Little Cupcakes Shop 7 Degraves St.; 61-3/9077-0413. New York

$3.95 Babycakes 248 Broome St.; 1-212/677-5047.

Tasmania’s commitment to farm-to-table principles has earned it a spot on the world’s culinary map. On the eastern coast, at the just-opened Saffire (Coles Bay; 61-3/6221-1856; saffire-freycinet.com.au; doubles from A$1,710, all-inclusive), Aussie chef Hugh Whitehouse is pushing the envelope with food- immersion programs that take you directly to the source. Tag along with him to the nearby Freycinet Marine Farm to harvest Pacific oysters or pick local mushrooms. Also on offer: a private wine tasting at the Derwent Estate and a hands-on rock lobster cooking class right in your glass-walled suite overlooking the ocean. — a n t h o n y d e n n i s

Los Angeles

$3.25

(8.9 by 7.6 cms) Sprinkles 9635 S. Santa Monica Blvd.; 1-310/274-8765. Amman, Jordan

$2.50

(6.3 by 6.3 cms) Sugar Daddy’s Bakery Abdoun Kurdi Plaza; 962-6/593-3032.

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c lo c kw i s e f ro m to p l e f t: Co u rt esy o f Lu n ga r n o 23 ; h o rac i o sa l i n as ( 2 ) ; T o u r i s m Ta s m a n i a a n d P e t e r M o r s e ; T o u r i s m Ta s m a n i a & L a p F u n g L a m

(7.6 by 7.6 cms)

Paris Picks Adrian Moore, Four Seasons Hotel George V concierge by day and food blogger by night, keeps close tabs on what’s up-and-coming in the City of Light (adrianmoore.blogspot.com). Below, what’s on his radar ask a concierge

1. drink It The Florida Tarragon—a sublime mix of tarragoninfused vodka and house-made passion-fruit syrup—at Prescription Cocktail Club, preferred among Paris’s hip entrepreneurial set. 23 Rue Mazarine, Sixth Arr.; 33-1/46-3467-73; drinks for two €27.

f ro m to p : Co u rt esy o f P r es c r i pt i o n Ba r ; J e a n m a r i e D e l M o ra l ; C o u r t e s y o f M i s e r i c o r d i a ; C o u r t e s y o f J a c q u e m a r t- A n d r é m u s e u m

2. eat it Japanese chef Shinichi Sato’s veal tartare with Guillardeau oysters is a cult favorite at Passage 53, located under the city’s oldest covered walkway. 53 Passage des Panoramas, Second Arr.; 33-1/4233-04-35; dinner for two €130.

3. buy it A Misericordia jacket made with organic Peruvian cotton, available at the Matali Crasset– designed boutique Lieu Commun. 5 Rue des Filles du Calvaire, Third Arr.; 33-1/44-5408-30; €130.

4. see it Pérez Simón’s “Great Spanish Masters,” with works by El Greco and Dalí, at the Jacquemart-André Museum, a former private mansion. 158 Blvd. Haussmann, Eighth Arr.; 331/45-62-11-59; tickets from €11.

| newsflash shopping

e at

Full Moon Treats Apple Caramel Snowskin mooncakes, Goodwood Park Hotel

A Perfect Slumber Back from vacation and missing those ultra-luxurious hotel sheets? Now, you can enjoy them at home: Sleep Naked (sleepnaked.hk; shipping around the world; from US$11), whose linens have graced upscale properties such as London’s Claridges and The W Hotel in the Maldives, has launched an online store selling percale cotton fabrics of 300 and 400 thread counts spun from the finest yarns. The collection ranges from corded bedding sets to natural goose-down duvets; there’s even a bespoke service to boot.

Chinese Chess mooncakes, Hilton Kuala Lumpur

Mooncakes with bird nest and truffle, Kowloon Shangri-La Hong Kong

Hitting the Apex

Revving up for the Singapore Grand Prix 2010, the St. Regis Singapore (65/6506-6888; stregis.com/singapore) has geared packages to luxury-loving racing enthusiasts. Naturally, they don’t come cheap: starting from S$45,000, the Inner Circle: F1 Aficionado package buys you and a companion three nights of suite accommodation, airport transfers—in a Bentley, no less—and three-day passes to the highly sought-after Paddock Club Suites, which give views onto the pit lane. What’s more, you can enjoy an exclusive, one-hour tea session with legendary F1 stars Kimi Räikkönen or David Coulthard. Pockets not quite that deep? You can opt for the tea, minus the stay, for S$20,000. 42

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This mid-autumn, hotel patisseries across Asia are jazzing up traditional mooncakes with fresh new flavors and ingredients. In Singapore, the Goodwood Park Hotel (65/6737-7411; goodwoodparkhotel.com; from S$11 per piece) draws inspiration from tropical fruits, with snowskin mooncakes in flavors such as almond beancurd with longan, mango with pomelo, D24 durian paste and cempedak paste. In Malaysia, the Hilton Kuala Lumpur’s (60-3/22642515; kl-studio.com; from RM15 per piece) offers 36 bite-size chocolate mooncake treats, each shaped like a chess piece and embellished with a Chinese character; what’s more, it comes packed in an elegant wooden Chinese chess box. For the ultimate indulgence, the two Michelin– starred Shang Palace at the Kowloon Shangri-La Hong Kong (852/2733-8757; shangri-la.com; from HK$188 per box) incorporates gourmet ingredients like foie gras, black truffles and bird’s nest. It’s enough to send you over the moon. —l i a n g x i n y i

s t ay

c l o c k w i s e f r o m l e f t : c o u r t e s y o f s t. r e g i s s i n g a p o r e ( 2 ) ; c o u r t e s y o f s l e e p n a k e d ; c o u r t e s y o f g o o d w o o d p a r k h o t e l ; c o u r t e s y o f h i lt o n k u a l a l u m p u r ; c o u r t e s y o f k o w l o o n s h a n g r i - l a h o n g k o n g

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L.A.’s comfort craze

f ro m r i g h t: Co u rt esy o f T h e Wa f f l e ; Co u rt esy o f T h e S l aw D o gs R e s ta u r a n t; C o u r t e sy o f l e m o n a d e at m o c a ; C o u r t e sy o f F l a k e

Forget fancy monikers and complicated menus: Los Angeles restaurants are taking their names from the down-home foods they serve. Here, our picks. By david a.keeps Decked out like a 1970’s diner, The Waffle (6255 W. Sunset Blvd.; 1-323/4656901; breakfast for two US$25) serves breakfast past midnight. What to order? Red-velvet waffles with cream-cheese frosting and a soul-food version prepared with jalapeños and fried chicken.

food

The minimalist LEMONADE at MOCA (250 S. Grand

Ave.; 1-213/628-0200; drinks for two US$6) whips up such flavors as peachginger, blueberry-mint and watermelonrosemary, all for less than US$3 a glass. Slaw Dogs (720 N. Lake Ave., Suite 8, Pasadena; 1- 626/808-9777; lunch for two US$20) garnishes 11 types of brats and sausages with more than 70 toppings, including truffle oil and kimchi.

At Flake (513 Rose Ave., Venice; 1-310/396-2333; breakfast for two US$15), you’ll find 25 types of cereal, along with a sprinkles bar full of fruits, nuts and sweeteners like gummy bears.

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| newsflash

Alvin Leung

● You have the words “Demon Chef” tattooed on your arm in Chinese characters, and you’re known as the enfant terrible of Hong Kong’s dining scene. If you could compare yourself to a dish, what do you think you’d be, and why?

“Well, as much as I would like to say I’m like something simple yet universally popular like pasta, the honest truth is I’m probably more like bitter melon—an acquired taste that takes some time to get used to.” ● You have a background in environmental science and acoustic engineering, but no formal chef training. How has your background shaped your approach to food?

“I think an engineering background helps me a lot. It allows me to

approach food on an analytical basis. Personally, I think many engineers are more even creative than artists. They combine creativity with practical requirements. I mean, they invent and build bridges, machines and planes. Stuff that works! It’s systematic and innovative. And they have to be consistent too. Artists are more dreamers. An engineer makes things happen. I’m trying to do that.” ● Any tips on your favorite places to eat around Asia?

“I think there are many places, so it’s difficult to be specific. Obviously, I would start from the region’s street food. I would suggest people find food’s DNA and see how it evolves gradually to fine dining places.” ● If you had a last meal left on earth, what would you eat, and who would your dinner companions be?

“The answer is friends and family. Why would you dine with somebody you don’t know, especially a last meal? And those people and celebrities I want to meet I’ll probably see in hell

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anyway. I would probably go for hotpot because it’s comforting, especially for sharing.”

● You’re launching a new dining venture in London next year. Why did you decide to open a restaurant there, and do you have any more openings planned any time in the immediate future?

“I was born in London so supposedly I belong there. My roots are there. It’s also a good launching platform. If it is successful maybe I’ll try the U.S. and the rest of Asia.” ● What can diners expect from a night with you at Bangkok’s World Gourmet Festival this month?

“Two words: X-treme Chinese!”

c o u r t e s y o f a lv i n l e u n g ( 3 )

q&a

With his blue-tinted glasses, streaked hair and Chinese characters tattooed on his upper right arm (sleeveless T-shirts are his preferred attire), Alvin Leung Jr. looks more like a rock star in waiting than a Michelin-star chef. Yet the London-born, Toronto-bred Leung has wowed food critics the world over with his Hong Kong restaurant Bo Innovation, famed for its bold, deviantly playful takes on Chinese cuisine: think molecular xiao long bao, salted egg paired with English mustard, langoustine, yak’s milk, duck sauce and black truffle, and a confrontationally named creation called Dead Garden. The key ingredient? Caterpillar fungus. This month, he joins gourmets and master chefs 11th Annual World Gourmet Festival at the Four Seasons Hotel Bangkok from September 6–12. T+L catches up with him before the event.—lara day

| quick getaway Equatorial Chills From top: Apple crumble at the Ice Cream Gallery; at Udders, learn the theory behind making ice cream before you indulge.

Singapore

Sweet Treats. Ice-cream workshops are

the latest food trend to hit ever-hungry Singapore, with three parlors revealing the secrets to creating their original house-made flavors. LIANG XINYI gets the inside scoop

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■ TOM’S PALETTE   THE PLACE Hidden inside Shaw Leisure Gallery, this ice-cream parlor has garnered an ardent following in Singapore; check out the walls for glowing reviews on Post-it notes left by fans. Husband-and-wife duo Chronos and Eunice Chan churn out palate-pleasing flavors like Horlicks and Sarsi Vanilla as well as more experimental varieties—Collagen; Wasabi Lime—with a new addition every month. To date, the shop counts more than 80 flavors in its repertoire, though only 18 are sold at any one time. Despite not using stablizers, Tom’s Palette’s ice creams are surprisingly dense with a gelato-like texture and a smooth, velvety consistency. THE WORKSHOP Headed by Belmont Lay, the chief instructor, the workshop covers the basics of ice-cream making; expect tips on how to whip up your own batch using only eggs, cream, sugar and milk— and, of course, your own two hands. Conducted on Sunday afternoons on the premises, up to five aficionados are guided through the steps of cooking a custard base before whisking and churning it out the old-fashioned way. At the end of the two-hour session, participants take home a booklet containing information on French-style custard-base ice cream and a set of eight recipes, including Piña colada, green tea and coffee. THE FLAVORS Don’t miss Granny’s Favorite, a toothsome meld of chocolate malt and cookie dough; Salted Caramel Cheesecake, a intriguing balance of sweet and savory tastes; and the rich Chocolate Sorbet. #01–25 Shaw Leisure Gallery, 100 Beach Rd.; 65/6296-5230; tomspalette.com.sg; workshops S$50 per person; ice cream for two S$7.40. ■ UDDERS THE PLACE The brainchild of

teacher-turned–ice-cream wizard David Yim—who now goes by the designation of Chief Milkman—the Udders brand now counts four outlets

f ro m to p : co u rt esy o f T h e I c e C r e a m Ga l l e ry; l i a n g x i n y i

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Ice Cups From far left: Tom's Palette has 80 flavors in its repertoire; digging in at the parlor; size is everything when it comes to ice cream.

liang xinyi (3)

across the island. While the cheekily named parlor chain is known for its liquor-infused concoctions such as Rum Rum Raisin, and Bailey’s & Bourbon (two-and-a-half scoops are purportedly equal to a can of beer), teetotalers will have an equally good time here with flavors like Snickers Mars Honeycomb Vanilla and Strawberry Fields. THE WORKSHOP Under the tutelage of Yim, novice chefs learn about ice-cream making theory before trying their hand at creating their own flavors from scratch using common items such as rock salt, ice cubes and Ziploc bags. After 70 minutes, participants get to indulge in their own handmade masterpieces, as well as an eat-all-you-can ice cream buffet. THE FLAVORS The must-try list includes Orange Choc Bitters, dark Belgian chocolate spiked generously with Triple Sec; Tira-miss-u, a delightful twist of the original mascarpone cheesebrandy-and-cognac dessert; and Mao Shang Wang Durian whose intense flavor will entice connoisseurs. 155 Thomson Rd.; 65/6254-6629; udders.com. sg; workshops S$40 per person; ice cream for two S$7.80. ■ THE ICE CREAM GALLERY THE PLACE A cozy café lined with colorful ice cream and fruit images, the Ice Cream Gallery stocks an array of homemade flavors. You’ll find all the

usual suspects here—Belgian Chocolate; Cookies & Cream—but it’s the standout savory flavors that will make you want to come back for more, such as the creamy Avocado Gula Melaka and Teh Halia, the ginger tea–inspired flavor which comes with a slight spiciness. Unusually, the recipes are egg-free, while batches are kept small to ensure a consistent homemade taste and quality. THE WORKSHOP Owner and mother Ann Yik offers parent-and-child ice-cream workshops open to children above four years old. In the two-hour session, young hands actively assist mom and dad with light cooking as well as shaking and flipping the ice-cream mixtures in sandwich bags. There are three different methods of ice-cream making here—sorbet-style, custard-base and ice cream made inside a plastic bag that is shaken—and a set of 10 recipes spanning classics such as chocolate and strawberry. Workshops take place on an ad-hoc basis, so check the website for updates. THE FLAVORS Also check out D24 Durian, which bursts with the distinct flavor; Sea Salt Caramel & Roasted Almond, a salty-andsaccharine union; and Earl Grey Fig, a fragrant treat swirled with fresh fig bits. #01–20 Valley Point, 491 River Valley Rd.; 65/6235-0870; icecreamgallery.com; workshops S$35 per parent-child; ice cream for two S$6.60. ✚

MORE ICE CREAM Can’t get enough? Check out some other outstanding scoops: Island Creamery A popular café known for its wacky ice-cream offerings à la Tiger Beer, Milo Ping Pong and Teh Tarik. #01–03 Serene Center, 10 Jln. Serene; 65/6468-8859; ice cream for two S$6. Seventh Heaven This parlor appeals to mature palates with its alcohol-infused flavors such as Kahlua as well as Chocolate and Scotch Whisky. 10 Raeburn Park #01-24; 65/6227-7787; seventhheaven.com.sg; ice cream for two S$12. The Daily Scoop A hidden gem tucked away from the city center, this shop serves winning interpretations of homemade ice cream and waffles. #01–04 Clementi Arcade, 41 Sunset Way; 65/6463-3365; thedailyscoop. com.sg; ice cream for two S$6. Taste Matters This small place serves premium ice cream with artisanal ingredients such as French tuile. #02–19 Cluny Court, 501 Bukit Timah Rd.; 65/6297-9713; taste-matters.com.sg; ice cream for two S$13.

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| eat Hidden Flavors From left: Nhu Lan’s fresh bun thit nuong; enjoying a bowl of noodles.

Vietnam

Beyond Pho. Travelers to Vietnam in search of the ultimate

pho often miss out on the country’s many other noodle options. Here, five of the best, all available in Saigon. By ROBYN ECKHARDT

■ HU TIEU NAM VANG From China by way of Cambodia and tweaked to the Vietnamese palate, hu tieu nam vang (nam vang is Vietnamese for Phnom Penh) is a soupy surf-and-turf composed of prawns, thinly sliced beef, ground pork and a few bits of offal with rice vermicelli in a meaty, lightly sweet broth. Grab a table at Lien Hua (381 Vo Van Tan, District 3; 84-8/3832-6078; lunch for two VND120,000) and order yours kho (dry) to have the broth served on the side. Mix in the garnishes—bean sprouts, sliced lettuce, Chinese celery and cilantro leaves, and sliced browned shallots—and spoon in a bit of broth. Follow the lead of fellow diners and 48

personalize your bowl with a squeeze of lime, a spoonful of chopped chilies, and a few dips from the jar of chopped garlic in white vinegar on your table. Pork dumplings that are served unbidden aren’t worth trying (they’ve been sitting for a while), but do order a glass of fresh orange juice or strawberry shake from the “juice bar” at the back. ■ BUN RIEU OC Bun rieu oc, rice-noodle soup featuring the meat of golfball-size snails harvested from rice paddies, hails from Vietnam’s north. The friendly owner of hard-to-find (phone ahead)

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Bun Oc Thanh Hai (14/12 Ky Dong

St., District 3; 84-8/3843-5785; lunch for two VND95,000) moved to Saigon from a village near Hanoi almost thirty years ago. Ever since, she’s been doing a bang-up business peddling all dishes mollusc. Her bun rieu oc features a sweet-savory broth studded with tomatoes and chunks of snail meat; fluffy dumplings floating atop are made of crab roe. The heap of vegetables served alongside—sliced banana flower, morning-glory stem, basil, mint—is meant to be dunked in the hot broth. Giam bong, a slightly alcoholic vinegar made from rice wine lees (available on request), adds a pleasant kick. » Photographed by David Hagerman

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| eat Other northern-style must-eats here include oc nuoi thit—snail shells stuffed with chopped pork and snails, with lemongrass and plenty of black pepper—and nuoc sau, potato-like green bananas sautéed with snail meat and spicy perilla leaves. ■ BUN THIT NUONG If Saigon’s high temperatures have you seeking a break from broths, look no further than bun thit nuong, a dish that’s more salad than soup. At Nhu Lan (64–68 Ham Nghi St., District 1; 84-8/3829-2970; lunch for two VND90,000), an open-air corner shop opposite Bitexco Finance Tower (soon to be Saigon’s tallest structure), it takes the form of an oversize bowl holding a mound of cool bun (rice-flour vermicelli) hiding carrot and radish pickle, shredded Thai basil, perilla and lettuce, and scallion greens softened in oil; on top of all this sit slices of smoky grilled pork and chopped peanuts. Give the bowl of fish sauce and chilies served alongside a stir, pour it over the noodles, and sit back to enjoy the collision of flavors, textures and temperatures. Soft fresh spring rolls stuffed with pork, prawn and banh cuon—rice-flour pasta sheets

Ready to Serve From top: Tucking in at a Saigon wet market; an order makes its way to a table; bun rieu oc, featuring snail meat and plenty of fresh vegetables, at Bun Oc Thanh Hai.

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rolled around chopped pork and mushrooms—are also major draws at this long-established eatery. ■ BANH CANH CUA For a notable banh canh cua—a slightly viscous pork-and-crab soup packed with thick, round tapioca starch noodles that go by the same name—hit the street, literally. You’ll know Sang Banh (47 Ton That Dam St., District 1; no phone; VND20,000 per bowl), a wheeled cart fronted by rows of stainless-steel tables spilling across a sidewalk on a side street near the Saigon River, by the crab claws piled in its glass display case. This morning-only outfit has been dishing up its savory soup for over 30 years. Each serving features hunks of shelled crustacean and delightfully chewy homemade noodles in a crimson broth garnished with chopped scallion. Gild the lily with a few plump prawns (order banh canh cua tom) and add lime, chili and a drizzle of fish sauce at the table. ■ BUN CA DAC BIET In the past year, Saigon has welcomed a clutch of new restaurants serving specialties from the beachy central Vietnamese coastal city of Nha Trang. The best of the bunch is Nem Nuong Ganh (58/4 Pham Ngoc Thach St., District 3; 84-8/3829-5243; lunch or dinner for two VND120,000), a cheerful place in a quiet alley that rightfully prides itself on its bun ca dac biet (“special” fish noodles), a piscine tour de force of concentrated seafood broth packed with hunks of fantastically fresh tuna, fish-paste slices, tomato and pineapple. Lighten your soup from the mess of beansprouts, shredded lettuce and banana flowers served alongside. Jellyfish fans will want to snag a bowl of bun sua, an intriguing blend of shrimp, chewy jellyfish, young starfruit and rice noodles in a lighter broth served with fresh mint and basil. ✚

spa

by Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ by Small Luxury Hotels of the World™

rom body scrubs with blends of raw almond to one-on-one yoga classes on a private beach, and facial treatments created individually from natural products, Spa by Small Luxury Hotels of the World is a mouthwatering collection of soothing oases where you can truly indulge in some hedonistic bliss and therapeutic pampering.

With over 500 of some of the world’s finest small independent hotels in over 70 countries, the choices are infinite with Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Here is just a small selection, but visit www.slh.com/spa to find your perfect spa hotel and see all the latest special offers.

Pennyhill Park Hotel & The Spa, Surrey, England Experience the rejeuvenating effect of water at The Spa at Pennyhill Park Hotel, where you can wallow in hydrotherapy pools, soak in hot tubs, steam in a sauna or be invigorated under an experience shower.

Huvafen Fushi, Maldives Surround yourself with the glories of the ocean in the Maldivian hideaway of Huvafen Fushi and head for the underwater treatment room and the signature Unite-me Crystal Ritual where exotic ingredients from sea and land anoint and enwrap your body.

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain, Arizona, USA Soothe, smoothe and indulge your body from the most comprehensive spa menu at the Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain. Here in the heart of Arizona’s red desert lie back and luxuriate in an aloe skin quencher body wrap and a Sanctuary stone massage.

Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ Over 500 hotels in more than 70 Countries To book your perfect spa break visit www.slh.com/spa or call toll-free 001 800 656862 in Thailand or +65 6232 5060 anywhere in Asia

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| spas

Good Health Clockwise from left: A soothing therapy at The Spa in Hong Kong; inside Tian Spa at Park Hyatt Beijing; a handful of jade at The Spa at Four Seasons.

