Top 10s of 2011: Top 10 Favorite Cities

It's been another successful year of traveling! I've been back to my favorite cities and I've discovered new favorites as well. The list constantly grows and changes after every trip and at the end of each year.

These are my favorite cities that I traveled to this year. I took out San Francisco, Las Vegas, Manila, and New Haven because I go there so often and for long periods of time that it seems a bit unfair to include them in this travel list. But, expect to see at least SF on my favorite food cities list tomorrow

These are the 10 cities I traveled to this past year. My favorite cities are ranked according to cities with the tastiest foods and repeatability to go back.

My Top 10 Favorite Cites from 2011:
10. Kathmandu (to be posted in January)
9. Pokhara (also to be posted in January)
8. Hangzhou (to be posted this coming week)
7. Boston
6. Shanghai
5. Chiang Mai
4. New York City
3. Taipei
2. Hong Kong
1. Bangkok

Can't wait for my 2012 travels!

Next Top 10s: Top 10 Favorite Food Cities

Top 10s of 2011: Top 10 Favorite Restaurants in the World

Now this is a difficult list to rank. There were countless of amazing eats this year. These past two years of living in Asia have been phenomenal for my taste buds and stomach.

My Top 10 Favorite Restaurants in the World from 2011:
10. People's Palace, Manila
9. Ye Shanghai, Hong Kong
8. Jin Sha, Hangzhou
7. Wolfgang's Steakhouse, New York City
6. Bocadillos, San Francisco
5. Every restaurant in Eataly, New York City
4. Sen-ryo, Hong Kong
3. Sala Rim Naam, Bangkok
2. Every single Din Tai Fung in Taipei and Shanghai
1. Chef's Table at the Four Seasons Hotel in Chiang Mai


Next Weekend's Top 10s: My Top 10 Favorite Cities from 2011

Top 10s of 2011: Top 10 Favorite Restaurants in the United States

For close to 25 years, the United States was my first home. These days, it's become my second home. When I go back, my days and nights are filled with dining in favorite restaurants and new/notable restaurants.

In 2011, I went back to the states four times. Three of those visits combined east and west coast cities. My Top 10 lists ranges from casual joints to high brow special occasion dining.

My Top 10 Favorite Restaurants in the United States from 2011:
10. Jaleo
9. Co.
8. Shake Shack
7. Ichiza
6. Howie's Artisan Pizza
5. Benu
4. Wayfare Tavern
3. Wolfgang's Steakhouse
2. Bocadillos
1. Every restaurant in Eataly


Next Top 10s of 2011: Top 10 Favorite Restaurants in the World

Wolfgang Steakhouse in NYC, A New Favorite Restaurant.

When my family buys high quality steaks and my dad has the ability to grill it up better than an average or above average restaurant, it's so hard to eat a steak outside of the house. It's a rare find for us to enjoy a quality steak in a restaurant. But, I think we finally found a place that makes it as good as home.

Wolfgang Steakhouse in Manhattan. (There are 5 locations in the city. We visited the Midtown East location.) Wolfgang Zwiener is the former maitre d' of the infamous Peter Luger Steakhouse. His steakhouse is very similar to Peter Luger, except you get a Manhattan steakhouse experience. At Peter Luger, you get Brooklyn service in a very casual and old setting. Here at Wolfgang, you get white table cloths with a pleasant surrounding and friendly service.

The whole experience was so memorable.. that we drove into the city from Connecticut the very next night to eat another steak dinner. Yes, it's that good.

And, on our 2nd night, Wolfgang, himself, came up to our table to greet us and take pictures! (I'm not posting the picture because it's a whole family shot - you know, privacy reasons.) He's quite the charming old man and is well dressed in a suit every night. What a fine job he's done with his steakhouses! I can't wait to go back.

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The slide show here runs of Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Wolfgang.

Revisiting Todd English's Ca Va

Each time I visit and revisit a Todd English restaurant, I become a bigger fan. In this past trip into the city, I made a point to visit his Plaza Food Hall in the Plaza Hotel. It's worth the trip! To rank the 3 celebrity chefs with food halls/food markets in the city.. #1, Mario Batali's Eataly; #2, Todd English's Plaza Food Hall; #3, Daniel Boulud's Epicerie. Actually, Daniel Boulud's Epicerie is really just a neighborhood corner market. It doesn't compare at all to Eataly or the Plaza Food Hall. So if you find yourself hungry and around the Plaza Hotel, check out his food hall!

