A relaxing meal at the Oxbow Public Market

Napa Valley is a place not just for wine, but also for fantastic food.  After all, it's only natural because of how perfectly food and wine pair with each other.

Before, after, during, or instead of a day of the usual wine tasting around the valley, downtown Napa offers a haven for food lovers in the Oxbow Public Market.  This market brought me back to Spain - how it's set up, the cleanliness, and the variety of food vendors selling their dishes and products with passion.

You can nibble around the various small dishes or you can also sit down for a meal.  Ca'Momi is the perfect place in the market for a relaxing meal, and it's great for families and parties.  The Italian restaurant specializes in Italian pizzas, but also offers some memorable slow cooked plates.  They serve one of the best places of liver and onions I've ever tasted.  I'm a huge fan of quality liver and onions, and this topped it in my list.  Even if you don't like the dish, you just might be a convert with how clean and smooth it tasted.  The restaurant also pours delicious wine on tap, and has a variety of fun desserts including cream puffs for a light ending to a big meal.

Glass of Bianco di Napa on tap

Eating and drinking the night away in Ichiza in Las Vegas

Thanks to The Strip, Las Vegas has solidified a place as one of America's best food cities.  But not all the best eats are on The Strip.  There are a good number that are not only Off The Strip, but also so deliciously affordable.

Ichiza in Las Vegas is one of my favorite restaurants.  There are so many well-rated restaurants on Yelp, but few are actually as good as reviewed.  Ichiza is better than good.  Even in an area full of Asian eats, this establishment is as great as places in Tokyo.

Every night the restaurant is full of locals and Japanese both young and in town for business.  There's always a wait and line, but it's worth it.  The place is boisterous for a reason.  And it's a reason your palate and stomach will happily understand at the end of the night.

There's a standard menu that doesn't change, and written all throughout the walls are the ever-changing daily specials.  The perfection of the regular menu and the constant introduction of new items brings you back again and again.  Plus, to make it more fun all this food is perfect for a long night of eating and drinking.  If you want to keep drinking, you can also keep ordering.  The plates come out in nice small portions for variety.  But save room for dessert!  Ichiza serves one of the best honey toasts around.  It's simple but so memorably good.

Toro sashimi

Toro salad

Discovering Malaysian Cuisine in Kuala Lumpur

When it comes time to choosing a destination, I let my stomach do the deciding.  Kuala Lumpur was my chosen destination because it's a new city, and I had yet to really discover Malaysian cuisine.

It's so much fun to learn about a culture through it's food.  You learn about local ingredients, local diets, and how other cultures and countries have influenced them through their cuisine.  Over the course of a few days, we feasted of Malay cuisine, Indian cuisine, and surprisingly had a really great burger.

It may be "playing it safe" but I enjoy hotel restaurants.  When you stay at a good hotel (I'm talking about five star status), you have the reassurance of quality ingredients and handling.  And, many of the chefs are locals with a good background in culinary education which means the food they serve is not only authentic but possibly also with a higher level of thought and sophistication.

At the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur, you get some of the best views of the Petronas Towers and some of the most enjoyable eating at their local cuisine restaurant, JP Teres.  It's Malaysian cuisine that's clean, classy, and quality - exactly how I like to eat.  We ate here for majority of our meals because it's that good.  Breakfasts and dinners, both a la carte and buffet.

Prior to discovering our hotel's restaurant, we also explored the selections at the nearby Suria KLCC Mall.  Madam Kwan's is a local restaurant serving classic Malaysian cuisine in a casual environment.  You can sample the country in one sitting.

For a brief break in between Malaysian and Indian dishes, we also enjoyed the view and burgers at the hotel's Thirty8 restaurant.  This is definitely one of the better burgers I've had in Asia.

Overall, the eating in Kuala Lumpur provides a unique diversity of cultures and flavors.  It's definitely worth a visit to explore and taste for yourself.

Breakfast at JP Teres
Nasi lemak, tosai,  and samosas
All this for $10 USD!  Not bad at all for a hotel restaurant.

Exploring Kuala Lumpur

A new South East Asian destination to explore - Kuala Lumpur!  KL is a bustling city with diverse cultures.  The blend of cultures are distinct and contribute to the unique Malaysian experience.

The city is most known for the Petronas Twin Towers, which was the tallest tower in the world from 1998 to 2004.  From all angles, and day and night, the towers are truly a sight to see in person.  Whether from down below near the Suria KLCC Mall or up in the buildings nearby (the Grand Hyatt hotel in our case), it's pretty awesome.

I'm not a fan of big tours, especially those big bus tours.  I like exploring places from my own research or from private tours where the guide can really take the time to explain everything and answer all your questions.  A half day tour of KL booked through the hotel concierge took us around the historical and cultural sights of the city: from the royal palace, to the memorial grounds, to the mosque, and then for some chocolate indulgence, and finally art and clothing shopping from local vendors.

Aside from the private tour, you can also learn so much in a city's national museum.  KL's Muzium Negara was the highlight of the trip.  Malaysia's history with its surrounding neighbors is so deep and rich.  The mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indians have really contributed to the history and culture of the country and in the density of KL.

The view from our hotel room

The view at night

Feasting in Singapore

The sights, architecture, museums, culture, and nature.  That's a lot to take in for a short getaway to Singapore.  And the highlight of it all is the food.  You can eat cheaply or luxuriously; the choice is up to you and your wallet.  Either way you go, you're guaranteed to end the day with a happy stomach.

Hawker centers and food courts are the way to go for cheap meals.  In the better areas, the price is slightly higher because the quality and cleanliness is what you pay for.  (We actually ate satay in an outdoor hawker center which was really nice, but unfortunately food poisoning was a result.  So you should still be careful of what you eat and the handling of it even if you're in Singapore where the standards for street food are supposed to be better.)  There are so many classic dishes to choose, so it's best to go with hungry stomachs and share everything.

On the other end of the budget spectrum, there are also many choices for big splurges as well as mid-ranged meals from international celebrity chefs.  From Australia, Luke Mangan has his Salt tapas & bar which is a fun restaurant for refreshing sangrias and small plates to share.  From the states by way to France, there's also the iconic Daniel Boulud and his db Bistro Moderne.  There you can enjoy his signature burger decadently filled with short rib and foie gras.  You can have a meal from these reknown chefs from all over the world in just one small city.

In Singapore, there's so much great food for every budget and for any craving.

First stop, hawker centers
Chicken wings and carrot cake

 Nasi Lemak at 1983 Taste of Nanyang