Healing Arts. From jade spa

facials to bamboo massage treatments, traditional Chinese medicine has never felt so good. By Chami Jotisalikorn

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c l o c k w i s e f r o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f p a r k H yat t b e i j i n g ; c o u r t e s y o f f o u r s e a s o n s h o n g k o n g ( 2 )

China, top spas are rethinking traditional Chinese medicine, or as it’s often referred to TCM, bringing its philosophies out of fusty herbalist shops and into contemporary wellness programs. Grounded in the belief that good health can be achieved through balancing the body’s yin and yang, TCM maintains that if the body’s qi, or vital energy, is blocked, the imbalance is the cause of illness and pains. This basic principle informs a host of therapies that draw from both ancient and modern: think acupuncture, gua sha (an ancient treatment involving scraping the skin) and nutritional counseling, all delivered in the pampering cocoon of a luxury spa. Below, our pick of top therapies. The Spa | Four Seasons Hong Kong The Spa’s Oriental Collection therapies all draw directly from healing TCM techniques. Relieve tense muscles with the Jade Stone Therapy, using a combination of hot and cold jade stones to massage the body into relaxation based on ancient Chinese gua sha practice. Or treat yourself to the Oriental Infusion treatment, which starts with a simple personal diagnosis to assess your body’s composition of yin and yang, a traditional herbal body scrub and steam to aid detoxification, then a vigorous head, back and foot acupressure massage to invigorate your entire system. For an extra-effective detox, finish up with a Chinese herbal bath. No time for the whole works? Drop in for a quick 45-minute back, head or foot ritual, perfect for relieving stress between meetings. 8 Finance St., Central, Hong Kong; 852/3196-8888; fourseasons.com/hongkong; treatments from HK$400. Tian Spa | Park Hyatt Beijing The view of Beijing is celestial from the Tian Spa’s 59th and 60th floors. Choose from the Tian Collection’s full-day TCM spa programs—all start with a personal consultation and customized treatments in your own private spa suite—or, for an authentic, results-oriented program focused exclusively cross

f o r m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f t h e l a n g h a m ya n g t z e b o u t i q u e , s h a n g h a i ; c o u r t e s y o f m a n d a r i n o r i e n ta l h o n g k o n g ( 2 )

on TCM, try the Nature Collection for a series of powerful restorative treatments designed to boost the body’s overall defense systems, featuring tui na manipulation massage which pushes and pulls the muscles to stimulate energy flow, ba guan cupping applied to pressure points to relieve chronic joint and muscle pain, and chi nei tsang abdominal massage to improve the digestive system. The Jade Stone Harmony Facial uses cool jade stones to massage the face to tone and relax your complexion, while a 25-meter indoor lap pool and exercise equipment are available if you’re feeling energetic. 2 Jianguomenwai St., Beijing; 86-10/8567-1234; hyatt.com; treatments from RMB700. Chuan Spa | The Langham Yangtze Boutique, Shanghai Ancient healing treatments here start with a TCM doctor consultation to prescribe the right therapy to keep your body in balance. You might find yourself treated to the comforting warmth of “moxibustion,” in which heated moxa herbs are used on the body’s acupressure points to stimulate energy and blood flow; ho guan cupping, where a heated cup is applied to pressure points to invigorate circulation and help heal pain; or acupuncture, whereby medical needles are painlessly applied on the body’s energy meridians to restore vitality, relieve pain and encourage the body’s natural healing response. All TCM treatments require 24 hour advance booking. Herbal steam rooms, saunas and spa suites appointed in warm wood and cool stone in a sleek Chinese design provide a soothing balance of ancient tradition with urban style. 740 Hankou Rd., Shanghai; 86-21/6080-0722; chuanspa.com; treatments from RMB1,050. Mandarin Spa | Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong The Mandarin Oriental Spa consulted specialists to come up with their program of Chinese treatments, all designed to relax and rejuvenate stressed-out urban sophisticates. A TCM doctor is on hand to prescribe personalized treatments, including acupuncture, cupping, moxibustion and bone setting—an ancient bone-manipulation technique that predates chiropractic therapy. The two-hour Imperial Jade Ritual stimulates aching bodies with a series of TCM therapies, beginning with a herbal compress and foot reflexology, followed by a Chinese acupressure massage, a sesame-and-rice body scrub, a green-tea-and-algae wrap to detoxify the skin, and a ginseng facial followed by jade-stone rollers to tone the face. Brand new is the exotic Bamboo Ritual, which uses bamboo rods to knead and essential oils to soothe, along with deep-tissue, Swedish and lymphatic-draining massage techniques. There’s even TCM nutritional counseling available to optimize your eating habits. 5 Connaught Rd., Central, Hong Kong; 852/2825-4888; mandarinoriental.com/hongkong; treatments from HK$850. ✚

Chinese Spice From Top: Inside Chuan Spa at the Langham Yangtze Boutique; jade stone rollers at the Mandarin Spa in Hong Kong; enjoying a Vichy shower at the spa.

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guru | insider

They Came. They Ate. They Blogged. Food bloggers are the

cowboys of the culinary writing world, armed with insatiable appetites and the ability to broadcast their views with the click of a mouse. Meet the fastest online hands in the east. By AMY MA

manila >> Joel (marketmanila.com) When Joel (last name confidential) retired from his job as a full-time consultant six years ago, he decided to take on a blogger alter ego and created “Market Man.” Today, his blog boasts more than 20,000 page views a day from 9,000 regular readers. In addition to sponsoring charitable causes, Joel also insists his blog be entirely noncommercial.

t o p l e f t : c o u r t e s y o f l u ss o ; c o u r t e s y o f j o e l ( 4 )

● Certified Authentic “A lot of places call themselves ‘Filipino’, but

Food Mad Manila Clockwise from top left: Fine dining at Lusso; camera-shy Joel; his blog on Manila; Asiago fries at Lusso; the restaurant’s champagne bar.

aren’t. At the Milk Way Café (900 Arnaiz Avenue, Makati; 63-2/8434124), the food is executed properly and the décor doesn’t have that folksy native feel to it. It is also located at the heart of the business district.” ● Bargain Hunting “‘Kanin’ means ‘white rice’, and the Kanin Club

(Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna; 63-49/544-0332), is located at the equivalent of a strip mall. But at less than US$6 a head, you can have big portions, waiters, table service and air-conditioning. I always grab a meal there on my way to Tagaytay.” ● Champagne and Caviar “I’m usually asleep by 10 p.m., but if I were to take someone out, it’d be to Lusso (G/F Greenbelt 5, Legaspi St., Legaspi Village, Makati; 63-2/756-5893), where they serve champagne paired with caviar, lobster rolls and foie gras finger sandwiches.”

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guru | insider << seoul Joe McPherson

(zenkimchi.com)

In 2004, Joe McPherson started ZenK imchi with a humble mission: to show his family in the U.S. what he was eating in Korea. No surprise then, he comes from a long line of foodies. His brother is a chef; his dad a caterer. Sudden fame hit in 2007 when the New York Times featured his blog, catapulting his daily hits to more than 2,000. These days, McPherson spends up to six hours a day on the site. With Seoul From above: At the flavorful Baru; the blog; kimchi critic Joe McPherson.

● Best Pub for a Tipple “At Chin Chin (343-9 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul;

82-2/334-1476; chinchin.kr), it’s all about the makkoli, or rice beer. Fizzy, cloudy, almost milk-like, imagine a mix between a malt beverage, wine cooler and cereal. Sourced from artisanal producers around the area, the ones here come in flavors like hot espresso makkoli and champagne makkoli.” ● Religious Experience “Baru (Templestay Information Center, 5/F, 71 Gyeonji-

dong, Seoul; 82-2/2031-2081) serves up Buddhist temple cuisine. When everything is vegan and there are rules that even forbid ingredients like garlic and onions, you’ve got to be extremely clever to make food taste good. And they are here. Sweet-and-sour mushrooms, pumpkin mousse sushi, light and brittle chips of fruits and vegetables—everything is colorful and full of flavor.” ● Most Molecular “Jung Sik Dang (3/F Acros, B/D, 649-7 Sinsa-dong,

Gangnum-gu, Seoul; 82-2/517-4654; jungsikdang.com) is molecular Spanish cuisine, Korean-style. Chef Im Jung Sik’s signature is the ‘7 Taste Pork’— pork belly marinated and cooked sous vide for hours, laid on top of parsnip puree with shaved pickled peppers. It works like a machine on your taste buds.”

f ro m to p : co u rt esy o f J o e M c P h e r s o n ( 3 ) ; co u rt esy o f au n ko h ( 3 )

singapore >> aun koh (chubbyhubby.net) Named after his favorite brand of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream Aun Koh’s blog, Chubby Hubby, is about all things relating to “whining, dining and marriage.” Recipes, restaurant reviews, chef interviews and gorgeous photographs. His wife, “S,” is a recurring character in many of the entries as the Singapore-based duo travel the globe, scoring some of the hardest to land tables in the world. ● First Timers “An authentic Peranakan meal is a requisite for first-time

visitors. My two favorite places are True Blue Cuisine (47/49 Armenian St., Singapore; truebluecuisine.com; 65/6226-2506), tucked into a gorgeous shophouse filled with Peranakan antiques, and Candlenut Kitchen (25 Neil Rd., Singapore; 65/6226-2506), a new restaurant helmed by Malcolm Lee.” ● White Table-Clothed Dining “Iggy’s (The Regent Singapore, Level 3,

1 Cuscaden Rd., Singapore; iggys.com.sg; 65/6732-2234) is a modern Singaporean stunner ranked as Asia’s second best by the Miele Guide. The best seats are definitely at the counter or the kitchen table.” ● Seen and be Seen “I love Ming Kee Live Seafood (556 Macpherson Rd.,

Singapore; 65/6747-4075). It’s a hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant. Except that it’s patronized by many of Singapore’s most esteemed foodies, restaurateurs and chefs. Order the suckling pig (in advance), the mussels and the scallops steamed with garlic. The Sri Lankan crabs fried with bee hoon [rice vermicelli] is a crowd-pleaser.”

The Natural Clockwise from above: Sri Lankan crab with noodles at Ming Kee Live Seafood; the Chubby Hubby blog site; Aun Koh.

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insider

| guru

kyoto >> michael baxter

(kyotofoodie.com)

Having lived in Kyoto for more than a decade, Michael Baxter now walks and talks like a local. Under the name “Peko Peko” (which is what a grumbling stomach sounds like to Japanese ears), Baxter is a natural researcher and has had cameos in Bon Appetit magazine and the Time Out Kyoto guidebook. From his favorite Kyoto-styled sushi restaurant that uses chopsticks for kindling to a detailed comparison of different tofu brands, Baxter proves that Kyoto is a formidable match to the spotlight-stealing Tokyo. ● Noodle Master “Takaraya Ramen (122-5 Ishiya-cho, Nakagyo, Kyoto;

81-45/222-2778) in the scenic Pontocho neighborhood is the place for nouveau Kyoto-style ramen. The sumashi ramen is a one of a kind creation that starts with Kyoto’s light, clear soup, but is then garnished with unconventional ingredients such as mozzarella cheese, thick chunks of smoked bacon and thin strips of deep-fried burdock root. The chef spent a month developing the broth, basing it on French consommé and still wants to cry when he thinks back on his discovery.”

Sounds of Japan Clockwise from top left: Sumashi ramen with mozarella; outside Takaraya Ramen; news about food in Kyoto; Michael Baxter uncovers Kyoto.

● Sushi Lovers “Sushi has conquered the world, but nobody knows

about Kyoto-style sushi yet. Tokyo nigiri sushi is fast food and spoils after a few hours, but the Kyoto-style, salted, vinegared, sweetened, then wrapped in leaves, tastes even better the next day. The year-round top seller at Izuji (292-1 Gion-cho Kitagawa, Higashiyama, Kyoto; 81-75/5610019) is mackerel sabazushi. And they also serve up hot ‘fish fin’ and ‘fish bone’ sake.”

Hachibei (577-17 Nakanocho, Shinkyogyoku Shijo-agaru, Nakagyo, Kyoto; 81-75/212-2261), dinner starts off with the tongue and ends with the tail. It’s Osaka-styled beef organ meat, horumon, meets Kyoto kaiseki elegance. Owner and chef Okamoto-san is a self-professed “inner meat maniac,” and the dozen or so courses feature cuts like artery, Achilles’ tendon, calf pancreas and various stomach and intestine cuts that are simmered, vinegared, grilled, stewed or left raw.”

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co u rt esy o f m i c h a e l ba xt e r ( 4 )

● Over the Top “At this relatively new and undiscovered restaurant,

guru | insider hong kong >> josh tse (chaxiubao.typepad.com) Despite his many TV appearances—most notably as A nthony Bourdain’s sidekick in Hong Kong—Josh Tse assures that most of his co-workers are unaware of his double-life as the city’s most famous food blogger. When online, his notorious alter ego, Cha Xiu Bao (the name of a popular pork bun) blogs about all things food-related with a side serving of wit, sarcasm and the occasional tipping of the hat to a pretty lady. ● Never Gets Old “Sometimes I just really want to stuff my shoes into the

mouths of kiddo fusion chefs. Why change something that isn’t broken? The super succulent Chinese sausages at Se Wong Yee (24 Percival St., Causeway Bay, Hong Kong; 852/2831-0163) are a classic, better than any you can find in Hong Kong. And it won’t cost you an arm and a leg. It’s hands down the best “quick-charge” food money can buy when I feel weary.”

Chinese Wit From above: The set menu, with sausages, at Se Wong Yee; Josh Tse goes local; his site.

● Save Room for Sweets “Durian tofu puddings, yeah. Durian sorbet, yeah, yeah. Durian ice cream, yeah, yeah yeah. It’s all durian at Auntie Sweet (Shop A4, 96 Electric Rd., Tin Hau, Hong Kong; 852/2508-6962). I recommend visiting this place before going to see your in-laws.” ● Comfort Food “Just when you think roast goose can’t get any better, roast

goose congee enters the scene. If there was ever a food that blows your mind and eases your soul at the same time, it’s this one at Fu Kee Congee Store (104 Fat Yuen St., Mongkok, Hong Kong; 852/2385-1230).”

f r o m t o p : c o u r t e s y o f j o s h Ts e ( 3 ) ; c o u r t e s y o f w e i - z h i c h i n a n d l e x l i m ( 3 )

Malaysian Spice Clockwise from right: The intimate Villa Danieli; bloggers WeiZhi Chin and Lex Lim; the blog site itself.

<< kuala lumpur Wei-zhi Chin and Lex Lim (kampungboycitygal.com)

Early 20-somethings Wei-zhi Chin and Lex Lim are a match made in food heaven. The tag team met in university more than six years ago and built their food-blog baby from scratch. Nowadays, they welcome more than 3,000 hits a day. Lex, a.k.a. “kampung boy” (meaning “village boy”), is in charge of photographs while Wei-zhi, a.k.a. “city girl,” writes. ✚ ● Morning Fix “Imbi Market, a stone’s throw from Bukit Bintang, is a gourmet’s

paradise. It is my Friday morning ritual to gather here for a cup of frothy Hainanese coffee at Ah Weng Kor Hanainese Coffee (inside the market). The coffee is heavily aromatic, and thick enough to keep me awake for a few hours. For breakfast toast, go for the flat bread or round bun. You can have the kaya [a coconut milk and pandan-flavored jam] and butter served separately.” ● Late Night Eats “Once a red-light district, Jalan Alor is now known as Wai

Sek Kai, or “glutton street,” with hawker stalls galore. Wong Ah Wah (No. 1 Jln. Alor, Kuala Lumpur; 60-3/2144-2463) has the best grilled chicken wings in town. The flesh is charred and juicy, with the subtle taste of Chinese wine.” ● Most Romantic “Next to the pool of the Hotel Imperial is a hidden little Italian cottage, Villa Danieli (Hotel Imperial, 129 Jln. Sultan Ismail, Kuala Lumpur; 60-3/2717-9900). The patio seating overlooks a magnificent view of the Kuala Lumpur Tower, and the menu features old-world family recipes and a wide selection of wood oven baked pizzas.” t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a

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insider

| classics

Northern Stars. There’s much more to Chiang Mai cuisine than

a simple bowl of khao soi. Here’s an indispensible guide to a few of northern Thailand’s other iconic dishes. By ROBYN ECKHARDT A bowl of nam prik ong. Below: Behind the counter at Sorn Chai.

thailand

■ GAENG OM The northern Thai love of strong flavors is embodied in gaeng om, a hearty meat stew seasoned with tua nao (discs of sun-dried, crushed fermented soy beans), chilies, a local variety of prickly ash, and warm spices like coriander and fennel seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. The wonderfully comforting beef version, gaeng om nuea, served at Krua Phetch Doi Ngam (267 Mahidon Rd.; 66-53/204-517; dinner for two Bt350), a friendly place decked out in Thai “country chic”—simple wooden tables; colorful paper lanterns; English and Thai country music blaring on the stereo— also derives flavor from chunks of galangal, whole lime leaves and bits of offal. It’s hard to hit an off-note with anything from Krua Phetch Doi Ngam’s sometimes cryptically worded menu; other don’t-miss regional dishes include jaw pakkat (a sour soup with mustard leaves) and ep muu, pork rubbed with pounded spice paste, wrapped in a banana leaf and then grilled. ■ NAM PRIK ONG No northern Thai meal is complete without one or more nam prik (literally “chili water”), spicy dips to eat with sticky rice and raw or blanched vegetables. Nam prik ong, a rich Bolognese-reminiscent ragù of minced pork simmered with tomatoes, shallots and chilies, is perhaps the region’s most revered. The brick-red, almost soupy version served at Aroon Rai Curry House (45 Kotchasarn Rd.; 66-53/276-947; lunch for two Bt145), an open-air joint across from the city’s ancient wall that reverberates with traffic noise, has lots of fresh coriander, traces of cinnamon and shrimp paste, and a slow-to-build but lingering burn. Ignore the restaurant’s menu, which lists mostly so-so versions of the usual suspects—green chicken curry; pad Thai—and cobble together a meal from the prepared northern specialties on display near the cash register. ■ DTAM KANUN If eaten young, jackfruit tastes much like artichoke heart—spring-like, grassy and decidedly vegetal. Northern Thais add it to soupy gaeng (curries), and shred and then pound it into an intriguing salad called dtam kanun (pounded jackfruit). Noodle »

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Photographed by David Hagerman

insider

| classics

Flavors of the North From left: Diners tuck into pork curry at Vieng Jai Yong; dtam kanun, jackfruit salad, at Samoejia; outside the entrance to always popular Krua Phetch Doi Ngam.

house Samoejia (Charoenrat Rd., between Nakorn and Rama 9 bridges; 66-53/242-928; lunch for two Bt130) is best known for serving a certain ex-Thai Prime Minister’s favorite khao soi. But to the right of its entrance is a row of stalls serving non-noodle northern specialties. The dtam kanun here—easily one of the best versions in town—incorporates lime leaf, lemongrass, sweetly caramelized grilled cherry tomatoes, succulent squares of crackly skinned roast pork and crisp-fried dried chilies. Place your order at the second stall from the door then sit down. The gaeng hoke, a dry curry made with tangy fermented pork and bean-thread noodles, is a worthy accompaniment. ■ LAAB KHUA Instead of “chok dii” (good luck), northern Thais often say “chok laab,” an indication of the high esteem in which locals hold this dish of minced meat that is more commonly associated with the northeastern Isan region. Northern Thai–style laab khua (khua means to cook with a little oil over low to medium heat) replaces the Isan version’s ground toasted rice, fresh chilies and lime juice with dried 62

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chilies and spices, and a riot of chopped fresh herbs including cilantro, basil and peppery-astringent pak pai leaf, also known as Vietnamese mint. Sorn Chai (23 Kotchasarn Rd.; no phone; lunch for two Bt135), a tiny four-table shop opposite Tha Pae Gate, delivers a complex, tingly laab khua that’s perfect eaten with a nob of sticky rice and a few leaves of fresh mint. In business for over 30 years, this family-run place also serves a mean dtam mamuang (green-mango salad), but beware: order it ped (spicy) and your tongue will be begging for mercy. ■ GAENG HANG LAY Gaeng hang lay, an opulent spice-laden pork curry inherited from the Burmese when they ruled the region from the 16th to the 18th centuries, has as many variations as northern Thailand has great cooks. At Vieng Jai Yong (65 Moo 4, Thambon Buak Khang, Samkampaeng; 66-86/671-8710; lunch or dinner for two Bt250), a charming restaurant occupying a traditional-style wooden structure 20 minutes from downtown, the gaeng hang lay is smoky-sweet from palm sugar, fragrant with star anise and cinnamon, buzzy from prickly ash and shreds of fresh ginger, and features chunks of meat that give way with the edge of a spoon. Other specialties of the house are nam prik num (roasted green-chili dip), eaten with deep-fried pork skin (kep muu) and gaeng khae pla, a vegetable-heavy fish curry made with whatever’s in season. This bucolic spot is especially popular on weekends, so be sure to reserve. ✚

insider

| the expert

Tastes of Bali Clockwise from below: Mozaic’s Chris Salans; roasted pork at Ibu Oka; Will Meyrick at work in the Sarong kitchen; outside the welcoming Naughty Nuri’s Warung; a bowl of Chinese hot-and-sour soup at Feyloon.

indonesia

Bali’s Chef Secrets. They work in sumptuous surrounds, dream

up gourmet menus and plate perfectly executed dishes. But where do these chefs go for their favorite local eats? By SAMANTHA BROWN WILL MEYRICK | Sarong Will Meyrick, the Australian talent behind Seminyak’s salubrious Southeast Asian eatery Sarong (sarongbali.com), is famous for his menus inspired by the region’s street food. It’s no surprise, then, that he favors local Javanese joint Kolega (Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak; 62-852/3794-9778; lunch for two Rp50,000). “It’s an East-meets-West type of place, where the patrons range from office workers to local expats getting their rendang fixes,” he says. His dish of choice? The perkedel, or Indonesian croquettes, made of potato and beef or fish dipped in egg white, then deep-fried to achieve a crispy skin; he even serves up his own take, using Wagyu beef, at Sarong. BRANDON HUISMAN | The Balé & The Amala Brandon Huisman, the Cordon Bleu–trained executive chef of The Balé (thebale.com) in Nusa Dua and The Amala (theamala.com) in Seminyak, winds down at Warung Puri Boga 64