After checking out his Food Hall, we went down to Hell's Kitchen to have dinner at Ca Va. My family enjoyed our Christmas lunch there just half a year ago, so we knew we'd have a good meal. Unfortunately, I was still full from a late lunch, so I only ordered a pasta course. When you eat here, you should come hungry and enjoy the 3 Course Prix Fixe Menu. It's such value - quality food with generous portions. The food was satisfying and filling. Chef English keeps impressing me.

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The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Bar Boulud in NYC

Since eating in Daniel almost 10 years ago, I've been a huge fan of Daniel Boulud. It ranks up there with my fine dining experience at Jean Georges and Alain Ducasse. Finesse food matched with superb service.

In looking back at it, I've actually eaten at 5 of his restaurants - 4 in New York City (Daniel, DB Bistro, DBGB, and Bar Boulud) and 1 in Las Vegas (DB Brasserie). I've always had an enjoyable food experience. However lately, at DBGB and now at Bar Boulud, the host/hostess were surprisingly rude. On TV Boulud is such a friendly guy who puts attention to detail and service. During our dining experience at Daniel my brother met him, and he's such a friendly guy. Unfortunately, it seems as though it gets to the hosts/hostesses heads that they are working at a Boulud establishment.

At our most recent Boulud dining experience at Bar Boulud, we were seated outside and at the time our table was nicely covered by the umbrellas. However, halfway through our meal the NYC summer sun moved its way onto our table and chairs. We asked our server if we could move inside; so she, in turn, asked the hostess. The hostess came to our table and said there were no tables available only bar seats. So we said we'd like to move to the bar seats to enjoy our last course. She, then, said she'll check with the bartender. When she came back out, she said the bar was all filled. We sadly accepted her answer and quickly finished the rest of our meal. After we paid the bill, we went inside the restaurant to use the restrooms. (Just a side note - the bathrooms here are nice and clean. It felt like a restroom in a five star hotel.) To my surprise, the tables and bar were practically empty..and this was only 10 minutes after the hostess spoke to us. Let me speak colloquially and say, "What's up with that??"

At all of Boulud's 5 restaurants, we've enjoyed the food. It's quality and worth the expense.. But it's the food AND service that makes the dining experience, not just the food. At both DBGB and at Bar Boulud, it's been the host and hostess that have ruined our experience. The people hired at that position seem to feel a power that they should not expose to customers. They should be as warm and as friendly as Chef Boulud to represent him and his restaurants.

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The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album.

Dan Barber's Blue Hill at Stone Barns

For me, a great chef not only cooks amazing food but also is mindful of the ingredients used and its sourcing. I love chefs who utilize the saying, "Think Global, Cook Local." In other words, you can cook worldly cuisine while using local ingredients. Local ingredients support local farming and local industry.

One chef that really focuses on the local cuisine movement is Dan Barber. He's an active chef and citizen who voices out his belief in food sustainability and everyday food choices. So much so, he has built his career supporting his beliefs. Blue Hill at Stone Barns is a non-profit farm that is a center for food and agriculture. In the property lies his four season farm and green houses, a souvenir shop, a cafe, and his flagship Blue Hill restaurant which serves contemporary cuisine from all the ingredients in his farm.

Taking a long-cut into Manhattan from Connecticut, my family and I stopped by his property on a cold snowy day. We got there just shortly after sunset. The property, all covered in snow, was huge and gorgeous. I can't wait to revisit and eat at this place in the spring time.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Burgers & Steaks at Peter Luger

When I hear about "the best steaks" and "the best burgers", Peter Luger is usually a name that is mentioned. I tend to be skeptical when I hear something is "the best." What else and how many else have you tried in order to claim something is truly the best over all?

Plus, when it comes to steaks, the grilling and trimmings my family makes at home is pretty awesome. I don't wanna say it's "the best" because I feel I'd have to travel around the entire world and eat at every steak house to make that claim. So, what I normally say is, "It's the best of what I've eaten so far." It really is. The quality of the steaks and our onion sauce. Oh, man, it's awesome.

Going back to the hype over Peter Luger..I've been very skeptical for years. Skeptical and curious. So on our afternoon trip into Brooklyn, my family and I made a point to have lunch at Peter Luger. We made sure it was a lunch so we could also try their raved about burgers (which is a lunch time only item).