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(Permata Nusa Dua Block G7, Siligita; 62-361/771-729; dinner for two with drinks Rp100,000), a converted house in the neighborhood where he lives. “It’s very peaceful and charming,” he says of the husband-and-wife-run operation. Try the pork satay, which Huisman labels the best on the island. “The owner adds terasi or shrimp paste to the marinade,” he says. “On its own it’s not palatable, but as a flavor enhancer for local dishes it’s fantastic.” When an Italian craving strikes, Huisman drops by Nusa Dua Pizza (Bypass Nusa Dua 57x1; 62-361/806-6616; dinner for two with drinks Rp200,000), where he’ll order the bacon and blue cheese pizza. “I usually request some sliced fresh chili on top to add a bit of a kick,” he says. ENRICO WAHL | The Oberoi Warung Batavia (Jln. Raya Kerobokan, Seminyak; 62-361/731641; lunch or dinner with drinks for two around Rp150,000) boasts » Photographed by Johannes P. Cristo

insider

| the expert

Top Island Picks From above: Pork ribs at Naughty Nuri’s Warung; Brandon Huisman; goat cheese salad at Naughty Nuri’s Warung; The Oberoi’s Enrico Wahl; chicken curry at Kolega in Seminyak.

great food and a home-style atmosphere that together often entice Enrico Wahl, executive chef at The Oberoi (oberoihotels. com). Go for the mie kuah, or noodle soup with dumplings, he urges. “It’s just really well prepared and there are no surprises,” he says. Their version of the Indonesian standard gado gado is made fresh to order and another must-have dish. German-born Wahl also recommends Chinese restaurant Feyloon (Jln. Raya Kuta No. 98; 62-361/766-308; dinner for two with drinks Rp600,000). “Chinese food is so complex I would not step into cooking it myself—many try to copy it and cannot,” says Wahl, who prefers instead to tuck into Feyloon’s hot-and-sour soup and classic takes on jellyfish and sea cucumber. AMANDA GALE | COMO At Naughty Nuri’s Warung (Jln. Raya Sanggingnan, Ubud; 62361/977-547; naughty-nuris.com; cocktails and dinner for two Rp450,000), New Yorker Brian Aldinger creates a welcoming, buzzy atmosphere while his wife, Nuri Suryatmi, oversees a kitchen famed for its delectable, melt-off-the-bone pork ribs. It’s a combination that Amanda Gale, executive chef of the COMO Group based at COMO Shambala Estate (como.bz), highly recommends savoring in combination with their margaritas—“Two being the limit!” she warns. “Make sure you ask for extra barbecue sambal sauce and if you want to be really naughty, order the fried potato chips with kecap manis and chili sauce.” Puteri Minang (Jln. Raya Ubud, Ubud; 62361/975-577; dinner for two with drinks Rp100,000), a bustling nasi padang joint, serves a range of cuisine from Sumatra, and is another of Gale’s favorites. Her suggested dishes include the chicken rendang, jackfruit and choko curry, boiled cassava leaf, green chili sambal and corn cakes. CHRIS SALANS | Mozaic Babi guling is probably Bali’s most fabulous gastronomic creation and visitors wanting to sample it should put themselves in the safe hands of Ibu Oka, reckons Chris Salans from award-scooping Mozaic (mozaic-bali.com). The eponymous Ubud warung (Jln. Suweta/Tegal Sari No. 2, Ubud; 62-361/976-345; lunch for two Rp100,000) might be crowded, with dogs loitering as people jostle for a spot at low-slung tables and wait a long time to be served, “but when it finally comes, it all becomes worth it,” Salans says. A standard plate includes generous slices of the roasted, spiced pork, crackling, blood sausage, coconut vegetables and rice. Another of Salan’s favored regular haunts is Japanese restaurant Ryoshi (Jln. Danau Tamblingan, Sanur; 62-361/288-473; dinner for two with drinks Rp200,000). “From cold appetizers to hot mains, sushi, sashimi, noodles and lots of other dishes, nothing disappoints,” he says. ✚

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s t r e e t

c o r n e r

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s p o t l i g h t

. . . 7 4

StylishTraveler cutting

edge If there’s one essential travel accessory for food lovers everywhere, it’s the Victorinox Swiss Army knife. Photographed by Nigel cox

Victorinox Swiss Army Explorer knife with magnifying glass and stainless-steel blades.

rekking along an alpine

trail with a picnic basket is the sort of adventure that calls for our favorite field tool: a cherry-red Victorinox Swiss Army knife. Still produced at the company’s workshop in Ibach, Switzerland, over the past 115 years the original ebony-handled Soldier’s Knife, with its folding can opener for prying lids off tinned rations, has evolved into a souped-up gadget— nowadays it can come fully loaded with an altimeter, barometer, mini LED light or even a removable flash drive. But it’s the Explorer model that we’re most likely to pocket before embarking on culinary escapades. Why? Along with two stainless-steel blades sharp enough to cut through a block of Gruyère, this version has both a bottle opener and a corkscrew to pop open a chilled Grüner Veltliner. Now that’s worth yodeling about. —s h a n e m i t c h e l l

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stylish traveler

| street corner

Seoul Glow

The World Design Capital’s hip Hongdae district is noted as a hotbed of cutting-edge fashion and young Korean style. Below, we ask four trend-savvy locals for their shopping tips, both online and on the ground. By FELICIA SHELTON

here’s a reason

Seoul is this year’s World Design Capital: the city is a center for style, with home-grown designers like Lee Juyoung and Steve J and Yoni P making waves internationally. To meet some of its more fashionable denizens, there’s no better place to go than Hongdae, the bustling area that’s home to

Hongik University—renowned for its fine arts and design programs—as well as a mix of boutiques, bars and galleries that are as eclectic as the people who frequent them. We headed there one afternoon and spoke to some of its most creative dressers, and found everything from boho-chic to skate-boy cool.

Hongdae

South Korea

■ LEE DA BINK Vocal Coach “I love to sing and I’m a vocal coach. This is how I dress on a regular basis. I like being comfortable but not boring. I don’t shop anywhere in particular. I almost always buy my clothes online, like most people here. Everyone comparison-shops: you find the item in the store, then go online to see if the price is cheaper. It usually is. I buy almost all of my clothes on the Internet, you have more to choose from.” 72

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■ SEONG-DONG Student and Housewife “My friends and I like to hang out in Hongdae and go to cafés. Just walking around this neighborhood is nice, but don’t come on the weekends—it’s so crowded, it’s unbelievable. Sometimes there are free concerts at Hongik University, and across the street you’ll find Hongdae Hope Market and Free Market, where students and artists sell handmade goods in a park. It’s a great meeting point as well as a cool place to buy vintage or handmade jewelry.”

■ IN HWA JONG Student “I like borrowing clothes from my dad. I’m wearing his shoes right now—they’re very comfortable, and I like the shape. My friends and I go to a lot of bars in Apguejeong. Drinks usually cost around KRW8,000, so it’s not expensive. Also I like Café aA [40811 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu; 82-2/3143-7312; aadesignmuseum.com; coffee for two KRW16,000] here in Hongdae, one of the best cafés in Seoul.”

■ SUK AN Sculptor, Student, Art Institute of Chicago “I enjoy antique and post-modern furniture. Café aA in Hongdae is a favorite of mine, there is also Nabi and Yangpa [82-2/31415126; 358-103 Seogyo-dong, Mapo-gu]. I don’t stick to any one style; I mix vintage and modern, like furniture. Wearing one designer from head to toe is definitely not my style. Mixing textures and colors creates a story, not just a look.” ✚

stylish traveler

| spotlight

Hats Off

Three top milliners map out style in their home cities. By ELLE KWAN

Future Shock Clockwise from below: A Gold Fan headpiece; working on a ladies’ warrior beret; the Hatwoman Boutique has its own comic strip; the shop’s interior; a feathered headpiece.

Jaycow | Hong Kong jaycow.com

London College of Fashion and under royal hatter Rose Cory before returning to her hometown, Hong Kong. Here, the stylist-turned-hatmaker made her name adorning the heads of Cantopop superstars Karen Mok and Eason Chan with her flamboyant designs: think sculptural gothic headpieces shooting with stark black feathers. These days she’s getting futuristic with plastic and leather for a new collaboration with cosmetic giant Shu Uemura. Her latest challenge? “I need pieces to go with silver lashes!” she says. ■ Ultra-Feminine While she’s known for her extravagant headgear, Jaycow’s styles can be surprisingly subtle. You’ll find her more delicate feminine creations at White Bridal Couture (5th floor, 22–28 Wyndham St., Central; 852/25213288; white-bridal.com), while her distinctive collections are on sale at Hatwoman (68 Des Voeux Rd., Central; 852/21678337; hatwoman.hk) alongside the haute couture of legendary Irish milliner Philip Treacy. ■ City Sights Since giving birth to her son two years ago, Jaycow enjoys relaxing amid nature at windswept Shek O Beach. When tempted to shop, she heads to Sham Shui Po’s sprawling streets to trawl for exotic fabrics, feathers, buttons and bows that distinguish her designs. She also recommends Jordan for the inexpensive cashmere stores along Nathan Road, as well as Voulez-Vous (3 Yiu Wa St., Bartlock Centre, Causeway Bay; 852/2833-0938), an upscale boutique that stocks exclusives. “The owner has a real heart for fashion,” Jaycow says. “Lots of local pop singers go there.” »

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c l o c k w i s e f r o m t o p l e f t : F r a n k l i n L a u ( 3 ) ; c o u r t e s y o f j ay c o w ; B a l d o v i n o B a r a n i

elebrity milliner Jaycow trained at the

stylish traveler

| spotlight

Hat Tricks Clockwise from top left: Standing out in a crowd; Mich Dulce in one of her own creations; Carlos Celdran leads a tour through Intramuros; Manila Cathedral. Center: A fashion twist of a hat.

Mich Dulce | Manila

anila’s M ich Dulce found early success as

a fashion designer, but came to international attention after turning to hats. “I decided on millinery to complement my clothing,” she explains. “The response to my product was really good.” In fact, the hatter is being modest: her vintage-inspired collections, available from her atelier as well as at Kokon To Zai’s boutiques (kokontozai.co.uk) in London and Paris, grace the heads of guests at Royal Ascot and the Philippine fashion elite. And in February, the 29-year-old scooped the British Council’s International Young Fashion Entrepreneur award at London Fashion Week. ■ Design Fetishes Burlesque dancer Dita Von Teese and singer Björk are Dulce’s style inspirations, but it’s showstopping chanteuse Lady Gaga whom Dulce would most like to cap. “She seems like a fun girl who would let you really play and do your thing, no matter how crazy,” she says. ■ Down Time Creative on multiple fronts, Dulce sings in

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indie-pop band Us-2 Evil-0; autograph hunters can find her at laid-back live-music bar SaGuijo (7612 Guijo St., San Antonio Village, Makati; 63-2/897-8629; saguijo.com; drinks for two P100). She’s also a fan of Cubao X, an artist community in the revitalized shoe district in Cubao, Quezon City. “There’s a bar called Mogwai [Unit 62–63 Cubao Expo, Cubao, Quezon City; 63-2/913-1060; meal for two P400] that’s great. Order their chicken-liver roll—it’s wrapped in bacon, which equals heaven.” ■ Rediscovery For artistic inspiration, Dulce tends to explore Intramuros, Manila’s colonial walled city. She recommends a tour of these Spanish-era wonders with überguide Carlos Celdran (celdrantours.blogspot.com; 63-2/4844945; tours from P1,000). “He can show you Manila like no one else,” she says. »

c l o c k w i s e f r o m t o p l e f t ; © E v e r y w h e r e W e Sh o o t . c o m ( 2 ) ; © A l e x F e l i p e ; © s i m o n g u r n e y / i s t o c k p h o t o . c o m ; © E v e r y w h e r e W e Sh o o t . c o m

michdulce.com

stylish traveler

| spotlight

Waltraud Reiner | Melbourne torbandreiner.com

Hat-mad Melbourne Clockwise from right: One of Reiner’s flower berets; a red bow on top; one size does not fit all; the Gardens and Sculpture Park at Heide Museum of Modern Art; Reiner in her workshop.

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Waltraud Reiner from Austria to Melbourne after graduating more than 30 years ago. Home to the hatmad Melbourne Cup, the city is a millinery hotspot—and the place that Reiner discovered her passion for headwear. Now, through her company Torb & Reiner, she supplies milliners the world over and teaches her skills to students across the globe. ■ Stand Out Reiner loves what she calls Aussie “nonconformist fashion,” which will be out in force at the 150th Melbourne Cup in November. Still, she insists that hats aren’t just for special events. “A hat needs to be shown off daily as far I’m concerned,” she says. “Any day is a good day to take it for a walk and put a spring into your step.” ■ Urban Inspiration The topper says Melbourne has a sense of European style, complete with a robust coffeedrinking culture. She wanders tree-lined Collins Street and Flinders Lane for one-off finds, admires the CH2 (240 Little Collins St.; melbourne.vic.gov.au)—Australia’s greenest building—on Little Collins, and catches up with friends at the Heide Museum of Modern Art (7 Templestowe Rd., Bulleen; 61-3/9850-1500; heide.com.au; admission A$12). “The complex has beautiful gardens to walk in and find a bench to rest while observing a sculpture,” says Reiner. ✚

c l o c k w i s e f r o m l e f t ; c o u r t e s y o f H e i d e m u s e u m o f m o d e r n a r t ; c o u r t e s y o f w a lt r a u d r e i n e r ( 4 )

t must have been fate that led fashion luminary

~ tre n ds ,

culture ,

f o o d

n d

m o re ~

t+L Journal wine tours 86

Nam prik pla tu at Sanguansri. Inset: Nattaporn Rungrojsuwan, the owner of Nattaporn Ice Cream.

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Basics

Forget ambience, fine linen or even proper cutlery. What they lack in finesse, Bangkokâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s oldest restaurants more than make up for with authenticity and great meals. By JENNIFER CHEN. Photographed by CEDRIC ARNOLD

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Delicious Dining From top: Outside Poj Spa Karn, where Royal Thai cuisine holds sway; the restaurant’s distinctive Thai omelet with lemongrass; mainly local diners at Sanguansri on Wireless Road.

Bangkok neighborhood, amid all the so-so sushi chains and trendy hangouts, stands a humble, decades-old shophouse eatery with forgettable décor and nary an English sign in sight. But just try getting a table at Ruea Thong, which regulars pack every night to sup on its khao pad kak moo, fried rice with crackling, and kaeng khua hoy khom, curry with cockles. Hip young things, you can keep that plate of limp pasta in jarred sauce. Me, I’d gladly take a seat jammed by the door just to tuck into Ruea Thong’s fried rice with crab and kana moo grob, stir-fried kale with crispy pork belly. That looks aren’t everything is probably the most important lesson about eating in Bangkok. In fact, when it comes to Thai food, the law of inverse proportion usually applies: the fancier the décor, the more suspect the food and vice versa. The second lesson is there’s value, or rather, really fine food, in the city’s older establishments. After months of eating disappointing meal after disappointing meal at the latest hot spot (oh, hi-so poseurs, when will you learn fresh herbs are always better than dried ones?), I decided to embark on a nosh tour of some of Bangkok’s longest-running restaurants. Lesson number one is definitely at work at Poj Spa Karn on Tanao Road in the Old City. Yellowing hand-crocheted tablecloths under dingy clear plastic. Knock-off Barbie dolls in prom dresses. An old television blaring a slapstick sitcom. This tiny, 84-year-old spot might claim to be Bangkok’s oldest restaurant, but it resembles the living room of a dotty spinster aunt nostalgic for her distant girlhood. Its frumpiness, however, belies a genuine pedigree. The founding owner, a Chinese émigré, opened the restaurant after retiring as the personal chef to one of Rama V’s 33 sons. Among long-standing customers, it’s known by its nickname, Cook Somdej, or the Prince’s Chef. Faded black-and-white photographs of the owner and his patron, and Rama V with some of his sons, all dressed in Etonian tailcoats hint at the restaurant’s history. The menu, too, carries a whiff of the royal kitchens, though many of the more elaborate dishes have long been jettisoned. Instead of a fleet of cooks, the restaurant is now a family affair, with relatives rotating in and out of the kitchen, says Nathamon Jaidet, the current owner’s sister-in-law. A plump matron attired in a decidedly unchef-like pink-and-yellow muumuu, Nathamon is on cooking duty when we drop by one Saturday afternoon. She isn’t one to dwell on past glories, enthusiastically recommending a dish called pong ma wee, a recent invention that, from the looks of the photo menu, incorporates ungodly gobs of mayonnaise. We bow to her insistence, and supplement our order with mee grob, sweet-and-sour crispy noodles, sea bass stir-fried with black pepper, and tom luuk rok, a clear broth with chunks of pork sausage that, by some mysterious alchemy, puff up to look like macaroons during cooking. n our

But it’s the lemongrass omelet, one of the restaurant’s originals, that makes the meal. In the wrong hands, kai jeow, or Thai omelets, often disappoint: grease-sodden lumps with skins that quickly turn leathery. Not so with Nathamon’s masterpiece, which she concocts by pouring the egg– lemongrass mixture from a height into a wok full of oil, and then quickly dragging a fork through the eggs as they cook. The result is oil-free and feathery—too delicious to eat with the sweet sri racha sauce that usually accompanies kai jeow. And delicious enough to erase any memories of mayonnaise. Frankly, only the Japanese have mastered mayo, which too many Asian cooks wield when they want to add a foreign touch. But that’s not to say all local attempts at Western fare should be vilified. Three decades before “fusion” became shorthand for East-meets-West cuisine—or, depending on your point of view, an object of dread—Mahatthon Pongpokasem’s parents were dishing up European standards tailored to Thai tastes from a street stall off Silom Road. His father, who worked his way through the ranks at hotel kitchens, soon gained renown for comfort food such as roast chicken and roast pork, and opened Lert Ros along Silom Soi 4, an alley known for its raucous nightlife. During its heyday, the eatery catered to expat employees of international firms; these days, the clientele is composed of a mix of office workers and long-timers. The club-goers favor its flashier neighbors, and truth be told, while lunchtime can be lively, the cafeteria-like dining room acquires a funereal pall at dinner. Don’t let that deter you. Tender and cloaked in a velvety gravy, the roast chicken is a solid rendition of a classic. But the real revelation is the beef curry, which occupies territory somewhere between a massamam curry and hong shao niu ruo (red-cooked beef). Mahatthon hews closely to his father’s recipe: beef shank cooked over charcoal for three hours in a broth spiked with a mélange of spices. A few tables away sits a gangly teenager. “Your son?” I ask Mahatthon, who speaks flawless English after stints at hotels and cruise lines. He nods, though when I ask whether the youngster will take over when he retires, he shakes his head. “I have an older son, and I’ll try to get him to take over but I don’t know if he wants it,” he says. It’s a lament often heard among old-school restaurant owners. As a rule, old things aren’t cherished in Bangkok. Perfectly sound buildings are torn down and replaced with sleek condominiums, while beautiful, century-old shophouses are left to slowly rot. The in-crowd is promiscuous with new restaurants, taking up and abandoning them faster than you can say “chocolate molten cake.” Novelty nearly always trumps the historic—or even the merely familiar. That could explain why most restaurants are a bit blasé about their past. At Poj Spa Karn, they couldn’t recall the name of the founder; he was just some Chinese cook called Hok. Paniti Vasuratna, however, takes a marked pride in the

history of Bharani, the restaurant his grandfather, Aphai Isarabhakdi, opened in 1949. A world traveler, Aphai wanted to bring international cuisine to Bangkok. “My grandfather tried to pick a dish from every country he visited,” says the gracious Paniti. Along the way, he gained a following so loyal that when the restaurant’s original location was shuttered a few years ago, customers would swarm into Paniti’s noodle shop and demand old favorites. Finally, he gave into the mounting requests and resurrected Bharani. Renovated two years ago, Bharani—which also has an outlet in the Thailand Creative and Design Center—breaks rule number one. It’s actually an attractive place to eat, with lemony walls and quirky knickknacks from Panithi’s own travels. On a table alongside the window are photos of his grandfather and mother, the restaurant’s namesake. Panithi also preserved living history: 70-year-old chef Tongdee Nagplung was one of the original cooks at Bharani. True to his grandfather’s mission, Panithi continues to faithfully serve international fare with Thai twists. »

Meal Time Right: Lert Ros’ beef-shank curry is spiked with a spicy broth. Below: A scoop of coconut at Nattaporn Ice Cream.

Nattaporn Ice Cream

➻ Located in a rickety, picturesque shophouse along quaint Phraeng Phutorn Square in the Old City, this 60-year-old shop serves up Bangkok’s best coconut ice cream. The secret? Superfresh, young coconuts; they go through about 200 a day. If the season’s right, make sure to try the fragrant mango and durian versions. Go early before they sell out of popular toppings like sticky rice. 94 Phraeng Phutorn Sq., off Tanao Rd.; 66-2/221-3954; ice cream for two Bt30.

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“Tacos” turn out to be minced beef, pork or chicken heaped on a tortilla chip and topped with cheese and cabbage. They’re served with a salsa that tastes like nam prik ong, a northern dip of pork and tomato—and they taste better than they sound. Yum ham are swirls of house-smoked ham marinated in lime and chili that we fold into lettuce cups along with peanuts, spring onions, cilantro and, for the brave, nam prik kee noo, or bird’s eye chilies. Not all the menu offerings are topsy-turvy takes on Western cuisine. Some of the best are straight-up Thai dishes. Boat noodles draped with lush beef in a spicy rich broth could easily become a weekly regular, especially when capped with the coconut ice cream served local style with peanuts, palm sugar fruit and taro dumplings. Classic Thai dishes are on the menu at Sanguansri. Start

Classic Dishes Left: At Bharani, chef Tongdee Nagplung with her famed fish and chips. Below: Yam-smoked ham at the eatery.

GUIDE TO BANGKOK’S OLD-SCHOOL RESTAURANTS Poj Spa Karn 443 Tanao Rd.; 66-2/222-2686; lunch for two Bt280. Lert Ros 74-7 Soi 4, Silom Rd.; 66-2/234-3745; lunch for two Bt300. Bharani 96/14 Soi 23, Sukhumvit Rd.; 66-2/664-4454; lunch for two Bt400. Sanguansri 59/1 Wireless Rd.; 66-2/252-7637; lunch for two Bt330.

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making plans now to visit this lunch-only, 40-year-old eatery near the American embassy. Not only does it serve astoundingly good food, but its future is uncertain. Last year, the owner died, leaving no will. Loyal staffers currently run Sanguansri, but they express concerns that the landlord might raise the rent—a not-so-implausible move given its location in one of the city’s prime districts. As with most of the eateries profiled here, ignore the utilitarian décor of folding chairs and Formica-topped tables. It’s probably wiser to observe your fellow diners: office workers with their ID’s dangling from their necks, ladies of a certain age in shoulder-padded floral blouses and stiff bouffants, well-fed senior police officers with neat pot bellies. With the exception of the occasional U.S. Embassy employee, Sanguansri attracts a mostly local clientele. That is, a Bangkok crowd with nary a socialite or hipster in sight—always an auspicious sign. Almost everything on the menu is worth ordering. A salad of lettuce, blanched broccoli and chili is studded with crispy pork belly that delivers crunch and melting softness in one bite—a rare achievement in a town rife with soggy versions of moo grob, or pork with crackling. The sweetness of pla khing, or deep-fried, shredded fish with ginger, is offset by the aromatic tang of chiffonaded kaffir lime leaves. Sanguansri excels in balance. If there’s one thing that mars Thai food it’s the national sweet tooth; local palates are immune to that tablespoon of sugar diners regularly heap onto their food. “Thais like sweet foods,” Boonyuen Kamolnarin, the impish manager, says apologetically when I grimace after taking a sip of tamarind juice that turns out to be a glassful of dissolved brown sugar. Luckily, the restaurant’s kitchen doesn’t fall into that trap. A deft hand is evident in the nam prik pla tu, a chili dip made with dried mackerel that’s often too pungent for foreign taste buds. Lime juice and just enough sugar tame the heat and cut through the funky flavors. Meanwhile, a deceptively simple beef curry begins with a complex, herbaceous note and packs a fiery punch at the end. That gives you an idea of the skills at work here—who would have thought a curry could unfold in stages? It’s almost Willy Wonka-esque. The finest offering is the kanom jeen nam ya, a dish of fermented rice noodles with coconut fish curry popular in southern Thailand. Served only Mondays, Tuesdays and Saturdays, Sanguansri’s take comes without fish balls, an improvement in my eyes, and the fish—snakehead in this case—is finely flaked. A handful of lemon basil leaves garnishes the plate, making an addictively fragrant sauce so good that, if alone, I would have licked the plate clean. When I try to pry Boonyuen for the kitchen’s secret, she admits they buy ready-made curry paste, though one from a reputable firm. “We haven’t changed the original recipes,” she says. “We haven’t adapted to Western tastes.” Long may they continue doing so. ✚

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In the tasting room, below; the road to Silver Horse winery, on California’s Central Coast, right.

Top Tasting Trips A well-crafted wine tour can deliver Bordeaux’s best or a one-on-one with cult winemakers in Italy. But as Bruce Schoenfeld advises, it’s all about choosing the right itinerary for your type.

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I’ve always found the idea of my taking a wine tour to be the equivalent of a rock star playing air guitar or a PGA golfer competing at mini golf. After two decades of chronicling the most interesting places and personalities in the wine world, I figured I knew as much as any operator. And my credentials could get me to places that the big tour buses couldn’t. But then I visited Paso Robles, between San Francisco and Santa Barbara. On a lark, I signed up for a half-day bus tour with Wine Wrangler (1-805/238-9003; thewinewrangler.com; half-day itineraries for two from US$104). Paso has more than 200 producers; had I shown up on my own, as usual, I would have stuck to those I already knew. I’d have missed out on J. Lohr (too big, I thought) and Silver Horse and Summerwood (perhaps too small). I’d never have discovered that Lone Madrone is part-owned by the winemaker at the respected Tablas Creek, nor experienced the black fruits and bass notes of Silver Horse’s Malbec. As it was, I learned something at every stop while enjoying the company of an eclectic collection of enthusiasts. It was refreshing to not be responsible for finding my way between appointments, and I loved being able to actually drink wine at lunch without having to worry about a designated driver. Best of all, I came away with new wines to recommend from worthy producers, most of which I hadn’t known existed earlier that morning. With a wine tour it’s possible to gain entrée to the world’s most renowned producers, eat memorable meals, travel in sumptuous luxury, immerse yourself in local culture, even to break a sweat on a bike or a hike—but not all on the same trip. That makes matching your level of interest with the proper itinerary a vital part of the planning process, lest you find yourself shuffling through museums when you want to be tramping through vineyards, or vice versa. Keeping that in mind, I’ve come up with my picks of wine-tour companies from around the world to match most every motivation.

steve kepple (2)

s a professional wine writer,

best for Access to Top Producers French Wine Explorers (wine-tours-france.com; one-day itineraries for up to four people from US$1,100) will take you to many of the wineries responsible for the bottles in collectors’ cellars. The company operates throughout France and Italy, but the shining jewel is the Bordeaux Prestige Tour. This year it included stops at the five first growths of the Médoc and » t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a

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Vintage Spain conducts excursions that immerse guests in the authentic life and culture of the country’s wine REGIONS

the difficult-to-access Château d’Yquem, which makes some of the world’s most important sweet wine, coupled with accommodations at Pauillac’s Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron, a popular Bordeaux second growth. (Wineries of similar caliber are included in trips to Burgundy, Champagne and Tuscany.) The Bordeaux Prestige Tour is offered three times annually, usually in May and June. The Caveat The cultural components of these trips are limited. “Our days are centered around the most exclusive wine estates in each region,” says owner Pascale Bernasse. That doesn’t leave time for cooking classes or art museums. best for Meeting Winemakers Swedish wine writer and author Britt Karlsson, a Paris resident since 1990, organizes 20 tours annually to wine regions in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany and Austria through her BKWine (33-6/80-45-35-70; bkwine.com; four-day itineraries for two from US$2,020). She concentrates on small producers—not always the most famous, but typically high-quality and representative of the region—and her groups are met by the proprietors, not paid guides. Visits often include informal lunches at the estate. The Caveat Karlsson only offers English-language tours to France and Portugal; the rest are conducted in Swedish (custom trips are also available in English). Accommodations are comfortable, but don’t expect Michelin-starred meals. “They take too long,” Karlsson says. best for cultural Immersion Many group tours feel overly insular, like you’re hopscotching from place to place without connecting with anyone along the way. Vintage Spain (34/94-731-0126; vintagespain.com; four-day itineraries for two from US$2,000), based in the northern Spanish town of Burgos, conducts excursions that immerse guests in the authentic life 88

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and culture of the country’s great wine regions (Rioja, Ribera del Duero and beyond). Meals are eaten at restaurants with regional specialties, and itineraries combine winery visits with museums, historic sites, even cooking classes. Whenever possible, groups stay at inns in converted buildings such as the 100-year-old Castillo El Collado, in Laguardia, and occasionally even in rooms at winemakers’ houses. The Caveat Schedules are not set in stone and can be modified or even occasionally canceled. And while bunking in winemakers’ houses sounds charming, it can feel more like visiting distant cousins than luxury lodging. best for Getting Exercise Montana-based Zephyr Adventures (1-406/4450802; zephyradventures.com; five-day itineraries for two from US$3,600) has been running active trips for more than a decade, and recently the company added wine itineraries that bring travelers to such destinations as Oregon, Sonoma, Argentina and South Africa. The trips incorporate biking, hiking, horseback riding and canoeing, mixed with winery visits at established names like Napa’s Clos du Val. “We won’t focus on one vintage versus another, but more basic things such as, ‘Do you like this wine?’ ” says owner Allan Wright. The Caveat Don’t expect the highest-scoring wineries in each region, but a good range of producers from industrial to boutique. The trips will also challenge the unfit: most itineraries require a short, medium, and long bike ride or hike every day. best for Following a True Insider New York–based X.O. Travel Consultants (1-212/947-5530; xotravelconsultants.com; weeklong itineraries for two from US$11,000) caters to industry types such as sommeliers and restaurateurs, but occasionally trips are open to wine-loving amateurs and often feature renowned experts serving as tour guides. Two annual Burgundy itineraries stand out: author and wine personality Clive Coates leads a trip in June, and wine-ratings maven Allen “Burghound” Meadows, the Robert Parker of the Côte d’Or, does the same in July. The latter is particularly intriguing to Burgundy fanatics because Meadows’s programs focus on the wines of one particular village (in 2011 it will be Gevrey Chambertin in that region of France), zeroing in on vineyards and providing an almost row-by-row examination. Both trips schedule tastings and vineyard visits all day, punctuated by meals at »

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noteworthy restaurants. The Caveat These intense tours are not for wine dilettantes. Expect to taste as many as 30 wines each day and also to spend countless hours discussing vineyards’ terroirs.

A number of companies have tours in the vineyard during the prettiest and most productive weeks of the growing CYCLE 90

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best for Picking Grapes Today’s experiential traveler wants to participate rather than merely observe. But while working a harvest usually means backbreaking, dawn-to-dusk labor, an increasing number of companies have constructed tours that get you in the vineyard during the prettiest—and most productive—weeks of the growing cycle, and get some juice stains on your hands along the way. In addition to other tours during the summer and fall, LongIslandWine Country.com (one-day itineraries for two from US$259) requisitions the Chilean-owned North Fork winery Laurel Lake for one afternoon every September and leads 150 visitors through the harvest, with optional blending seminars (using juice from a previous vintage). The Caveat You’ll literally be picking grapes for only about 20 minutes, not actually working the harvest in the romantic, we’re-all-in-this-together sense. Don’t expect foxhole camaraderie with the winemakers, who are likely to be sleepless and stressed during the most intense time of the year. But if you decide to blend the wine (US$45), the plus is that you will get to take home a bottle. ✚

f ro m to p : st ev e k e p p l e ; co u rt esy o f lo n g i s l a n d w i n e co u n c i l

Barrels of California’s Silver Horse winery 2009 Malbec, left; Corey Creek Vineyard, on Long Island, below.

best for Visiting Undiscovered Regions If Napa, Bordeaux, and Tuscany feel overdone, scan the list of available destinations from Arblaster & Clarke (44-1730/263-111; winetours.co. uk; two-day itineraries for two from £660) for somewhere off the beaten path. The British company offers an extensive menu of tours—from weeklong extravaganzas to power tastings—and specializes in nontraditional locales from Croatia to Uruguay. A recent six-day trip to Austria included a tasting with a master of wine at the Austrian Wine Academy as well as visits with renowned winemakers such as Heidi Schrock, who oversees her family’s operation. The Caveat The Arblaster office can be difficult to reach, and it isn’t just because of the global time differences. E-mails may go unanswered as the overextended staff tries to plan and run more than 70 wine trips in any given year. Patience and advance notice are sometimes required to make the relationship work.

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| food

Khmer Kitchens Cambodian cuisine has been overlooked for too long now, writes NAOMI LINDT, yet these days there are a few stops worth considering when in search of the real thing. Photographed by JAMES GRANT

Kethana’s soufflélike fish amok at The Sugar Palm; lotus flowers and limes at a local market.

Thursday morning, Joannès Rivière snakes his way through the dense aisles of Psar Krom, a local market. It’s only half a kilometer from Siem Reap’s tourist-thronged streets, but ages away when it comes to local authenticity. Even this early, the covered market is steamy, but that doesn’t slow down Rivière, who is on a mission to find the best of what the local farmers and fisherman have on offer. After all, he has a reputation to uphold, as executive chef at one of the country’s best restaurants, the Hôtel de la Paix’s Méric. In the new year, Rivière will be opening his own restaurant. The market floor is lined with vendors who have laid out their wares: bowls of shredded bamboo and ginger, piles of 92

t eight on a

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ping-pong–size limes, stalks of pastel-pink lotus flowers, bunches of bananas, halved green papayas, bursting bunches of herbs and baskets lined with freshly caught, glimmering fish from the nearby Tonlé Sap Lake. Greeting friends and negotiating in fluent Khmer while pointing out some of his favorite local foods—like palm-size Mekong sole and dark green ambarella fruits—the cherubic Frenchman’s first purchase is a bag of large, white mushrooms. “Wild, not farm-raised,” he points out. That’s followed by several glistening, white slender logs of palm heart, to be tossed in a salad. It’s in places like this—and in local homes, grandmother’s kitchens and small villages—that Rivière has meticulously researched and learned to love Cambodian

and uniquely Khmer flavors, like prahok (fermented fish that is stomped like grapes) and syrupy, fragrant palm sugar. But with the recent emergence of stellar restaurants, cooking classes and cookbooks by a handful of chefs like Rivière, at long last, the subtle sophistication of Khmer food is finally getting the attention it deserves.

flavors, which constitute, arguably, one of the region’s most underappreciated and misunderstood cuisines. “Most people don’t realize that the basics of Khmer cuisine were set before the 16th century,” the chef explains. “So rather than being derived from Vietnamese and Thai food, it’s actually older. Here, flavor is not balanced in a single recipe, but rather on the table, with individual dishes representing sweet, bitter, spicy, salty and sour tastes.” Indeed, at the height of Angkorean civilization in the first half of the 11th century, the kingdom stretched across Thailand, Laos and up to central Vietnam. A common belief is that Hue’s famous imperial cuisine is rooted in Khmer traditions and Chinese cooking techniques. But until recently, restaurants serving real Cambodian food were scarce in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Those that claimed to be typically served poorly rendered Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. The confidence to produce authentic dishes just didn’t exist outside of the home, likely a consequence of the drawn-out civil war that nearly eliminated local culture. Cambodian dishes rely on the country’s abundance of freshwater fish—there are more than 500 varieties—plentiful indigenous herbs and spices,

ften referred to as the most refined

Cambodian meal in the country, Méric’s sevencourse tasting menu is a great place to start. It’s based on seasonal, locally grown products and changes daily, featuring the key components of a Cambodian meal: street snack–inspired starters like pounded green mango with dried snake; a tart fruit salad, the only way to start a Khmer meal; prahok, whose pungent aroma coupled with varying degrees of fermentation have been likened to the French reverence for cheese; two soups—a vital component of the Cambodian kitchen—one based on coconut milk, the other on palm sugar; and a stir-fry, such as frog legs with holy basil. A quartet of dainty desserts tops off the feast: sweet-potato pudding, fried banana, agar-agar jelly with coconut, black sticky rice. Served in Méric’s candle-lit space—swinging beds, sequined walls, leather benches, shaggy pillows—it’s difficult to imagine a more memorable introduction. Kethana Dunnet, a Cambodian national who left for New Zealand in the late 1960’s, moved back to Cambodia with her Kiwi husband, Bruce, in 2002. Where the kitchen at Méric pushes the boundaries of Khmer cuisine, Dunnet »

Cambodian DISHES rely on freshwater fish, indigenous herbs and spices, and uniquely Khmer flavors

A traditional Khmer dessert of local fruits and rice jelly at Méric; sea fish on sale at a market.

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Khmer Spice From left: A stone carved image of Buddha at The Sugar Palm; Joannès Rivière shopping for Khmer flavors; inside the trendy eatery Aha.

and others are busy preserving the classical traditions. “When I first came back to Cambodia, the food was just not the same,” she says. “The dishes hadn’t changed in name, but they were cooked in a totally different style. Many people are using MSG in place of the traditional herbs and spices. I realized that there were dishes and tastes that the younger generation just didn’t know, and I didn’t want that to disappear.” Encouraged by her husband’s love of her cooking—“The herb structure in each dish is what made me fall for it,” he explains—Kethana opened The Sugar Palm Restaurant in Phnom Penh in 2003, followed by a Siem Reap location in late 2006, using recipes that she learned from her mother and grandmother. “Khmer food is not dictated by accurate measurements, but rather by using your intuition,” Kethana says. “It’s a personal craft that’s perfected in every home, by feelings and changing moods.” The Siem Reap eatery, housed in a traditional wooden Khmer structure on stilts and outfitted with antique furniture and silk, stands at the heart of the Dunnets’ endeavor. Every evening, the breezy, lantern-lit space fills with diners anxious to try the famed fish amok, a red-curry–based, soufflé-like concoction that’s been called Cambodia’s national dish. Tellingly, Kethana’s steamed recipe takes 40 minutes to prepare; order it elsewhere and it’ll hit the table in as little as five minutes. The grilled eggplant with minced pork, spicy stir-fry with basil and Khmer crispy noodles—a dish that straddles pad thai and mee krob in a fascinating way—are also must-haves. To encourage exploration of the Cambodian kitchen, Kethana offers cooking classes, including market tours. 94

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A recent student was celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, who passed through the country earlier this year while filming Gordon’s Great Escape. Not surprisingly, he couldn’t get enough of Sugar Palm’s amok. While in Phnom Penh, Ramsay also spent time studying at Friends-International’s cooking school, which offers hospitality training to former street kids. Students eventually work at Romdeng, the Khmer word for “galangal,” a restaurant the organization opened in late 2006 in a restored Cambodian villa. Romdeng focuses on returning little-known provincial specialties to the table, like shrimp, young corn and coconut soup from the seaside town of Kampot (the shrimp is a flourish added by the staff) and a Muslim beef and peanut curry, a recipe unearthed by Friends staff in an ethnic Cham village. Other menu favorites include the two-color pomelo salad with shrimp and coconut and a fish, pumpkin and coconut curry. Recipes are worked out in the kitchen, with students often contributing their own family’s techniques and cooking secrets. Some of these recipes, along with those collected during village visits by Friends staffers, have been published in the cookbook, From Spiders to Water Lilies. Though most of the clientele is foreign, Cambodians dine at Romdeng as well. “They will ask us how we got the food to taste so good without adding MSG or a Knorr mix,” says hospitality trainer Sao Sokunthy. “They are relearning the natural flavors, too.” It’s this goal—preserving Cambodian food for Cambodians’ sake—that drives Luu Meng, the country’s most celebrated local chef. The 37-year-old Phnom Penh native, who comes from a lineage of great cooks, and a French business partner oversee an expanding empire of »

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| food

At Malis, the dishes are wowing newcomers and also impress Khmers, a tough audience to PLEASE

fine-dining establishments in the capital city that span French, Thai and Chinese cuisine. But it’s at Malis that Meng flaunts his expertise in traditional dishes, coupled with what he has dubbed “Living Cambodian Cuisine,” where typically Khmer flavors are used to new ends. “Five years ago, no one was talking about Cambodian food,” Meng says. “At Phnom Penh’s higher-end hotels, no one dared to have a Khmer menu. No one believed a Khmer restaurant would work.” That all changed when Malis opened in 2004, becoming the city’s first upscale restaurant dedicated to Khmer cuisine. With heavy wooden tables draped in white linen, scattered around water lily-filled pools and frangipani trees, the place remains one of Phnom Penh’s most romantic spots for an unforgettable meal. Meng sources his ingredients from the country’s best producers—tender beef from Battambang, prahok stomped out like fine wine, and vegetables and herbs from a familyrun farm outside Phnom Penh, which he visits every week. Not only are dishes like beef cooked in Kampot pepper, roasted langoustine in tamarind, honey-and-Angkor-beer marinated pork chops, and chicken curry steamed in lotus leaves wowing newcomers to the country, but they’re also impressing Khmers, a tough audience to please.

Chocolate cake with raspberry sorbet at the bistro Aha.

“We have a strong culture of history and food, but people have forgotten the old, traditional ways of our cuisine,” Meng says. “I want to reintroduce it, while creating new flavors and rethinking Cambodian ingredients in new ways.” When looking for inspiration, Meng will head up to the herb garden he has planted on Malis’s rooftop. There, surrounded by pots of pandanus, lemongrass, basil, galangal, turmeric, ginger and kaffir lime, he ponders his country’s long history of cooking and how to share it with the world. “There is a lot more behind our food than people realize,” he says. “ You just have to give it time to reveal itself.” ✚

GUIDE TO cambodian cooking WHERE TO EAT Aha Trendy bistro run by Hôtel de la Paix with playful Khmerinspired dishes. The Passage, Siem Reap; 855-63/965-501; dinner for two US$20. Frizz Simple, addictive Khmer curries and stir-fries in a cheerful setting. 67 St. 240, Phnom Penh; 855-23/220-953; frizz-restaurant. com; dinner for two US$15. Malis With bubbling fountains and giant images of Buddha, Luu Meng’s superb Khmer restaurant drips with ambience. 136 Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh; 855-23/221-022; malis-restaurant. com; dinner for two US$25.

Méric Art Deco meets Khmer chic in this stylish eatery. The outdoor swinging beds overlook a pool. Hôtel de la Paix, Sivatha Blvd., Siem Reap; 855-63/966000; hoteldelapaixangkor.com; tasting menu US$31 per person. New Chiep Sok Joannès Rivière’s favorite no-frills spot. The lack of ambience is made up for with expertly roasted chicken and braised prahoc with spicy coconut. 253 Stung Thmey Village, Siem Reap; 855-12/ 630-570; dinner for two US$20. Romdeng Antique furniture and paintings by students fill the

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rooms at the NGO-run Khmer restaurant; there’s also a large terrace. 74 St. 174, Phnom Penh; 855-92/219-565; mithsamlanh. org; dinner for two US$20. The Sugar Palm Classic, homecooked Khmer recipes served in a wooden house. 19 St. 240, Phnom Penh; Taphul Rd., Siem Reap; 855-12/818-143; dinner for two US$20. Viroth’s Fabulous renditions of prahoc grilled in banana leaf, minced pork in kaplou leaves, and chicken curries served outdoors in a modern wood-andsilk space. 246 Wat Bo Rd., Siem

Reap; 855-12/826-346; dinner for two US$20. COOKING CLASSES Frizz Cambodia’s longestrunning cooking class. Half-day courses from US$12.50. Luu Meng The chef will conduct classes for groups of five or six on request. Book at least 10 days ahead. 136 Norodom Blvd., Phnom Penh; 855-23/221-022; malis-restaurant.com; three-hour courses from US$30. The Sugar Palm Morning courses held in Siem Reap only. From US$30 per person.

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detour | t+l journal

High on Hangzhou A clutch of new hotels has turned this ancient capital near Shanghai into an alluring stop for travelers. By jennifer chen. Photographed by Darren Soh

ight centuries ago, marco polo anointed Hangzhou “the most

splendid city in the world.” Today it’s one of China’s best-preserved destinations, thanks to the careful stewardship of its pagodas and pavilions, mountain-fringed West Lake, and terraced plantations growing the region’s famous longjing green tea. Here, an essential guide to the best hotels, restaurants and sights for the modern-day explorer. »

china

Lakeside Idyll Clockwise from above: The Dragon Well Manor restaurant’s doujiang, or hot soy-milk soup; a timeless view of West Lake, in Hangzhou, China; outside the Dragon Well Manor restaurant.

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The second property in China from those wizards of the luxurious exotic, Amanresorts, Amanfayun (22 Fayun Nong; 86-571/8732-9999; amanresorts.com; doubles from RMB3,900) includes 42 residences in traditional courtyard dwellings. Don’t miss the spa, with its Japanese-style deep soaking tubs, though an early morning walk to the neighboring Lingyin Buddhist temple is just as invigorating. A 25-minute drive away, Banyan Tree Hangzhou (21 Zijingang Rd.; 86571/8586-0000; banyantree.com; doubles from RMB3,700) abuts the 1,100-hectare Xixi National Wetland Park. All 72 spacious suites and villas are decorated with Chinese antiques (porcelain snuff bottles; calligraphy brushes) and are scattered across the grounds like a traditional village, complete with arched bridges and a lagoon. Hangzhou’s latest entry this fall is also the city’s first Western luxury hotel group: the Four Seasons Hotel Hangzhou (5 Lingyin Rd.; fourseasons.com; doubles from RMB2,500) will have hand-painted silk panels and such high-tech touches as plasma TV’s in its 78 guest rooms and three villas.