The hype over "the best steaks" and "The best burgers"? I don't want to say it's the best, but I will say it's really good. You can really taste the quality of the burger. The meat is freshly ground, and not overly ground. The char is crusted and delicious. Quality meat, well prepared, and well cooked. The steaks come out in a plate of sizzling butter. It's cooked perfectly medium and so nicely grilled. The taste of the meat itself is also really quality.

After our lunch, we watched how the women butchers of Peter Luger handpicked each of the meats. Seeing how they are so choosy about their steaks made me further appreciate the meat I just ate.

A note on service: You definitely feel like you're in Brooklyn when you dine there. The waiters all proudly hail from Brooklyn. They have that Brooklyn accent and that old-time Brooklyn demeanor. In one instance, my dad called the waiter to ask for something, and our waiter came to our table asking, "What do you want?!" Definitely won't get that kind of service in a steakhouse in Midtown.

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Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Co. (aka, Company) - Pizza Pies!

One of the casual dining places I really wanted to try out was Co, or Company. Baker, Jim Lahey's pizza establishment. He is known for his Sullivan Street Bakery, so he utilizes his bread knowledge into his pies.

The place is filled with communal tables, which gives the place a friendly neighborhood vibe. His menu showcases his breads with a few sides of vegetables. Everything we ordered was delicious and memorable. I'm still dreaming about that Stracciatella Pie... mmm, that was some of the creamiest cheese I've eaten on a pizza! You can totally taste the quality of the bread in each of his pies, too. Chewy, fluffy, and well-baked.

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Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Il Pesce in Eataly

Prior to our second meal at La Pizza & Pasta, we dined at Il Pesce, the seafood eatery at Eataly. All fresh in raw, roasted, fried, and so on. The few orders we got were all memorable. This was some of the best fritto misto (fried seafood) and whole roasted fish I have ordered in a restaurant. Cooking seafood is all about the timing, and the chefs got it perfectly at this eatery.

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La Pizza & Pasta in Eataly

For two dinners, my family and I visited La Pizza & Pasta in Eataly. It's quite simple - pizzas, pastas, and some salads paired with Italian wines and/or beers. With Batali and Bastianich's expertise, everything was so delicious! The pastas were perfectly cooked and properly coated with the right amount of sauce. And the pizzas were so thin and topped with high quality ingredients. Plus, the pairing with Bastianich wines makes for a most enjoyable dining experience.

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Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Italy is Eataly!

The most anticipated destination for our family trip to New York City was Eataly. Established by Mario Batali, Lidia Bastianich, Joe Bastianich, and Oscar Farinetti. These Italian-loving geniuses creating one of the coolest food markets! It's a market for fresh ingredients (fruits, vegetables, seafood, meats), for fun Italian goodies (homemade nutella!), for a snack (some salumi and wine in the afternoon - why not!), for a variety of meals (pizzas, pastas, seafood, vegetables), for drinking (beers, wines, espressos), for desserts (gelato and panetonne!), and so much more.

This place was like our Disneyland, our "happiest place on earth". In the course of a week, we visited Eataly four times to shop and to eat. I highly highly recommend this place if you love food, especially Italian food!

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Baked in Brooklyn

Cupcakes and bakeries are very common and enjoyable establishments throughout New York, including Brooklyn. On our day trip to Brooklyn, we made sure to stop by Baked, from the baker Matt Lewis. After an appearance on the Martha Stewart Show and reading his baking book, my mom made a note to visit his bake shop.

It was a fun stop and if you happen to be in this Brooklyn neighbor it's a great place to stop by for a sweet bite. The baked goods kept coming out fresh from the kitchen, and they all tasted equally fresh. But, to make the journey into Brooklyn just for this bakery is not entirely worth the trip. It's a good bakery, but the baked goods aren't, "Wow, this is amazing! I have to come back here!"

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Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Spot Dessert Bar

No matter how much you ate at dinner, there's something about the thought of dessert that can open up your appetite all over again.

After a filling dinner, my family and I adventured to St. Mark's Place. It's a street in the East Village that is filled with fun, cheap eats (a lot of Asian and Japanese restaurants) and college dives (that you would also find in the Haight in San Francisco).

On this street, we went to Spot Dessert Bar - a dessert bar to dine in or take out. The pastry chef, Pichet Ong, is Jean Georges' former pastry chef. So going in, you already know it's going to be quality. And it totally is - quality and fun!

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Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Soba Totto

Even though I've been living in Asia for the past year, I still found myself craving for so many Asian eats during my holiday trip in the states. I fulfilled my cravings for ramen, Korean, banh mi, and so on and so on. In New York, I fulfilled my craving for quality Japanese yakitori at Soba Totto.

This is considered a cheap eats place. But, the prices were pretty high for Japanese yakitori. It's also hard to eat at some Asian restaurants here in the states - they seem so over priced after eating all over Asia. I love how the most quality places in Asia are still cheaper than these cheap eats places in the states. And, if you order like my family, there's really no such thing as cheap eats. We eat a lot.

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Baos at Baohaus

Bao is a fluffy, steamed Chinese bun. It's a very popular dim sum and street food snack found around all over Asia. Each country has their own bao with their local fillings, usually a type of meat.

At Baohaus, traditional Taiwanese street food is brought to New York City. Because it's in New York City, it comes with that Manhattan price. But, it stands by it's quality of products and the generous heap of meat between the bun.

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Banh Mi Saigon in New York City

Going to college in the South Bay of the Bay Area (in Northern California) exposed to me even more Asian eats, particularly banh mi (Vietnamese sandwiches). The combination of that crispy French bread with pate, meats, and fresh and pickled vegetables is so refreshing! These sandwiches are way better than regular American sandwiches. They are lighter and there are so many textures and flavors going on.

After an afternoon of walking around Midtown and then down to the East Village, my brothers and I walked through Chinatown and Little Italy in search of a satisfying banh mi. Thanks to Yelp, we found Banh Mi Saigon. A great find! Their banh mi is one of the better ones I've eaten, and that includes those I ate in Vietnam. It's a very casual place - just order at the counter and the food comes in brown paper bags. You can eat the sandwiches there or take it home - and they keep nicely so you can eat it an anytime of the day.

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Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Todd English's Ca Va Brasserie

Christmas Day! So our choice for Christmas lunch had to be special - yes, I felt the pressure of choosing a great restaurant for our family's special meal. The problem is that my family books reservations (at restaurants, for trips, for flights, etc.) last minute. So for Christmas, it limited where we could go. A lot of places were closed and a lot more places were fully committed.

When I research places to eat, I tend to research restaurants of my favorite chefs. In that list of favorite chefs is Todd English. I consider him one of the earlier modern day celebrity chefs. Did you know he cooked some summer grills on MTV's Spring Break? (Do any of you still remember MTV's Spring Break?)

Chef English's latest restaurant is Ca Va Brasserie. It's his take on a modern day brasserie - and it's so well done! The restaurant is the connected with the Intercontinental Hotel in Times Square. He has great menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The whole atmosphere is modern and inviting. Overall, it was a great experience, especially for a special holiday meal.

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Snowed In.. So Dinner at the Hotel Bar

The night after Christmas in New York City was buried under a full blown blizzard! ..Which meant it limited the places for our dinner. We already had a late afternoon meal at DBGB, so we decided to have a light meal at our hotel's bar, the Gilt Bar.

It was already 10pm, so a few items on the menu were already sold out, especially because a lot of the other hotel guests got the same idea as we did to stay in the hotel for dinner. The bar atmosphere was very cool and trendy - very midtown east NYC. The food was pretty good and satisfied our stomachs for a light meal.

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Daniel Boulud's DBGB

Part of my daily routine is to follow food-related news, via Twitter or other news or blog sources. From these articles, I occasionally list down restaurants that I have to visit at some point in time. Typically they are in cities where I know I'll visit in the next one or two years.

When I first read about Daniel Boulud's newest casual dining concept, I excitedly put that on my list. I've enjoyed all his restaurants in New York and his restaurant in Las Vegas. So I knew his latest, DBGB, would be a real treat.

We went there twice. The first time was for a late afternoon meal at the bar area. This first experience was really enjoyable. The setting and the food surpassed our expectations, as Boulud usually does at his restaurants.

For the second visit, we dined in the main dining area. The food was still excellent, but the service lacked and the host, especially, completely appalled us. For a casual setting, he was stiffly dressed in a suit - as though he wanted to work at Daniel but he got rejected. He was pretty rude to our table in pressuring and pushing us to hurry up, eat, and leave because he wanted to sit another party in our table. For example, he vigorously and blatantly showed the busboys his wrap-it-up gesture in front of our table as his signal to them (and us) to clean out table as fast as possible, even though we were still wrapping up our last conversation. There are ways to do this, and he knew none of proper polite ones.

Because of him, it makes me less eager to go back again. The food was excellent and enjoyable, but when I go out to eat I'm also looking for that overall experience with quality service, especially when the prices are higher than a cheap eats place.

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Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.