Ancient China From top: The courtyard of a Spa Jet Pool villa at Amanfayun; Hangzhou’s pedestrian-only Hefang Road; Banyan Tree’s spa villa.

You’ll want to book several days ahead for a table at Dragon Well Manor (399 Longjing Rd.; 86-571/8788-8777; set meal for two RMB800). Dai Jianjun is one of the country’s most obsessive locavore chefs: his 10-course dinners, served in eight wooden pavilions in a landscaped garden, raise the bar for organic, farm-to-table cuisine in China. Seasonal dishes may include preserved mustard greens with pine nuts, slowbraised pork belly, and ham-infused duck soup. A number of restaurants offer views of West Lake, but West Lake One (12 Hubin Rd.; 86-571/8702-9988; dinner for two RMB300) stands out with its covered terrace and extensive menu featuring dishes from throughout China. Regional specialties include longjing xiaren, shrimp cooked with longjing tea. Also facing the lake, the Hyatt Regency’s atmospheric, antiquesfilled 28 Hubin Road (28 Hubin Rd.; 86-571/8779-1234; dinner for two RMB450) serves classic Hangzhou fare, such as beggar’s chicken and Dongpo rou—a fork-tender pork dish named after the city’s 11th-century poet Su Dongpo.

sip

Aside from its pagodas and picturesque landscapes, Hangzhou is also synonymous with longjing, a locally grown green tea prized for its light, sweet taste and aroma. Guo’s Villa (28 Yanggong Causeway; 86-571/8798-6026) is a perfect respite from the tourist throngs along West Lake. Inside the 100 septem b er

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eat

INSIDE Guo’s Villa is a garden with lotus-covered ponds and a courtyard where locals gather for tea

low tiled wall is a garden with lotus-covered ponds and a courtyard where locals gather for tea and gossip. Tea fanatics might head to Old Dragon Well Imperial Tea Garden (148 Lion’s Hill; 86-571/8799-7711) to pay homage to the 18 bushes set aside for the Ch’ing dynasty emperor Qianlong. Nearby is Longjing village, where you’ll see plenty of tea farmers peddling their wares. But head straight to our favorite: the hospitable Qi Family (No. 19, Longjing village; 86571/8799-9413) will pour you a cup of their green elixir before you buy.

Splendid City From top: The National Wetland Museum; outside Lingyin, one of the city’s many temples; Huqingyu Tang medicine shop.

see

A short stroll from the train station, pedestrianized Hefang Road is a collection of Ch’ing dynasty houses (and replicas nearby). Visit Huqingyu Tang (95 Dajing Lane; 86571/8781-5209), a 130-year-old medicine shop where traditional pharmacists fill prescriptions made with ancient remedies (ginseng, angelica) in an elaborately carved central hall. Close by, on the edge of the verdant, waterway-filled Xixi National Wetland Park, the National Wetland Museum (402 Tianmushan Rd.; 86-571/8887-2933; free admission) will open an Arata Isozaki–designed viewing platform later this year. ✚

GUIDE TO hangzhou N . KO R E A

N Beijing

S . KO R E A

CHINA Hangzhou

Hong Kong

Shanghai

East China Sea TA I WA N

freezing. Avoid peak-season crowds during Chinese New Year (January or February) and National Day (October). Getting There Hangzhou is a 100-minute train ride from Shanghai; express trains launching next month will take 38 minutes. From Hong Kong, take the two-hour flight on Dragonair (dragonair.com), which departs three times weekly.

171 km

When to Go Visit during autumn and spring, as summer months are sweltering and winter temperatures often dip below

T+L Tip Beyond West Lake, Hangzhou is a sprawling city. Arrange a car and driver through your hotel to access hard-to-reach destinations. t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a

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Frozen tuna at the Tsukiji Market auction.

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Catch

of the day Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market is a hive of activity before most of the city awakens. Jackie Rado catches the early morning frenzy, from the daily auction to the careful carving.

concrete shell of a room at

5 a.m. might not sound like the most intriguing locale in modern Tokyo, yet it has its moments. Every day, aside from Sunday, the space at Tsukiji Market is littered with the frozen shells of 300-kilogram tuna, awaiting inspection, auction and carving before heading off—in a more trimmed to perfection and palatable form—to more familiar locations: sushi restaurants around the country. Each day, Tsukiji Market handles more than 200 tons of fish, with tuna playing the the starring role. The main auction hall is arresting. Bitterly cold temperatures, even in mid-summer, keep the fish fresh. Potential buyers carve open the tail of each carcass tuna to reveal its quality. That love of raw fish has a wellpublicized downside: by most conservation estimates, bluefin tuna stocks have fallen by 80 percent in the past 40 years. » 103

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Slicing the finest grade of tuna into steaks is an art form.

A master sushi chef is permitted to carve his own sashimi, a rare honor.

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Fresh tuna in the cooler takes on an air of high-end exclusivity.

Curiosity about the market and its sales has led to an overflow of visitors in recent years, so many that there is now a limit of 140 per day for the tuna auction and spectators cannot visit the market’s wholesale area before 9 a.m. For one of those auction spots, almost as precious as an excellent slice of toro (fatty tuna), you’ll have to arrive at 4:30 a.m. for. The actual auction starts at 5 a.m. and lasts up until 7 a.m. depending upon the volume of tuna on offer. As the auction ends, the tuna is shuttled off, first to large band saws, then fresh cuts are carved with meter-long, highly specialized knives resembling great samurai swords. After that, it’s shipped to restaurants, the closest ringing the market itself. Where better to enjoy a sashimi breakfast as the sun rises across Tokyo?

Large band saws are used to carve the frozen tuna.

Visitors wishing to witness Tsukiji’s tuna auction first hand should head to the Osakana Fukyu Center at Kachidoki Gate no later than 4:30 a.m. While entry is free, it is on a first-come, first-serve basis. ✚ 105

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The initial cuts of fresh tuna are made with meter-long knives.

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Freshly caught octopus on ice.

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Enope, or Fresh firefly, squid on sale at the market.

A mound of Tiger prawns at Tsukiji.

Early mornings donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seem to be a problem for some.

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A hearty

bowl of beef pho in

Hanoi. photographed

Brown W. Cannon III

112 Must-eat dishes in SIX Asian cities 122 From A to Z when dining in L.A. 134 The ultimate Vietnamese FOOD tour 146 SPICE is life when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re in Chengdu 111

Out on the The assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to eat these six Asian cities. That could mean anything from

Street Waffles in Hong Kong. Clockwise from left: Time to eat in Kuala Lumpur; Jakarta’s famed sate kambing; bak kut teh, or meat-bone tea, in Singapore; Seoul’s ggultarae, sweet silk-like strands woven into balls; shaved ice in Taipei.

c l o c k w i s e f r o m t h i s p h o t o : j o n at h a n w o n g ; D av i d H a g e r m a n ( 2 ) ; l a u r y n i s h a k ; Ch o S e o n g J o o n ; D a v i d H a g e r m a n

three dishes you cannot do without when visiting each of kerak telur to char kway teow. Just remember, it’s not all offal.

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In Chinatown, a grumpy

c l o c k w i s e f r o m t h i s p h o t o : D av i d H a g e r m a n ( 2 ) ; j o n at h a n w o n g ; l a u r y n i s h a k ; D a v i d H a g e r m a n ; Ch o S e o n g J o o n

As in most of Asia’s major centers, there’s a wealth of street-food options in the Malaysian capital that you simply cannot miss on any visit. Among these, pan meen is a Malaysian Chinese surf-and-turf stunner of fresh noodles with pork and deep-fried ikan bilis. Find a worthy version at bustling Imbi Market (Jln. Melati; 7 a.m. to noon; RM3.50)— look for the elderly couple cranking out dough sheets on an Italian-style pasta roller. Ask for soup and you’ll get rough squares of hand-torn pasta bobbing in a meaty broth with sliced pork, ikan bilis, and tender sweet potato leaves. Opt for “dry” pan meen and you’ll be rewarded with a tangle of chewy fettucine-like strands in a pool of garlicky dark soy, crowned with slivered fungi (wood ear and shiitake), chopped pork and crispy mini fish, with a broth on the side. Either way, dip into the accompanying sambal, a piquant puree of fresh chilies, cilantro and kalamansi juice. It’s no secret that Penang lays claim to asam laksa, a melange of thick round rice noodles in a tamarind-sour, sweet and spicy piscine soup garnished with mint leaves, cucumber and pineapple. But that doesn’t mean it’s not worth seeking out in the capital. Hidden in the bowels of Chinatown’s wet market (Madras Lane off Jln. Petaling; 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; RM4.50) is a grumpy woman dishing up a version thick with fish that successfully straddles the line between sweet and saccharine. Its fiery tartness may hint at Thai tom yam but the peppery laksa leaves floating in the broth and slivers of astringent torch ginger flower hidden amongst the shrubbery garnish confirm its Penang Nyonya identity. Coriander seeds, cardamom pods, turmeric, black pepper and a whole lot of meaty goodness come together in the belly-warming Malaysian Mamak (Muslim Indian) specialty sup kambing. The green curry lookalike served up from a mobile cart in a Bangsar parking lot (Persiaran Ara Kiri, across from Nam Chuan Coffee Shop, Lucky Garden; from 3 p.m.; RM5) has decades of experience behind it (the vendor’s father started the business more than 20 years ago). Thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and so rich you’ll swear it contains coconut milk (it doesn’t), the dish makes a perfect stomachcoating, pre-barhopping meal. The tender rib meat slides right off the bone, while offal lovers can opt for tongue or heart.—ro b y n e c k h a r d t »

Curried fishballs, a staple on Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s streets. Clockwise from right: Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famed char kway teow; preparing kerak telur in Jakarta; jokbal, or steamed pigs feet, in Seoul; a Taipei order of chou doufu; sup kambing in Kuala Lumpur.

woman dishes up asam laksa thick with fish

The Hong Kong waffle outlet, Mouth Full.

In Taipei, o ah jian is no ordinary omelet. The 116

Jakarta On weekend evenings in Jakarta, head to historic Fatahillah Square in Kota Tua (“Old Town”) to sample an almostdisappeared street specialty: kerak telur (opposite Batavia Café; Friday-Sunday; Rp20,000), a rice-and-egg omelet cooked in a concave pan over charcoal. The vendor’s technique is as fascinating as his kerak telur is tasty. After crisping a layer of rice in the pan he adds an egg, whisks it and then spreads it over the rice, then turns the pan upside down over the coals. After the omelet is puffed and browned he returns the pan to the fire to crisp the bottom of the omelet, then slides his creation onto a plate. Topped with grated coconut tinted golden with turmeric, the omelette is sweet and savory with a hint of smoke, light enough to serve well as a snack. Around Jakarta, sate sellers are a dime a dozen, so how do you know where the good stuff is? Well, follow the crowds. Hole-in-the-wall Jaya Agung (Jln. Wahid Hasyim No. 56C; late morning to late at night; Rp4,000 per stick) is perpetually packed with diners patiently awaiting their order from its sidewalk grill. The sate ayam is perfectly tasty and probably better for your health, but meat lovers should head straight for the sate kambing, a self-basting treat of succulent meat chunks alternating with slivers of fat. The not-too-sweet roasted peanut sauce served is just as delicious. For a real carnivore’s feast order a bowl of gule kambing, a fragrant curried meat soup, to eat alongside. Betawi are known as the original Jakartans and mean soto makers. Evidence of the latter is found in soto Betawi, an intriguingly flavored beef-noodle soup made with two kinds of milk: from a cow and a coconut. A stall in Afung (Jln. Pancong; late morning to late afternoon; Rp30,000), a drinks shop in Chinatown, dishes up a version heady with nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon, packed with meat (and offal, if you wish), lightened with tomato and garnished with browned garlic. A squeeze of kalamansi brings it all together.—r . e .

j o n at h a n w o n g

Taipei In a city loaded with great markets, it’s no surprise that Taipei has equally great street food. One offering worth mention reaches you before you see it: infamous chou doufu, or stinky tofu, a rite of passage for every visitor. The stench—said by many to be reminiscent of sewage or rotting garbage—is so pungent that the fried fermented tofu cubes have often been banned from public spaces. But for those who dare, the dish can become addictive. During fermentation, when the tofu is marinated in a brine, it melts into an almost custard-like consistency while the skin becomes thin and silky, perfect for frying to a golden crisp. Served with vinegar and soy sauce, garlic–chili paste for that extra kick, and a side of pickled vegetables, this hawker staple is a national treasure among Taiwanese, all for NT$55. Several Taipei markets sell all

three dishes, so where to go is largely a matter of personal preference. Notable night markets include Shilin (intersection of Wenlin, Tatung and Anping roads), Raohe (intersection of Ba De Rd., Sec. 4 and Fuyuan St.), Huaxi Street (Huaxi St., between Hsiyuan and Huanhe South roads) and Tonghua (Linjiang and Tonghua streets, between Hsinyi Rd., Sec. 4 and Keelung Rd., Sec. 2). Moving on to another stall, you’ll quickly learn that the oyster omelet (o ah jian) is no ordinary omelet. Made with an egg batter composed of corn or potato starch, the pancakelike dish has a signature chewy texture. Look for street stalls with large cast-iron griddles, where the omelets are made to order for NT$50. The batter is poured on top of lightly sautéed plump oysters (for that briny accent) and crunchy Chinese cabbage. But the tastiest addition is a thick, pink sauce—made from a base of tomato, hoisin, and sweet and spicy mix—that is liberally doused over the omelet to blend the flavors together. Naysayers find the texture “slimy,” while loyalists describe it as pleasantly “al dente.” Much more low key, snow ice (xue hua bing) is the Taiwanese equivalent of a snow cone. The idea behind the NT$120 snow ice is simple: ice, drizzled with syrup, with toppings. But the magic is in the texture of the ice. Made from a base of condensed milk and a selection of fresh fruit juices, the ice is finely shaved into gossamer-thin layers. The resulting texture is fluffy and light as air, kind of an icy cotton candy. Perfect as a palate cleanser at the end of a night-market crawl, get creative with your own combination of sweet condiments, including red bean, fresh fruits, tapioca, chocolate sprinkles, herbal jelly, aloe vera or peanuts.—a m y m a

Hong Kong Itinerant food vendors are fast disappearing from Hong Kong’s streets, but there are a few stops where the city’s street foods have survived in permanent locations. Hong Kong’s street-side waffles, gak jai beng—a variation on the Belgian treat—are sold in paper bags together with eggettes known as gai dan jai, another Hong Kong street classic. Typically topped with peanut butter, evaporated milk and sugar, the hearty waffles offer a rich, gooey alternative to the plain eggy crunchiness of eggettes. Oil-free and low in sugar, waffles at Cameo’s Kitchen (2-8 Yacht St., Tin Hau; open every day except Sunday, noon to 9 p.m.; HK$13) are arguably the best in town and a guaranteed delight for the health-conscious. You’ll be surprised by the incredible lightness of the thick waffles, thanks to the use of quality Japanese flour. Head over to Mouth Full (15 Tin Chong Street, North Point; noon to 10 p.m.; HK$11) for chewy and nicely browned waffles that come with special toppings including red-bean paste, chestnut paste, custard and peanut butter. With its enticing spices and interesting textures, the humble ngau jap, or beef-offal stew, remains one of the city’s favorite »

pancake-like dish has a chewy texture 117

c l o c k w i s e f r o m t h i s p h o t o : D av i d H a g e r m a n ; C h o S e o n g J o o n ; l a u r y n i s h a k ; j o n at h a n w o n g

A feast for the eyes, ggultarae (honey and nuts)

Sambal stingray in Singapore. Clockwise from below: Hong Kongâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Block 13; soto betawi, a beef-noodle soup in Jakarta; a variety of Seoul street food.

are stretched into the air by young craftsmen

Springy and spicy ga lei yu dan, fishballs, are

Seoul Seoul’s street stalls, the pojangmacha, fill the bellies of South Koreans day and night. The array of foods is a dizzying, colorful adventure but the initiated stand firm on their favorites. Tteokbokki (rice cakes and fish cakes in thick spicy– sweet sauce) is one of them. It was once a royal court dish but has descended from the palace to street level. The chewy rice cakes swim in a bright red gochujang chili paste that can be overwhelming. It takes some practice to discern the flavors of the chewy cakes and the broiled fish and meat. Tteokbokki is best paired with sundae (blood sausage with rice and intestines) or any of the wide variety of fried foods on sticks. Head to Jungang Market (Sindang 5-dong; 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.; KRW2,000) in Sindang-dong to sample it in its historic homeland. Convenient the world’s street foods may be, but they are rarely known for being healthy. Enter jokbal (steamed pigs feet marinated in soy sauce and spices or served with soybean paste), which despite the need to wrap it in sesame leaves or lettuce to counter its rich fat content, is a cure-all in Korea. It’s said to combat fatigue, help blood flow, remove toxins, act as natural skin care and even cure tumors. Crucially, the pigs feet that have long had an iconic role in global fine cuisine are also an excellent late-night fix for a soju hangover. Head to Kwang Jang Market (Jongno-gu Yeji-dong 6-1; KRW20,000) for your fix. A feast for the eyes, the silk-like strings of ggultarae (honey and nuts) are theatrically stretched into the air by white-kilted, 120

flirtatious young craftsmen. Popular with visitors and locals alike, ggultarae is readily available on Insadong Antiques Street (Insadong-gil; 10 ggultarae for KRW500). It all starts with a ball of honey, which is repeatedly dunked in white cornstarch and carefully stretched into hair-fine strands. The thin weave, which translates as “dragon’s beard,” is then rolled around crushed peanuts, almonds or walnuts to end up as a sweet dough ball. Think cotton candy meets masterful Italian pastamaking, a perfect finish to your three-course street dinner. —n i c o l a i h a rt v i g

Singapore Mention char kway teow to a Singaporean and you’re almost guaranteed to draw a mixed reaction: consternation and craving. It is, after all, hawker fare loved for its distinctly rich flavors but also comes with an unhealthy image. Loosely translated as “stir-fried rice cake strips,” the flat rice noodles come doused in sweet dark soya sauce with deep-fried lard, Chinese sausages, eggs, bean sprouts, chives and shelled cockles. There’s a steady stream of fans who patronize Hill Street Char Kway Teow (Block 16, Bedok South Road Food Centre #01-187; 65/9042-1312; open daily except Monday, late morning to 6 p.m.; S$3). Here, you’ll find a balanced combination of flavors and texture; a dish that is neither too wet nor too dry and comes with a fragrant whiff of the blistering wok. Another must-have order, bak kut teh, or meat bone tea, has a humble provenance. Word is it was introduced to Singapore by Chinese coolies in the 19th century. Outram Park Ya Hua Rou Gu Cha (PSA Tanjong Pagar Complex, #01-05/07, No. 7 Keppel Rd.; 65/6222-9610; open daily except Monday, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to 4 a.m.; S$7) serves up bak kut teh in Teochew style. Here, the pork ribs are simmered in a stock of garlic and pepper until the meat is tender and tears off the bone easily. As a result, the peppery broth is addictive. Order youtiao (deep-fried dough fritters), kiam chye (salted vegetables), stewed peanuts and small intestines alongside a pot of Chinese tea. While sambal stingray isn’t nearly as famous as the chili crab, it’s a cult favorite that’s often seen gracing tabletops in hawker centers across the island. Head straight to Leng Heng Seafood BBQ (East Coast Lagoon Food Centre, Stall No. 6; 65/ 6445-0513; open daily excempt Thursday, 3:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.; S$12) for flavorful sambal stingray charcoal-grilled to perfection. The barbecued meat, served on a banana leaf to impart a smoky aroma, is smothered in a generous spread of sambal chili, sliced onions and okra—all vital condiments that give this dish a tangy, robust taste and that extra oomph. Warning: Leng Heng’s sambal is not for the uninitiated. Squeeze a dash of fresh lime and dip the tender flesh in the cincaluk (fermented shrimp brine) sauce before savoring the sweet, sour and spicy morsel.—l i a n g x i n y i

lauryn ishak

street-side delicacies. Typical parts on offer include rich and melt-in-your-mouth pancreas, chewy intestines and stomachs, and spongy lungs. Mustard is usually added for an extra kick. Block 13 (1 Shu Kuk Street, North Point; noon to 9 p.m.; HK$8) is arguably the best-known offal stew vendor in town. Fresh offal arrives daily and undergoes 10 hours of hand-cleaning, drying and stewing before being sold. The flavorful gravy— the essence of the stew—is made with more than 20 spices and sauces and constantly replenished to retain its richness. Having made their way from the streets into convenience stores and even mom’s kitchen, springy and spicy ga lei yu dan (curried fishballs) are synonymous with street food in Hong Kong. Offerings at each stall look roughly the same, but local foodies know exactly where to go for their favorite fishballs. Hidden behind the stalls of Fa Yuen Street market, Jin Mei Wonton Noodle (174B Fa Yuen Street, Mongkok; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.) offers what’s possibly the spiciest fishballs in town—and the cheapest, at HK$5 for eight balls. Ask for a mix of spicy and non-spicy if you are unsure of the heat tolerance of your tastebuds. Lee Keung Kee (492 King’s Road, North Point; 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; HK$6) is famous for its crunchy eggettes but with a rich and fragrant satay dipping sauce, its curry fishballs are also a popular option.—k e i t i n g

synonymous with street food in Hong Kong Preparing Bak kut teh, or meat-bone tea, in Singapore.

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Food Loverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Los Angeles has always been well ahead when it comes to the real taste of America. Here are 26 reasons why thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s particularly true today. By Peter jon lindberg. Photographed by Coral Von zumwalt

guide L.A. to Z

The famed pastrami on rye at Langerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s deli. Opposite: Santa Barbara sea urchin at the Hungry Cat, in Hollywood.

Taste of the Town From above left: Animal’s crudo (fluke with grapefruit, pineapple, radishes, mint and

America is finally catching up to what Angelenos have known — and happily devoured — for years. Many of today’s food trends took root in L.A.: the devotion to local, seasonal ingredients, readily available from year-round markets. The eschewing of stiff Continental formality. Not least, the longstanding, citywide affection for traditional dishes from abroad (Salvadoran pupusas, Peruvian ceviche, Vietnamese pho). With its immigrant subcultures, L.A. is the finest place in the U.S. to eat.

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raita); strawberries at the Santa Monica Farmers Market; Huckleberry’s Valrhona-dipped doughnuts.

Animal The city’s top new restaurant may not,

at first, seem very L.A.: plain, boxy interior; “Don’t Fear the Reaper” on the stereo; and a menu of the pig-happy, nose-to-tail Dude Food you’d expect in Brooklyn or Chicago. But it’s the ethereal produce, not the protein, that raises Animal (435 N. Fairfax Ave.; 1-323/782-9225; dinner for two US$100) to such dizzying heights. A plate of crackly pig’s ears—punctuated by chiligarlic paste and a gooey fried egg—comes on like an amp set to 11, but is brightened and lightened by a splash of tart lime juice and fresh scallions. Crunchy nuggets of fried hominy are now up there with wasabi peas and popcorn in the holy trinity of salty snacks. The unexpected gem is the crudo: a recent combo of raw fluke, yuzu, serrano chili, apple and pungent mint was no macho plate but downright girly—silky, sexy and impeccably dressed.

Breakfast This is an early-to-rise town, aptly fond of the morning meal—and while it’s hard to beat the ricotta pancakes at BLD or an egg scramble at the Nickel Diner, the 15-month-old bakery/café Huckleberry (1014 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica; 1-310/ 451-2311; breakfast for two US$30) takes the prize for L.A.’s best breakfast. Join the perpetual line snaking through the small dining room to the bakery counter and order a plump, crisp-edged doughnut dipped in Valrhona chocolate or the platonic ideal of egg sandwiches, with Niman Ranch bacon,

cave-aged Gruyère, arugula and tangy aioli on buttered country bread. The rest of your day will thank you.

Church & State At the forefront of Down-

town’s dining renaissance is the cacophonous, freewheeling bistro Church & State (1850 Industrial St.; 1-213/405-1434; dinner for two US$90), in the unlikely neighborhood of Skid Row, where chef Walter Manzke conjures ur-French classics: lard-cooked frites, house-made charcuterie, and a shockingly good tarte flambé with caramelized onions, smoked bacon and molten Gruyère.

Delis Like vintage Buicks and aging divas, old delicatessens preserve themselves well in the southern California sunshine. Canter’s, Nate ’n Al, Greenblatt’s: all unimpeachable specimens. But the sine qua non will always be 63-year-old Langer’s (704 S. Alvarado St.; 1-213/483-8050; pastrami sandwich US$13), source of the finest pastrami this side of the Hudson. The meat— smoky around the edges, Kobe-tender and bursting with beefy juice—requires not a smidge of seasoning, though mustard comes standard. And the rye ... Good Lord, the rye: par-baked daily at Bea’s Bakery, in Tarzana, then finished in-house till it’s plush in the center but crisp at the crust. Finally there’s the setting: brass chandeliers on a droppedpanel ceiling; a malt machine; a case of cakes the size of truck wheels. Dare you? Yes. Yes, you do. » 125

Espresso Obsessively crafted espresso drinks— brewed in US$10,000 Clover machines, bonglike siphons or a brass-sheathed La Marzocco elegant as an old French horn—are the main perk at Lamill (1636 Silver Lake Blvd.; 1-323/663-4441; breakfast for two US$45). But the note-perfect coffee is equalled by the food, courtesy of Providence chef Michael Cimarusti. Don’t miss the eggs en cocotte, a burbling ramekin of velvety yolk and gently baked whites swirled around crimini and oyster mushrooms, lardons and fines herbes.

Farmers’ Markets Musky Charentais melons, candy-like persimmons, juicy citrus at any time of year, a dozen varieties of artichoke and avocado: just a few reasons why southern California is the envy of any sentient human cursed to live elsewhere. No place is better for working up an appetite—or sating one—than the Santa Monica Farmers Market (Second St. and Arizona Ave., Santa Monica; Wednesday and Saturday mornings, 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.), which sells all of the above and more.

Gjelina Speaking of the farmers’ market, that’s

where you’ll typically find Travis Lett when he’s not behind the stoves at Gjelina (1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice; 1-310/450-1429; dinner for two US$85), the bright new light on ever-trendy Abbot Kinney. Lett’s surfer-boy looks—perhaps you caught him in Vogue—belie his talent for the earthy, assertive, locavore cooking that makes even vegetarian dishes (wood-roasted Tahitian squash with rosemary and unfiltered olive oil; braised chickpeas with harissa) taste as hearty as the short ribs. Lett’s intensely flavorful, flame-kissed plates find an ideal setting in the dark, candlelit dining room or back courtyard.

Hamburgers Look, we’re happy to see brash

new upstarts stake their claim: 25 Degrees, in Hollywood; the Counter, in Santa Monica; Umami Burger, on LaBrea Avenue. But honestly—we could sample L.A.’s myriad haute-burger offerings until the grass-fed cows come home and never find two better than the Double-Double at In-N-Out (multiple locations; in-n-out.com; US$2.99) or the Office Burger at Father’s Office (3229 Helms Ave., Culver City; 1-310/736-2224; US$12.50). These are today’s polestars of California burgerdom: the former a wellbalanced assemblage of fresh trimmings and never-frozen beef that evokes all the scarf-worthy pleasures of fast food, while utterly transcending the genre; the latter a fancily dressed interloper made with ground dry-aged chuck, topped with a smoky bacon and caramelized-onion compote, Gruyère, Maytag blue cheese and arugula, served on a disarmingly crunchy demi-baguette—less a burger than an exceedingly rich steak sandwich. Be sure to pair it with sweet-potato fries and a glass of AleSmith Anvil ESB, one of 35-odd craft brews on tap.

Izakaya Along with Donkey Kong, instant noodles and SMS serial fiction, one of Japan’s finer inventions is the izakaya: a folksy, rowdy pub specializing in small plates evoking ofukuro no aji (literally, the taste of mother’s cooking)—that is, if your mom just happened to make you grilled yellowtail collar, braised pork belly or flanlike tofu topped with crunchy scallions, baby shrimp and wispy threads of ginger when you were a kid. If not, you’ll wish she had at Izayoi (132 S. Central Ave.; 1-213/613-9554; snacks from US$3), a convivial Little Tokyo tavern where the shochu, sake and cold beer flow freely well into the night and perfectly accommodate the cooking. »

Going Coastal From left: Kiriko’s applewood-smoked Vancouver Island wild salmon; siphon coffee brewers at Lamill

Pizza with Coach Farm goat cheese, bacon, leeks, scallions and garlic at Pizzeria Mozza.

Gold The high/low priest of Southland dining. The first restaurant critic to win the Pulitzer Prize. The Lester Bangs of food writing. Jonathan Gold, stalwart reviewer for LA Weekly, makes the hungriest of us look meek and unadventurous, not to mention ineloquent. His reviews collection, Counter Intelligence: Where to Eat in the Real Los Angeles (LA Weekly Books), reads like a book of short stories populated by a rogue’s gallery of vivid global characters. In the end, it’s Gold’s city; we’re just the dinner guests. Jonathan

Khua Kling The mind-bendingly spicy cuisine

of southern Thailand is at the heart of the epic 130-plus-item menu at Jitlada (5233 1/2 Sunset Blvd.; 1-323/663-3104; lunch for two US$25), a cozy Thai Town canteen whose fiery khua kling (a turmeric-charged dry curry with beef or diced pork) will cause you to see through time. Relief comes in a cooling order of khao yam, a fragrant salad of rice, lemongrass, Kaffir lime, green beans and sour mango.

Lotería The original Lotería stand is a landmark

at the Third Street Farmers’ Market; the newer Lotería Grill (6627 Hollywood Blvd.; 1-323/4652500; lunch for two US$24) serves the same note-perfect tacos in a sit-down setting. You’ll want a brace of the cochinita pibil (marinated pork, slow-roasted in a banana leaf) and, if

available, two of the phenomenal lengua de res (tender stewed beef tongue in tomatillo sauce), chased with a michelada or a bottle of Mexican Coke, which is made with real cane sugar, not corn syrup.

Mixology For all the salty margaritas in Los

Angeles, the city’s cocktail scene is fast-improving. Restaurants like Rivera (see “R”) and Comme Ça (8479 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood; 1-323/7821104) have raised the bar with inventive (but never frivolous) drink menus. Alongside them has emerged a new breed of serious cocktail dens, the sort that craft their own bitters and chip their own ice. Kick or cap off your night at the rum-crazed Tar Pit (609 N. La Brea Ave.; 1-323/965-1300), noir speakeasy the Varnish (118 E. Sixth St.; 1-213/6229999), or Copa D’oro (217 Broadway, Santa Monica; 1-310/ 576-3030), where head barman/savant Vincenzo Marianella creates custom-blended drinks—you choose the base ingredients—using fresh fruits and herbs from the nearby farmers’ market.

Nancy Silverton You knew the L.A.-born-

and-bred Nancy Silverton could work magic with flour and an oven (she introduced artisanal sourdough to the city at La Brea Bakery and was head pastry chef at Spago before that). And you knew she had a way with melted cheese (who else could have made

Global Menus From left: A Donaji cocktail (mescal, lime juice and agave nectar) at Rivera; inside the

Campanile’s Grilled Cheese Nights the hottest ticket in town?). So when Silverton teamed up with Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich to create—heaven help us all—a pizza parlor, you kind of knew it would be great. But not this great. Silverton’s astonishingly flavorful pies are worth every second of what is often a two-hour wait at Pizzeria Mozza (641 N. Highland Ave.; 1-323/297-0101; dinner for two from US$75)— whether it’s the squash blossom–tomato-burrata combo or the masterpiece of gooey Stracchino, shaved artichokes, olives and lemon.

Omakase L.A.’s most artful sushi chefs tend to toil in the least-artful-looking sushi bars, usually tucked inside anonymous strip malls—to the point that sushi snobs are rightly suspicious of anyplace fancier than a Pinkberry. The two best and least assuming: Kiriko (11301 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite 102; 1-310/478-7769; omakase dinner for two US$160), in the Little Osaka enclave off Sawtelle Boulevard, and Sushi Zo (9824 National Blvd.; 1-310/842-3977; lunch for two US$120), in sleepy Cheviot Hills. Kiriko isn’t even listed in Zagat, but chef-owner Ken Namba is a master of all things salmon: he gently smokes his Vancouver Island wild king salmon over applewood and then pairs it with the collar, seared to a gorgeous, glistening gold. At Sushi Zo, an omakase lunch might start with yuzu- and spicy radish–dressed Kumamoto oysters, then proceed through sea urchin and squid “noodles”

(the squid formed into perfectly al dente capellini) and slices of translucent, ruby-red Hawaiian tuna that glisten like tropical fruit.

Persian Food The city nicknamed Tehrangeles

is, not surprisingly, home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran. Emigrés have settled all over L.A.’s west side—a significant percentage of the students at Beverly Hills High are of Persian descent— but it’s in the cafés and kebab houses of Westwood Boulevard that the diaspora regroups. Elegant ladies and men in Bijan bond over piping-hot lavash bread and savory gheymeh bademjan (eggplant stew) at Shamshiri Grill (1712 Westwood Blvd.; 1-310/474-1410; dinner for two US$44), while the younger set noshes on baguettes piled with salad olivieh (a Persian childhood favorite of diced chicken, potato, egg and pickles) at nearby Canary (1942 Westwood Blvd.; 1-310/4701312; sandwiches for two US$16). On Fridays, cockle-warming abgoost is the not-to-be-missed daily special at Attari (1388 Westwood Blvd.; 1-310/441-5488; US$10.50): a bowl of hearty lamb, tomato and bean soup accompanied by sprigs of tarragon and mint, raw onions and radish, warm barbari bread, and a tongue-tingling sour torshi (minced pickle). Sprinkle in some Farsi gossip overheard from the surrounding tables and a melancholy ballad by Googoosh (the Persian Barbra Streisand) and any homesick exile would swear she was back in Esfahan. »

freewheeling Downtown bistro Church & State; jamón ibérico , part of the dazzling tapas menu at The Bazaar.

The dining room at Tavern, in Brentwood.

A note-perfect taco sampler at Lotería Grill on Hollywood Boulevard.

Quesillo Tangy-sweet quesillo (soft, unripened cow’s-milk cheese) is the key to a mouthwatering pupusa: a disk of griddled corn flatbread filled with grated cheese and your choice of green chilies, shredded pork, refried beans, squash or artichoke-like loroco flower. Native to El Salvador—which celebrates National Pupusa Day on the second Sunday of November—but beloved throughout Central America, pupusas can be found all over L.A., though none better than at Atlacatl (301 N. Berendo St.; 1-323/663-1404; pupusa US$2.10). Still not sated? Head to MacArthur Park for June’s annual Pupusa Festival.

Rivera John Rivera Sedlar, the Santa Fe–born chef who pioneered Southwestern cuisine two decades ago, makes his long-awaited return to the kitchen at Rivera (1050 S. Flower St.; 1-213/7491460; dinner for two US$85), an easy three-point toss from the Staples Center. The sleekly designed space—think shades of 90’s dot-com boom and you’ll get the idea—is a bit too faithful to Sedlar’s heyday, but the cooking is reassuringly earthy: the juicy puerco pibil (sous vide–cooked pork shoulder) is so meltingly tender you could cut it with a sheaf of lettuce, while the house-made tortillas—still warm from the griddle— have sage leaves, fresh chervil, dill, tarragon and edible flowers all pressed into their centers.

Salad This is not about a sensible substitution for

fries. This is not alfalfa sprouts and mashed yeast. This is about the genre-defining Green Goddess salad at Tavern (11648 San Vincente Blvd.; 1-310/ 806-6464; lunch for two US$40), Suzanne Goin’s breezy new restaurant-café-food shop in Brentwood, which is precisely the sort of place where unadventurous diners order salads as their main course. Put simply, they don’t deserve one this good: a platter of sweet Dungeness crab, poached shrimp, avocado and bright-green leaves of market-fresh Little Gem—a crisper, nuttier butter lettuce—with a dressing redolent of tarragon, anchovy and chive. The virtuous never had it so good. Tapas The Bazaar (465 S. La Cienega Blvd.;

1-310/246-5555; dinner for two US$100)—a US$12 million collaboration at the SLS Hotel between the madcap Spanish chef José Andrés, designer Philippe Starck and hotelier Sam Nazarian—is a restaurant in the way that Avatar is a movie: every element is engineered to dazzle and disorient, for better or for worse, starting with the wacky, 1,160-square-meter interior (which combines a patisserie, a bar, two dining rooms, a Moss design shop and even an itinerant palm reader). Then there’s the menu itself—half devoted to what would be called traditional » 131

Cultural Flavors From above: The bar at Father’s Office, known for its burgers; Misa Cien (left) and

tapas, the other to metaphysical riffs on same. Sure, some of it reads like molecular gastronomy’s greatest hits: the foie gras cotton candy, the dainty ice cream cones of caviar, the requisite spherified olives (which taste like salty tears). Yet only the jaded could deny the joy here. Behold the seared arctic char, delivered under a silver dome, which the server lifts to unleash a swirl of applewood-scented “smoke.” Or the conserva—canned daily in sardine tins, in the Spanish manner—of king crab with pungent tarragon, edible flowers and a bracingly tart raspberry vinaigrette.

Uni Even parochial Japanese uni lovers acknowledge Santa Barbara sea urchin as the world’s finest: a glistening jewel of briny-nuttysweetness. At the Hungry Cat (1535 Vine St., Hollywood; 1-323/462-2155; sea urchin US$18) the uni arrives fresh each morning and is served in the spiny shell, seasoned with absolutely nothing, to be scooped up and savored by some lucky soul with a spoon. Too bad about the dining room, which is wedged inelegantly behind a Borders bookstore and possessing neither charm nor a view—but connoisseurs of the dish will be too focused on the silken glory of the uni to notice.

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Vietnamese Hardcore Vietnamese-food devo-

tees will send you to the corner of Orange County known as Little Saigon—but how about a pho fix here in L.A.? Seek out Pho Café (2841 W. Sunset Blvd.; 1-213/413-0888; lunch for two US$35), hidden beside a Crown Escrow outlet in a derelict mini-mall. Despite the lack of signage, the long, narrow room is jammed from noon to night with Silver Lake and Echo Park hipsters, each of them nursing an outsize bowl of Vietnam’s beloved, breathtakingly fragrant noodle soup. Best option: the pho tai gan, with toothsome beef tendon and ribbons of raw sirloin that slowly cook in the clove- and cinnamon-spiced broth.

Wolfgang Has any chef been so equally revered and derided? Twenty-eight years on from the original Spago, Wolfgang Puck earns all the flak for overexposure—the supermarket pizzas, the airport and casino cash-ins. But the first celebrity chef can still bring the heat. His latest, Cut (Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel, 9500 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills; 1-310/ 276-8500; dinner for two US$180), is the best steak house in town on a good night, when the dry-aged rib eye is seared just-so, Richard Meier’s dining room gleams like a camel-

Jennifer Green in their Nom Nom truck, from which they serve Vietnamese tacos and banh mi.

colored Lexus and Tom Cruise doesn’t cut you in line at the hostess stand. (Hey, it happened to us.)

X Marks The Spot Whether food trucks are

the new bacon or just another passing thing, no trend has inspired such exuberant devotion among L.A. food bloggers, for whom the fad is tailor-made (vendors’ locations are continuously updated via Twitter). Kogi (kogibbq.com) put the food truck on the national Google map with its Korean/Filipino–inflected taco: a deeply weird conflation of corn, sesame, cabbage and sweet-spicy pork that manages to evoke an Alsatian choucroute, a McDonald’s salad and a packet of Fun Dip—in a good way. Now hungry flash mobs are targeting other roving kitchens: Nom Nom (nomnomtruck.com) serves sublime banh mi, while Coolhaus (eatcoolhaus.com) builds ice cream sandwiches in architectinspired flavors like Louis Kahntaloupe.

Yuca’s When you’re craving Mexican on the East Side and Lotería Grill (see page 124) seems too far to drive, that’s when you pull up to Yuca’s (2056 Hillhurst Ave.; 1-323/662-1214; carne asada tacos US$2), still the best taqueria in Los Feliz after 34 years,

and order a brace of juicy, smoky, citrus-tinged carne asada tacos to devour on the hood of your car: Los Angeles on a paper plate.

Zarate The confoundingly underrated Ricardo

Zarate—a Lima, Peru, native and former sushi chef—works wonders with Peruvian ceviche at Mo-Chica (3655 S. Grand Ave.; 1-213/747-2141; lunch for two US$40), in the Mercado La Paloma food court and craft market south of Downtown. Zarate’s ceviche del día—sea bass, yellowtail, scallop, whatever’s fresh—is marinated to order in the classic leche de tigre (lime juice spiked with ginger and yellow chilis, so refreshing you could drink a highball of the stuff) and gussied up with cubed yam, choclo corn and/or sliced red onion. (One downside to the humble location is that a cheesy pan-flute soundtrack comes courtesy of the adjacent stall.) That this minor miracle chose such a humble spot to reveal itself speaks volumes about Los Angeles, a city built not on flash and hype but on countless unsung revelations. ✚

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From north to south, stopping in food markets, street stalls, holes-in-the-wall, colonial manses and everywhere in between, Peter Jon Lindberg goes on a quest for Vietnamâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best traditional dishes. Photographed by Brown W. Cannon III

Vietnam The Ultimate Food Tour

A bowl of beef pho from Hanoiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pho Gia Truyen. Opposite: Cultivating rice in Bac Ninh, a village outside Hanoi.

“An com chua?”

If you’re going to understand Vietnam and the Vietnamese, this phrase is key. A friendly greeting exchanged throughout the day, it poses a seemingly mundane question: “Have you eaten yet?” (The polite answer, even if you have, is “Why, no—let’s eat!”). Food is at the very heart of Vietnamese culture. Almost depths of a stock that’s been burbling since dawn. These are every aspect of social, devotional and family life revolves tastes that sate, soothe and just as often shock you awake— around the procurement, preparation and shared pleasure of particularly the pungent greens and herbs that figure in nourishment. Even commercial life: more than half of almost every dish. After the wonder that is Vietnamese Vietnam’s population makes a living in agriculture or the produce, the stuff back home seems like a recording of a food trade. Markets are on every corner; cooks on every curb. recording of a cassette that was left out in the sun. A sneeze elicits the blessing com muoi, or “rice with salt.” On a recent train ride from Hue to Hoi An, food was HANOI everywhere in sight. At each station stop, vendors rushed up I’ve spent roughly 100 days in Hanoi over the past 12 years, to the windows proffering homemade treats: shrimp cakes, a and I don’t recall ever once seeing blue sky. Not that I’d have local take on jerky, sticky rice. One vendor came aboard and it any other way. Like London or Seattle, this is a city that walked the aisles, selling sun-dried squid. (An American becomes itself under cloud cover. During those moist, moody traveler bought one, thinking it was a decorative fan.) In the afternoons, when mist hangs over the streets like smoke from bar car the train conductor and his staff spent the whole ride a cooking fire, Vietnam’s gorgeous old capital feels more not collecting tickets but preparing lunch: cooking noodles, intimate than it already is. shelling prawns, trimming basil into woven baskets. Even in the heat of summer, Hanoians favor cockleFollow any lane in any Vietnamese city at any time of day warming dishes suited to far chillier climes. The most and you’ll find some contented soul crouched over a bowl of renowned of these is Vietnam’s de facto national dish: pho bo, broth or rice. Then again, if you lived in Vietnam, you’d eat eaten at any time of day but especially for breakfast. Taking all the damn time, too. The food is beautiful to behold, if root in an earthy, long-simmered beef broth—shot through only for the colors alone: turmeric-yellow crêpes, sunset- with clove, ginger and star anise—the soup is filled out with orange crabs, scarlet-red chilies and deep-purple shrimp rice noodles and one or more varieties of raw or cooked beef, paste. Vietnamese cooking is fresher, healthier, lighter and tendon or tripe. Southerners sprinkle fresh herbs and bean brighter than, for instance, Chinese or Indian or French, sprouts on top, but a Northern pho is unadorned, with only a three of its closest relations. Though it is often few scallions and a bit of cilantro cooked into described as “honest” and “direct”—cooks the broth and perhaps a squirt of rice vinegar. Vietnamese Classics Clockwise from top left: Ms. resist fussy ornamentation (except in Hue; Pho Gia Truyen, on Bat Dan Street in Thai, owner of the 54-yearmore on that later)—this is a cuisine rich with Hanoi’s Old Quarter, doesn’t look like much old Café Nang, in Hanoi; Saigon at night; Hanoi’s nuance, carrying a complexity that is all the from the outside—or from the inside, for that Hoan Kiem Lake; quail eggs at Hanoi’s Chau Long more surprising for its being served in, say, a matter. The room has a clock, two fans, three Market; banh da ca (fish plastic bowl with a Tweety Bird logo, on a bare lightbulbs, and a handful of communal noodle soup) at the Quan An Ngon courtyard restaurant, flimsy table on the pavement. Flavors and tables. The only decoration is the food itself: in Hanoi; Vietnamese textures are deftly arranged so each note rings hulking slabs of brisket suspended from dessert in Hoi An; dining alfresco at The Lunch Lady clear, from the piercing highs of chili paste hooks, a hillside of scallions on the counter, food stall in Saigon. and nuoc mam (fish sauce) to the bottomless and a giant cauldron puffing out fragrant » 137

Chef and artist Boi Tran prepares a meal at her house in Hue.

clouds of steam like some benevolent dragon. A cashier takes and turmeric, and briefly seared on a grill. It’s then brought your money (about a dollar a serving), her colleague fills a to your table in a large pan with bowls of shaved scallions, bowl with noodles and chopped scallions, and a teenager crumbled peanuts, chilies and a hedgerow of bright-green with a faux-hawk ladles strips of ruby-red beef into the broth dill. A tabletop brazier is ignited. This is where you come in: to cook for two seconds, then spoons it all into the waiting tossing everything into the sizzling pan, sautéing the fish to a bowl. Half of Hanoi queues up for a seat, while others slurp golden brown, then laying it onto a bed of cool vermicelli, their soup perched on motorbikes outside. All wear serious with a few more dill sprigs for good measure. Add a dollop of expressions, and eat in a silence that feels not joyless but supremely funky shrimp paste if you dare (and you should). For all their obsessive eating and snacking, Hanoians tend reverential. The stock is so wholesome and protein-rich you feel yourself being cured of whatever might ail you, perhaps not to linger at table. Most finish dinner in seven minutes flat. Where they do while away the hours is at the local café. of anything that ever could. A proper restaurant culture, the sort with wait staff and Hanoians drink a lot of coffee: thick, rich, tar-black stuff, normal-size chairs, is still in its infancy here, but Vietnam has sometimes cut with condensed milk but often taken straight. a long tradition of eating out—quite literally so. Western The bohemian soul of Hanoi’s café scene is Nang, a 1956 notions of indoors and out are reversed: at a typical Old landmark on Hang Bac Street whose 74-year-old owner, Ms. Quarter house in Hanoi, the motorbikes are in the living Thai, still brews nearly every cup herself. (Her father-in-law, who lived in Paris for a spell, taught her how to French-roast room and the stove is on the sidewalk. When people here crave a particular dish, they usually visit the beans.) Ms. Thai’s blend, sourced from Dong Giao, in the a particular street vendor, often on a particular lane (which northern Nghe An province, is strong enough to power a may even be named after said dish). The best way to tackle 125-cc motorbike. The café is less than three meters wide, Hanoi is to treat the city as one vast progressive buffet, with tiny wooden tables and tinier wooden stools, occupied moving from the spring-roll guy to the fermented-pork lady all afternoon by young Vietnamese men sporting the and onward into the night. (For an exhaustive guide to currently in vogue greaser look: slicked-back hair, black leather jackets, skinny jeans, white pocket T’s with single Hanoi’s top street stalls, check out stickyrice.typepad.com.) Or you could make it easy and hit Quan An Ngon (locals cigarettes poking out. The place looks exactly as it must have call it simply “Ngon,” meaning delicious). The owner in 1956—a perfect microcosm of a city that’s always had a recruited an all-star roster of street-food vendors to cook their tenuous relation to the present tense. signature dishes in the courtyard of an old villa, added menus and table service, and watched the crowds pour in—not just HUE foreigners but also well-heeled Vietnamese, who can’t get Hue is a slow-burn town. While Vietnam’s former imperial enough of the place. (There’s also a branch in Saigon, a.k.a capital is certainly beautiful (the flame trees lining the bouleHo Chi Minh City.) The quality is excellent, the atmosphere vards could make a grown man swoon), it’s also sleepy and convivial and seats hard to come by after dark. Come for standoffish, more village than city. There’s an upside to this: a breakfast and the food is even fresher (and the cooks short bike ride out from the center will bring you into outnumber the patrons). Most of these dishes are tradi- wilderness, where only cicadas break the silence. But even tionally served all day, so the morning menu is much the downtown isn’t much livelier. And though Hue figures into same. My ultimate breakfast: an order of bun cha (grilled pork plenty of travelers’ itineraries—for its magnificent Citadel, in a marinade of sweetened fish sauce with a side of rice pagodas and imperial tombs—many find it tough to crack. vermicelli) and a bowl of banh da ca, a fabulously tangy fish In all my visits I never really “got” Hue, until I met Vo Thi soup from Haiphong laden with chunks of tilapia, chewy, Huong Lan, a friend of a friend who offered to show me its fettucine-like banh da noodles, dill, scallions and the magical elusive charms. Lan is something of a professional enthusiast rau can (a woody stalk with a strong, cedary bite). (her three favorite words: “I love it!”) and is positively mad for Speaking of fish, Hanoi cha ca is one of the great her hometown. “They say Hue is a place you leave, so you Vietnamese dishes, a note-perfect blend of raw and cooked can miss it when you’re gone,” she told me, “but I never want ingredients, assertive and delicate flavors, with to live anywhere else.” Most of all, she’s crazy Eastern Flavor Opposite, a DIY element as a bonus. It’s often associated about the food. Hue is renowned for its clockwise from top left: with a century-old Hanoi institution called elaborate cuisine, developed by the cooks of Tea service at Hoang Vien restaurant, set in a Cha Ca La Vong, which is very good, indeed, the royal court. Legend has it that the Nguyen restored French-colonial though I prefer the more peaceful surroundkings, who ruled a united Vietnam from Hue house in Hue; outside Hue’s Huyen Anh canteen; ings and local clientele of its rival, Cha Ca in the 19th century, refused to eat the same cuon diep (fresh shrimp Thanh Long, a few blocks away. The firm meal twice in a year, so their cooks came up rolls) at Cuc Gach Quan, in Saigon; a view of the white flesh of the snakehead fish is first with hundreds of distinct, visually arresting Perfume River near Hue. marinated in galangal, shallot, shrimp paste dishes (most using the same few dozen » 140

lan, it turns out, eats like a 1.5-meter-tall anthony bourdain, reveling in the bottom of the food chain: pig intestines, chicken heads and shrimp eyes

ingredients). This tradition endures in the local craze for dainty, flower-like dumplings and cakes such as banh beo, which aesthetically owe much to China and Japan. Banh beo is an acquired taste (“I love it!” Lan says), a bit too gluey for my own; it may be the only Vietnamese food I don’t enjoy. But I was knocked out by Hue’s other specialties, from com hen (a spicy clam-and-rice concoction) to banh khoai (a fajitasize rice-flour crêpe similar to the Southern favorite banh xeo). Lan, it turns out, eats like a 1.5-meter-tall Anthony Bourdain, reveling in the bottom of the food chain: pig intestines, chicken heads (“I love the brains!”) and shrimp eyes (“My mother says if you eat them, your own eyes will brighten”). For breakfast at Quan Cam, we tucked into a stellar bun bo Hue, the city’s signature dish: a fiery broth of long-simmered beef bones, suffused with lemongrass and stained red from nuoc cham (fish sauce and lime juice infused with clove, chili chilies, ladled over a bowlful of umami: paper-thin strips of and garlic). Shaved banana blossoms, shredded lettuce, bean beef, crab-and-pork meatballs, pig’s trotters, and huyet— sprouts, peanuts, cucumber and green papaya provide a quivering cubes of congealed pig’s blood. (These are way, textural counterpoint, while sprigs of cilantro and aggressive way better than they sound.) The bun bo is served only until peppermint fill in the high end. The crowning touch: 9:30 a.m., so early mornings are the busiest time. Some glistening slices of chargrilled pork. At home in New York I customers grabbed takeaway portions in skimpy plastic bags used to order bun thit nuong twice a week at our local Viet tied with a string. Lan, meanwhile, gobbled up huyet like so kitchen; alas, Huyen Anh has ruined me for anyone else’s. The highlight in Hue, however, was a three-hour dinner at many Snickers bars (“I love it!”), then cast a still-hungry eye Hoang Vien (“royal garden”), opened in March by the on my bowl: “Are you going to finish that?” painter and chef Boi Tran in a restored In the leafy enclave of Kim Long, we French-colonial house. In an open-walled lunched at the open-air canteen Huyen Anh, Incredible Tastes From left: Sautéing ingredients dining pavilion, long teak tables are set with which serves two dishes: banh uot thit nuong and for cha ca (snakehead fish vases of yellow roses: an ideal setting for a bun thit nuong. The former, dim sum–like ravioli with scallions, chilies and dill) in a tableside brazier modern take on Hue cuisine, presented with stuffed with grilled pork, are terrific. But it’s at Cha Ca Thanh Long, in Hanoi; deliciously appropriate flourish, like Vietnamese kaiseki. Huyen Anh’s bun thit nuong that sums up everycold fruit smoothies “Shrimp with five tastes” was reminiscent of thing that’s simple and delightful about at Saigon’s Ben Thanh Market; flowering chives Thai tom yum goong, with a single, plump pink Vietnamese cooking. Bun means noodles—in from the Sofitel Legend prawn swimming in a consommé spiced with this case a bowl of vermicelli—that arrive still Metropole hotel, in Hanoi. Kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass, chili, shallot and warm and soft, with a moistening drizzle of 142

ginger. Each flavor came through brilliantly. Hoang Vien’s nem ran (pork, shrimp and mushroom spring rolls) were shrouded in wispy golden threads of fried rice paper and accompanied by a salad of rose petals. Across five more courses, all presented from Bat Trang, the famed pottery village outside Hanoi, Boi Tran and her chefs took the precious formality of Hue cuisine to a new place, where the pleasure of pure flavor, not mere visual dazzle, was primary.

HOI AN It’s true that the quaint, narrow streets of this fishing village turned backpacker mecca turned resort haven are often choked with tour buses. But Hoi An still evokes Vietnam’s long-ago like few places can, especially at night, when the lanes are finally quiet and silk lanterns glimmer like rainbows off the river. Like Hue, Hoi An has a fine culinary tradition, including some dishes that are only made (or made well) here. One is the soup known as cao lau, whose thick noodles are cooked in water from one of five local wells. Any other water, people tell you, just won’t work. Because Hoi An is still a town of fishermen—at least those who haven’t taken jobs at luxury hotels—it’s a fantastic place for fresh seafood. On nearby Cua Dai Beach, barbecue restaurants have set up tables in the sand; the best of the lot is the amiable, family-run Hon, whose muc nuong (grilled squid) and ngheu hap (clams with ginger, lemongrass and fresh mint) are both ridiculously good. The doyenne of Hoi An’s food scene is Vy Trinh Diem, whom everyone calls Ms. Vy. The 40-year-old chef owns four restaurants here, the flagship of which is Morning Glory, a bustling two-story house in the heart of the Old Town. Morning Glory is a tourist haunt, and proudly so. It’s also the best place in town to sample Hoi An cuisine. While you can get a very good cao lau from stalls at the Hoi An market, Morning Glory’s rendition is endlessly richer: a tangy broth spiked with anise and soy sauce, sprinkled with chives, mint and cilantro, and topped with a crumbled rice cracker. In the center are juicy strips of xa xiu (soy-simmered pork, pronounced sa-syoo). Ms. Vy’s cao lau noodles are so toothsome and chewy you’d swear you were eating soba, not rice noodles. But what Hoi An is mainly known for is banh mi. Vietnam’s iconic sandwich is rarely served in restaurants, but sold from bakery counters and street carts. The term (pronounced bun-mee) refers to the baguette itself; the sandwich is formally a banh mi thit pâté (thit = meat, pâté = pâté) or sometimes a banh mi thit nuong (thit nuong = grilled meat). In the classic version, the pâté—a rich, velvety, offal-y spread—is paired with smoky barbecued pork and/or some mortadella-like cold cuts. Atop that goes a slathering of mayonnaise, strips of pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, chilies, a few sprigs of cilantro, and behold: the best sandwich ever. That’s what I used to think, anyway. But no prior encounter could have prepared me for the marvel of Phuong Banh Mi,

a sandwich stand on Hoang Dieu Street run by a young woman of the same name. I’d heard about Phuong from friends in Hanoi and Saigon. The concierge at the Nam Hai resort practically growled with hunger when I mentioned the place. Phuong’s banh mi is unique in that (a) she adds sliced tomato and hand-ground chili sauce, along with the standard trimmings; and (b) unlike in the South, where the baguettes are inflated to balloon-like proportions, Phuong’s are more modest, the bread-to-filling ratio spot-on. Come in the early morning or late afternoon (after the second baking) and the bread is still warm. Phuong wraps her creations in newspaper if you want them to go, but I devoured mine right there on the curb in about 47 seconds. It was unbefreakinglievable.

Ho Chi Minh City Ahh, the south. Everything is hotter: the air, the chilies, the woks, the fashion. Beer is served with a big chunk of ice; it melts before you’re finished. Compared with the food up north, the dishes are generally lighter—the heat, again—and sweeter. (Southerners have a predilection for coconut milk, sugarcane and saccharine desserts.) And while Northerners might call Southern cuisine unsophisticated, its origins are varied and complex. Unlike Hanoi, a more insular city whose identity is decidedly Vietnamese, Saigon has always had one foot in the outside world—just as the world has always had at least one foot in Saigon. Foreign influences are readily absorbed here, from the Indian and Malay flavors that inspired the Southern-style ca ry (curry) to the Singaporean noodle shops now favored by Saigon teenagers. This is an upwardly mobile city, consumed with money and ways to show it off, and its dining scene is accordingly flashier, more cosmopolitan. Alas, things change quickly in these boom times; every year or two I return to Saigon to find that more old favorites have disappeared. Thankfully, some touchstones remain—including my beloved crab joint, Quan Thuy 94. With an industrial fan roaring in the corner and a Jason Statham movie cranking on the TV, it’s short on visible charm. But the staff is adorable, and the kitchen knows the hell out of crab. The soft-shells, coated in lip-puckering tamarind sauce, burst in the mouth to unleash a creamy, tangy sweetness. Cha gio cua (crab spring rolls) are fried to an unerringly calibrated crunch. The unmissable order is mien xao cua be: glass noodles sautéed with crabmeat, mushrooms, chilies and vermilion-colored crab roe. (A word about the name: Quan Thuy 94 used to be at 94 Dinh Tien Hoang. When it moved down the street to No. 84, it kept “94” in its name. Confusing things further, a whole new crab joint has taken the old No. 94 storefront—but it’s No. 84 you want. Got that? Onward.) While the city evolves relentlessly around them, Saigon’s traditional street-food stalls provide a rare sense of continuity. High-rise hotels and IMAX theaters might shoot up next door, but the iconic sidewalk cook keeps plying her trade, » 143

unfazed. Case in point: Nguyen Thi Thanh, known as The overwhelms the table, let alone the plate. Its crisp, lacy edges Lunch Lady. For 13 years, Monday through Saturday, she has break off with a satisfying crackle, complementing the moist set up shop on a patch of pavement on Hoang Sa Street near and savory fillings. The key elements, however, are the pile of the zoo—working from 11 a.m. until she runs out of food, fresh herbs to tuck inside the crêpe and the giant mustard which happens quickly. Office workers, schoolkids and lazy leaves to wrap the thing in; their aroma and bite are as housewives queue up for whatever Lunch Lady is serving that powerful as a jarful of Dijon. day: usually noodles of some sort, invariably delicious. Wednesdays she often cooks up a knockout hu tieu, a Southern it’s not hard to find great street noodle soup laden with roasted sliced pork, prawns, peanuts food in Saigon: just walk 10 steps in any direction and pull up and soft-cooked quail eggs; the smoky broth is flavored with a stool. Nor is it hard to find, say, some sumptuously decorated shallots and dried squid. It’s a family affair: from an adjacent dining room in some gorgeous 19th-century villa where the stand, Lunch Lady’s cousin sells goi cuon, fresh summer rolls waft of jasmine incense and a warble of jazz help distract filled with sweet shrimp. Nearby, another relative blends ripe, from the blandness of the food. The hard part is finding fragrant tropical fruit into icy sinh to (smoothies). atmosphere and authenticity in the same package. According Fruit, in fact, might be the single best thing about eating to what I call the Law of Inverse Relation, the tastiest food is here. Saigon’s proximity to the Mekong Delta—which served in the least inviting venues, and vice versa. (A good supplies fully half of Vietnam’s produce—means the city rule: incandescent lights = order drinks only; fluorescent overflows with papaya, mango, coconut, jackfruit, soursop lights = eat here now.) and other exotic treats. Wildly colorful fruit stands are on That all held true until, by some blissful accident this April, every other corner, their artfulness rivaling the displays at three friends and I stumbled upon the exception: 10-monthTakashimaya. Even at Ben Thanh Market, where rapacious old Cuc Gach Quan (“the brick house”), owned by architect vendors sell watered-down food, the sinh to stands are uni- Tran Binh and his French-Vietnamese wife, Thai Tu-Tho. formly fantastic. I’ve had few more refreshing drinks than the Binh acquired a derelict colonial mansion and re-imagined it smoothie I tried at Ben Thanh one sultry 36-degree after- as an indoor-outdoor fantasia, blending historic details noon, made with sapodilla fruit and avocado. (antique armoires; a wall map of 1960’s Saigon) with contemHanoi may lay claim to its invention, but plenty of pho porary touches (gorgeous lighting; a floating staircase) to lovers (including myself) favor the Southern incarnation, create a strikingly romantic space—a gauzy, soft-focus realm which uses fresh herbs and raw greens for a broader range of that plays with one’s sense of time. Pre-1975 Vietnamese folk textures. For years I’ve scoured the back alleys of Saigon, plays on a vintage reel-to-reel tape machine. A flowering trying to find a better version than that served at Pho Hoa on cherry tree in the courtyard provides the fragrance. Pasteur Street, but to no avail: this tour group–friendly instiBut again: graceful interiors are a dime a dozen in Saigon tution really does serve the tastiest pho in town. To get the full these days. It’s the cooking that makes Cuc Gach Quan experience you need to come early for breakfast, when the remarkable. From an open kitchen, the chefs, Co Diep and clientele is all Vietnamese. Pho tai nam is your order, with rare Chi Bay, sent out a phenomenal thit kho to, or clay-pot-stewed beef and well-done flank (recalling a thick-sliced pastrami). pork belly; intensely flavored but not heavy, it tingled the In genuine Southern style, dress it with bean sprouts, hoisin tongue then melted in the mouth. Eggplant cooked in scallion sauce, chili sauce, a squirt of lime, and leaves from the oil was deliciously smoky and tender. Diep’s cloudlike househeaping platter of basil, sawtooth coriander and rice-paddy made tofu was lightly fried with lemongrass, shallots and herb, whose tiny leaves pack a cumin-like punch. Now it’s chilies, creating a sauce worth bottling and smuggling home. 7:15, and you’re ready for your first cup of coffee. This was not showy, dazzle-me cuisine, like Boi Tran’s cookHerbs and greens are also integral to a Saigon banh xeo ing in Hue, but more like the com binh danh (worker’s food) that (pronounced bun say-o, meaning “sizzling cake”). This rice- Vietnamese enjoy every day. “My grandmother used to cook flour crêpe is reminiscent of an Indian dosa, but wider, and like this,” said my friend Anh with a sigh. “Just not as well.” yellow with turmeric—bright as the sun and nearly as big. It was clear that every detail had been considered, from the Guidebooks will send you to 46A Dinh Cong Trang, an alley- handsome tin canister that held the chopsticks to the fresh side joint in District 3. But a better version can juice service, that used a stalk of morning be found at Banh Xeo An La Ghien (loosely glory for a straw. Yet nothing felt labored or Street Eats Opposite, from right: Banh cuon translated as “eat and be addicted”). Into an pretentious. There was an ease and simplicity (pork-and-mushroom outsize wok the chef tosses a fistful of bean to the service and the food that belied the dumplings) from a streetfood vendor at Quan An sprouts, pork, shrimp and/or mushrooms, elegance of the setting. Most of all there was Ngon; Saigon’s legendary Lunch Lady, Nguyen Thi then pours in a slick of marigold-yellow batter, joy. And as Duy Khanh crooned a sweet Thanh, stands at her rich with coconut milk. The resulting crêpe is nostalgic ballad on the reel-to-reel, we all felt street-side food stall. the size of a Monopoly board—so large it entirely at home. ✚ 144

guide to vietnam

Cha Ca Thanh Long 31 Duong Thanh, Old Quarter; 84-4/8245115; lunch for two US$12. Chau Long Market Corner of Chau Long and Nguyen sts., Ba Dinh District; lunch for two US$2. Hanoi Cooking Centre For a full-on immersion into the city’s food scene, take a market tour with Tracey Lister, the Australian expat who runs the center. 44 Chau Long St., Ba Dinh District; 84-4/3715-3277; hanoicookingcentre.com; cooking classes from US$45. Pho Gia Truyen (a.k.a. Pho 49 Bat Dan) 49 Bat Dan St., Old Quarter; no phone; pho for two US$2. Quan An Ngon 18 Phan Boi Chau, Hoan Kiem District; 84-4/39428162; dinner for two US$20. HUE Hoang Vien 22 Han Thuyen St.

Gulf of Tonkin

Quan Cam 38 Tran Cao Van St.; 84-54/383-1671; bun bo for two US$2.

LAOS

HOI AN Hon Stall No. 9, Cua Dai Beach (off Lac Long Quan St.); 84-510/ 392-7272; lunch for two US$7. Morning Glory 106 Nguyen Thai Hoc; 84-510/224-1555; dinner for two US$30. Phuong Banh Mi Hoang Dieu St. (in front of the market, a block north of the bridge); no phone; banh mi for two US$1. HO CHI MINH CITY Banh Xeo An La Ghien 74 Suong Nguyet Anh St., District 1; 84-8/ 3833-0534; lunch for two US$6.

THAILAND

Hue

WHERE TO EAT HANOI Café Nang 6 Hang Bac St., Old Quarter; 84-4/3824-0459; coffee for two US$1.25.

Hanoi

Park Hyatt Saigon Central as can be, right on Lam Son Square, with superb service, an inviting pool deck and the best buffet breakfast in town. 2 Lam Son Square, District 1, Saigon;

Huyen Anh 52/1 Kim Long St.; 84-54/352-5655; lunch for two US$2.

Nam Hai The best — and best looking — resort in Vietnam, 15 minutes outside Hoi An (by taxi or hotel shuttle), on Ha My Beach. Hamlet 1, Dien Duong Village, Hoi An; 84-510/3940000; thenamhai.com; villas from US$750.

Sofitel Legend Metropole Gorgeous 1901 colonial landmark with a new spa, good restaurants and atmosphere galore. 15 Ngo Quyen St., Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi; 84-4/3826-6919; sofitel. com; doubles from US$250.

CHINA

WHERE TO STAY GREAT La Résidence Hotel & VALUE Spa Hue’s top choice, for its riverside location and Art Deco details. 5 Le Loi St., Hue; 84-54/383-7475; la-residence hue.com; doubles from US$146.

(inside the Citadel); 84-54/3599779; dinner for two US$30.

HOW TO GET THERE Asia’s major carriers all fly to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City or both. Vietnam Airlines (vietnamair lines.com) runs several daily flights between the two cities and from both of them to Hue and Da Nang (the closest airport to Hoi An).

84-8/3824-1234; park.hyatt.com; doubles from US$290.

WHEN TO GO Vietnam is at its best from October to April; the summer can be uncomfortably hot and often rainy. However, the climate varies greatly from region to region, so consider local weather patterns if you’re visiting only one or two places in the country.

Hoi An

VIETNAM CAMBODIA

Gulf of Thailand 0

Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) 161 km

District 3; 84-8/829-7943; lunch for two US$5. Quan An Ngon 160 Pasteur St., District 1; 84-8/3827-7131; dinner for two US$16.

Ben Thanh Market At the intersection of Le Loi and Tran Hung Dao sts., District 1; smoothies for two US$1.

Quan Thuy 94 84 Dinh Tien Hoang St, District 1; 84-8/9101062; lunch for two US$11.

Cuc Gach Quan 10 Dang Tat, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1; 84-8/38480144; dinner for two US$23.

READ Vietnam is in constant flux these days — restaurants open and close every minute — so the web is a good source for the latest food listings and reviews. Check out the blogs stickyrice.typepad. com (Hanoi), gastronomyblog. com (Saigon and beyond) and noodlepie.com (all Vietnam, with a focus on Saigon), as well as the excellent vietworldkitchen.com.

Nguyen Thi Thanh (The Lunch Lady) Street stall near 23 Hoang Sa St., District 1; no phone; lunch for two US$2. Opera Park Hyatt Saigon, 2 Lam Son Square, District 1; 84-8/35202357; breakfast for two US$40. Pho Hoa 260C Pasteur St.,

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Take her advice and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t fear the spice.

All the

Chilies China in

While Chengdu has changed exponentially since she lived there a generation ago, Robyn Eckhardt is thrilled to find that the chili-infused dishes Chengdu is known for still reign supreme. Photographed by David Hagerman

erched on a bamboo baby stool

just inside the gate of the Retired Cadres’ Activity Center in Chengdu, I watch an ayi bundled in thick cotton padding (maroon earmuffs, mandarin collared navy jacket, button-top black booties) assemble my lunch of liang mian. Onto a nest of sesame-oiled wheat noodles she spoons sugar, salt, thin sesame paste, black vinegar and a watery slurry of crushed garlic and ginger. From a clay jar she scoops a ping-pong–size ball of la jiao, the oily, sandy-textured roasted chili paste and Sichuan pantry staple, then hesitates. “Ni pa la ma? ” she asks. “Are you afraid of spice?” she says, glancing sideways at me. I’m not, and haven’t been since I lived in Chengdu for a year in the mid-80’s, teaching English. She chuckles, then plops the chili bomb onto my noodles and follows it up with a thick dusting of ground hua

jiao, or Sichuan pepper. The scent of smoky chilies and the sweet tang of the vinegar drifts across the patch of pavement between us as she tosses everything together in an old-style metal-enamelled bowl. Two hours earlier I sat in the back of an airport taxi, utterly disoriented. Since I’d last visited Chengdu in 1991, the narrow road linking airport and city had become the eight-lane Raocheng expressway; rice paddies and water buffalo had given way to BMW and Suzuki dealerships and almost swanky apartment blocks with names like Forever Wealth and Times Square. It wasn’t until we reached Renmin Nan Lu in the center of town that I briefly gained my bearings, as Chengdu’s mammoth Mao statue, arm raised over Tianfu Square, came into view. But this felt familiar: shivering in Chengdu’s damp winter chill over a bowl of something ma (numbing) and la (spicy) that made my mouth tingle, my nose run and my chiliaddicted palate sing. »

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Chengdu in 1984, it was not by design. I’d just graduated with a degree in Chinese history, had no job prospects and so accepted an offer to be a guinea pig for my American Midwestern university’s fledgling exchange program with Sichuan University. But as a fledgling foodie I couldn’t have ended up in a better place. There were many things that I wished for that year—central heating, hot water and freedom from surveillance by the university’s Foreign Affairs Office, to name a few—but I never lacked for gustatory pleasures. Chengdu sits almost smack in the middle of Sichuan province, where a semi-tropical climate, plentiful waterways and fertile soil combine to make for ideal year-round growing conditions. Even in 1984—early days for the re-introduction in China of household farming after decades of collectivization—tables at markets groaned under the weight of bulging tomatoes, slender blood-red carrots, crisp string beans, a multitude of leafy greens and plump ears of sweet corn. Now, local cooks made the most of this abundance in dishes incorporating a range of spices (Sichuan pepper and dried chilies, of course, but cinnamon, fennel, dried ginger, bay leaf, nutmeg and “false” cardamom as well) and locally made vinegars, chili pastes, fermented tofu and oils. My days began with fist-size bao plucked hot from giant bamboo steamers and progressed to steaming bowls of daoshao mian—thick, flat noodles shaved from a lump of dough directly into boiling water— in broth with tender pea greens. Every evening I ate at a one-wok eatery just outside the campus’s back gate, where a lanky middle-aged cook turned out astoundingly delicious home-style fare: tissue-thin slices of pork and garlic cooked with sweet cucumber, youcai (“oil vegetable,” a type of mustard) leaves stir-fried with Sichuan pepper and chilies, and stripped-down hot-and-sour soup made with his own spicy pickled cabbage. After 11 months, I left Chengdu with a taste for bold flavors, a serious chili addiction and a bias for unpretentious cooking. Today, Chengdu is in the midst of a makeover. Widened boulevards, ring roads, shopping malls, apartment and office towers, and a soon-to-be completed subway system have overtaken the city’s narrow, winding alleys lined with quaint timber houses and sihe yuan (compound abodes arranged around an interior “four-corner” courtyard). As is common throughout China, Chengdu’s downtown is dotted with construction sites encompassing entire city blocks.

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hen i landed in

Chinese Ingredients Clockwise from above: Looking forward to a lifetime of spicy food; market staples, including dried beancurd skin, peanuts and noodles; awaiting dinner at a curbside grill in Chengdu; a glimpse of old China at night.

But Chengdu’s culinary soul remains intact. High-end restaurants specializing in contemporary takes on traditional favorites co-exist with dumpling shops and down-and-dirty one-wok wonders. In spite of a concerted effort last autumn to rid itself of mobile vendors (the motivator: a Beijing-sponsored contest to win the title of China’s most wenming, or civilized, city), street eating is making a comeback. Earlier this year, unesco confirmed what Chinese gourmets have long known, naming Chengdu a City of Gastronomy.

ach january,

Chengdu is enrobed in a thick, grayish gauze of fog. Dawn arrives late and dusk comes early, and though temperatures rarely dip near freezing, frequent drizzle makes for a cold that seeps into the bones and you erupt in fits of shivers. But visiting in winter has advantages, not least of which is the effect it has on the appetite. After my lunch of liang mian I begin walking, following Mao’s outstretched palm up Renmin Nan Lu, once again lost in unfamiliar territory until I reach the low-rise Jinjiang Hotel, pokey in my day but swanky now, the preferred lodging of dignitaries from Beijing. I cross the street to a park that stretches alongside the north bank of the Jinjiang River. Despite the inclement weather, it’s packed with elderly men and women deep into mahjong games and card matches, young couples canoodling in quiet corners, roving pedicurists, foot-and-leg masseurs, and ear cleaners advertising their services with a clackety-clack of their metal instruments. A vendor pulling a cart pulled behind his bicycle offers tea snacks—sunflower seeds, peanuts, tangerines—and several varieties of dried noodles. Another sells, from two baskets suspended from a shoulder pole, Sichuan peppercorns so fresh I can smell them two meters away. The prosperity that Chengdu wears so proudly on its sleeve is evident not only in a transformed cityscape, but in an abundance of snacks unrecognizable to me, imported by rural migrants or resurrected from hibernation after my departure. Across the river and by the bus station, for instance, I sample guokui, greasy but addictive spicy meatfilled, coiled flatbreads cooked on a griddle that I later learn are a traditional Chengdu street food. A bit to the south I find yangrou tang, a hearty mutton soup cooked in a massive copper cauldron that’s become a citywide cold-weather staple since it was introduced by the Uighurs. Looping back towards Mao I spot a woman from Anhui cooking her » 149

own version of sweet oval guokui in a sort of tandoor oven fashioned from an oil barrel. On Tianfu Square, under Mao’s gaze, a vendor furtively sells me a styrofoam cup of douhua—hot, silky-smooth bean curd topped, according to my choice, with fried peanuts, chopped preserved mustard, a dash of soy sauce and a drizzle of chili oil—before being chased off by police. I vow to end the day’s grazing there, but just outside my hotel, assaulted by a waft of charcoal smoke, I come across a husband-and-wife team selling chuan-chuan, so named for the wooden sticks skewering a mindboggling array of meats, fish and vegetables. I choose stem lettuce, pea greens (on a skewer!), cauliflower, meat balls and, at the enthusiastic urging of vendors, chicken wings. The lot is grilled, seasoned with dried chilies, sesame oil and Sichuan peppers, then packed into a plastic bag for takeaway.

f there’s one dish that defines Chengdu it’s mapo doufu. I remember my first taste, early in my stay in Chengdu: shock, as the huajiao set my tongue and lips tingling, then creeping pleasure as chili heat and black-bean saltiness seduced my sheltered palate. Mapo doufu kick-started my chili habit and paved the way for every spicy dish that came my way afterward, and I still crave it at least once a week. One evening I catch a taxi across town to the original branch of Chen Mapo Doufu, a chain of restaurants whose owners claim to be descended from the cook—nicknamed pock-marked Chen— who allegedly invented the dish in the late 19th century. There I met Zuo Ziyang, a middle-aged woman with regal features, impeccable posture and a warm smile who, as Chengdu director for America-based Lotus Culinary Tours, guides tourists through classes at the Sichuan Culinary Academy and steers them to the city’s best eats. Rose—Zuo goes by her English name—grew up in Chengdu. She left for the U.S. the year I arrived and didn’t return until 1995. “I was shocked,” she says of the change. “In my memory Chengdu was like the countryside. Now it’s construction everywhere. The building never stops.” Over plates of liangban huanggua (roughly cut chunks of cucumber tossed with salt and fragrant sesame oil) and smoky, vinegary yuxiang eggplant we talk about Chengdu then and now. “It’s a place for comfortable living,” she says. “Chengdu ren (people) enjoy life; they know how to make money, and how to spend it—on clothes, card games, mahjong, good food.”

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The mapo doufu arrives last, cubes of soft bean curd, bits of fried beef mince, and chopped leaves of suan miao, a local leek, peeking from a pool of crimson oil, everything dusted with a thick layer ground Sichuan pepper. Like any good Sichuanese dish it’s a sensory rollercoaster, lulling with comforting textures and savory saltiness, sucker punching with chili heat and huajiao buzz, and carrying me back to that first taste that ignited my love for Chengdu’s food. Zuo dips up a spoonful, tastes, and nods. “Other than lack of sunshine, we Chengdu ren really have no complaints.”

On the Menu Clockwise from above: Cooks in Sichuan benefit from a wealth of local produce; a mobile produce stand; a local man dreams of meals to come; a streetside chef at the ready; steady hands forming baozi.

like Chengdu people,” thirtysomething

Gijs, who goes only by his first name, tells me over beers at Macchu Pichu, his cozy bar in Chengdu’s Yulin district. “They’re not in a hurry,” the Dutch native explains, alluding to the wellknown Chengdu penchant for idling, a trait that’s often ridiculed in other parts of the country but that does much to sustain the city’s vibrant gastronomic scene. Chengdu ren are pleasure seekers. Beloved pastimes include playing cards and mahjong, and drinking tea, but if given a choice there’s nothing they’d rather do than linger over a sumptuous meal. Gijs settled in Chengdu three years ago after backpacking and volunteering in other parts of China. His comfortable, bordering-on-bohemian bar is furnished with simple wooden tables, chairs and platform sofas that he built himself and decorated with a poster of its namesake, handwoven textiles and a Tibetan thangka. Macchu Pichu attracts a mixed crowd of foreign students and English teachers, Chinese students and creative types who come for the occasional live music, good coffee and fairly priced drinks. “Chengdu is just now coming up,” Gijs says, and business is good—but it’s the city’s laid-back vibe that keeps him there. “I think it’s great that you can go out and have hotpot at five in the morning if you want. And you’re not the only one.” The city’s enthusiasm for doing nothing much is on show in its parks and gardens, where thermoses of hot water, snacks and entertainment (newspapers, mahjong, knitting) keep customers occupied for half a day or more. Not much of a tea drinker, I succumb, after a big lunch especially, to the allure of Chengdu-style indolence. I bounce from tea garden to tea garden. People’s Park is too noisy on weekends and the one in the park by the Jinjiang River too quiet, thanks to exhorbitantly priced tea. I settle on the garden at Wenshu Monastery, for its peaceful setting, comfortable bamboo chairs, » 151

friendly patrons and cadre of porters patrolling the grounds topping up cups with long-spouted copper kettles of boiling water. The Wenshu Monastery Tea Garden doesn’t suffer, either, for its proximity to 50-year-old Gong Ting Gao Dian (Royal Bakery), which trades in the likes of nutty bar cookies with the barest hint of Sichuan peppercorns and sweetmeats flavored with wolfberries, Chinese dates and almonds.

Chengdu, a week of grazing is less likely to leave one sated than frustrated by the knowledge of everything not eaten. On my last morning I realize that I’ve missed out on two favorite xiaochi: dandan mian and hongyou zongjiao, crescent-shaped dumplings in chili oil. So, four hours before my flight, I jump into a taxi and brave rush hour on the way to Chengdu Dandan Mian Zongdian, a snack shop n

housed in a characterless storefront filled with formica tables and lit by fluorescents. At 9:30 a.m. it’s packed, and I’m heartened by a glimpse of the kitchen, where a row of whitecapped women are rolling, stuffing and crimping wontons, jiaozi and zongjiao by hand. Served in a small bowl, dandan mian features chewy noodles with a discernible wheatiness, succulent bits of pork and a powerful mala wallop. They’re delicious but it’s the zongjiao, with their thickish skins and a pork filling oozing sesame oil, that steal the show. Floating in a tantalizingly sweet-fiery oil fragrant with seasoned soy sauce—I sense anise, cassia, garlic and ginger—they remind me of a version served by a crabby staff in a less-than-hygienic shop I used to frequent twice a week. It’s not the first time since I arrived in Chengdu that I’ve felt utterly at home in a city that I no longer recognize. ✚

guide to chengdu WHERE TO STAY Kempinski Hotel Elegant rooms and suites, an on-premises microbrewery, and spa and fitness center in the middle of town. 42 Renmin Nan Rd.; 86-28/85269999; kempinski.com; doubles from RMB1,248. Shangri-La Hotel Riverside location, rooms decked out in soothing greys and taupe, complimentary broadband, and spa and fitness center. 9 Binjiang Dong Rd.; 86-28/8888-9999; shangri-la. com; doubles from RMB1,019. Sheraton Chengdu Lido Hotel Rooms on the small side are redeemed by comfortable beds and wireless access, and there’s a small fitness center and indoor pool. No. 15, Section 1, Ren Min Zhong Rd.; 86-28/8676-8999; starwoodhotels.com; doubles from RMB745. Hotel Ibis Chengdu Yongfeng European-style business hotel walking distance to good eats. Helpful staff and free in-room wireless compensate for paperthin walls. No. 1 Section 4, Southern Second Ring Rd.; 86-28/8518-6363; ibishotel.com; doubles from US$30. Dragon Town Cheap and cheerful rooms in a cut-above-backpacker hostel in the heart of hip shopping and dining district Zhai Kuan Xiangzi. Third-floor deluxe suites boast separate living areas and private terraces overlooking tiled roofs. No. 26 Kuan Xiangzi;

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86-28/8664-8408; dragontown. com.cn; doubles from RMB180. WHERE TO EAT Chen Mapo Doufu The original branch of this restaurant chain, located near Du Fu’s Thatched Cottage, serves the best version of this Chengdu classic. 197 Xiyulong St.; 86-28/8653-0162; lunch for two RMB120. Tiantian Kao Ya A typically noisy, fluorescent-lit restaurant in Yulin District that surprises with some stunning preparations. Try the ganguo cha shugu, (wild mushrooms “dry-fried” with chilies), nangua fen zheng rou (pork steamed with winter squash), sao qiezi (roasted eggplant and green-chili salad) and liangban zhuergen, pepperyastringent wild leaves dressed with chili oil and Baoning vinegar. 17 Yulin East St.; 86-28/85556339; dinner for two RMB180. Bao Guo Bu Yi Dishes at this upscale restaurant are hit-andmiss but when they’re good, they’re very good. Try the chilled bamboo salad and black vinegarmarinated daikon starters, follow with sumptuous double-cooked pork. Face-changing show every evening. 20 South Shenxianshu Rd., Section 4; 86-28/8551-1888; dinner for two RMB185. Yu Jia Chufang Acclaimed chef Yu Bo serves a multi-course tasting menu of modern dishes featuring Sichuanese ingredients in creatively re-imagined form.

Reserve three days ahead. 43 Zhai Xiangzi, Xia Tong Ren Rd.; 86-28/8669-1975; RMB200– RMB600 per person depending on number of diners. Gongying Pin Ming Old-style xiaochi shop up the street from Wenshu Monastery. Pay for food at the counter and present your tickets at the kitchen window. The tianshui mian (thick cool noodles in sweet chili oil) and suanla chaoshou (hot and sour wontons) are excellent. 39 Wenfu Yuan St.; snacks for two RMB14. Xian Doujiang Xiaochi Dian Hot fresh soy milk, greaseless youtiao, and meaty baozi in a tiny shop on a street packed with excellent eats. 12 Xiaojia He St.; 6 a.m.– noon; breakfast for two RMB4. Jin Popo Shouzhang Mian Two blocks from Xian Doujiang, this is the spot for “palm” noodles, fantastically chewy, handstretched wheat noodles in a comforting yellow bean soup. Order paocai (pickle) and hongyou jipian (tissue-thin slices of chicken breast in red chili sauce) to eat alongside. Xiaojiahe St. at the corner of Xiajiahe North St.; lunch for two RMB15. Chengdu Dandan Mian Zongdian Across from the Sheraton, fabulous crescent-shaped dumplings in seasoned chili oil (hongyou zongjiao) and perhaps Chengdu’s best dandan noodles. 34 Renmin Zhong Rd.; lunch for two RMB15.

DoDo’s Café Quirky spot serving light snacks and drinks, including an unusual and delicious coolweather warmer: beer boiled with dates, wolfberries, dried longan and lemon. 40 Jinlingheng Rd. (near Renmin Nan Rd.); boiled beer for two RMB30. WHAT TO SEE AND DO Lotus Culinary Tours Customized tours led by a knowledgeable Chengdu-native foodie might include street food crawls; market, farm, and artisan food producer visits; excursions to the Sichuan Culinary Museum in Pixian county, and private classes at the Sichuan Culinary Academy. 1-615/5549427; lotusculinary.com; four-day packages US$895, including meals and lodging. Wenshu Monastery After you’ve toured this restored monastery, one of China’s oldest, head to its the atmospheric tea garden, where RMB5 will buy you a seat, a cup of tea, and bottomless pours. Zhai Kuan Xiangzi Chengdu’s version of Shanghai’s Xintiandi is composed of several “wide and narrow lanes” lined with restored Qing dynasty-era structures housing hip boutiques, bars, teahouses, and restaurants. WHAT TO READ British-Chinese food expert Fuchsia Dunlop’s memoir Shark’s Fin and Sichuan Peppercorn is a great introduction to Chengdu’s food culture.

Chili Heat Above: Chengdu waiters receive the dayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s instructions. Below: Stir fry thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s as hot as the food being prepared.

(My Favorite Place) The East Village. Left: Francesco Bonami.

U.s.a.

Artistic director and curator Francesco Bonami takes T+L on a personal tour of New York City’s

Tokyo Close to Home

American life—I came here from Florence about twenty years ago—I have lived in the East Village. I arrived in New York when I was a young man, and though I’m not so young any longer, the East Village makes me feel that way. It’s always bustling no matter what the hour. There is something so fresh and alive about the place, and while it has changed a great deal and new generations have moved in over the years, the spirit remains the same. One corner in the village is unlucky for some reason: it’s on the northwestern side of Twelfth Street and Second Avenue. The spot has been the site of several restaurants and businesses, including the Kosher Tea Room, and now it’s a nail parlor. So many storefronts have changed hands. But if you’ve been living there, you can still feel what came before. Places are gone—but not gone. “A number of years ago, trendy art galleries opened in the East Village and they just didn’t stick. It was as if the community rejected the scene. Industrial parts of Manhattan like SoHo and Chelsea are full of empty warehouses, so it was easy for the art world to move in. That doesn’t happen in the East Village. People make the rules. It’s a living, breathing neighborhood.” ✚ or most of my

“I love to shop at Sunrise Mart (29 Third Ave.; 1-212/598-3040). The market carries strange Japanese products, plus green tea, sushi and mochi ice cream.” East Village Hideout “At Tarallucci e Vino (163 First Ave.; 1-212/388-1190; lunch for two US$30) I sit at a small table, order a ciabatta panino and no one bothers me.” Afternoon Pick-me-Up

Bonami curated this year’s Whitney Biennial and is also the artistic director of Florence’s Pitti Discovery Foundation and the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation for Contemporary Art in Turin. 154

septem b er 2 0 1 0 | t r a v e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a . c o m

“The coffee at Sant

BONAMI’S ADDRESS BOOK