London Hotspot Find: Fernandez & Wells
FERNANDEZ & WELLS, LONDON SOHO You know those days where you didn’t eat lunch till 3pm and you’re not really in the mood for a full-blown dinner? But you still fancy sharing a bottle of red? It’s on these kinds of nights that Fernandez & Wells delivers. Grab a seat, a bottle of red, along … Continue reading
London Hotspot Find: Rochelle Canteen
ROCHELLE CANTEEN, SHOREDITCH Eating lunch at Rochelle Canteen is strictly for those in the know or those with in the know friends. Entry into the restaurant is granted by buzzing an unmarked door nestled in the walls of an old Victorian school situated on Arnold Circus in Shoreditch. Stepping through the door, you’ll likely experience … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Flinders Lane
FLINDERS LANE, EAST VILLAGE It took dinner at Flinders Lane to realise how much I’ve missed the food back home in Australia. If you’re lucky enough to have travelled there, you’ll know modern Australian cuisine as a beautiful multicultural collision that takes the best from South East Asia, Greece, Italy and even India with British … Continue reading
London Hotspot Find: Duck Soup
DUCK SOUP, SOHO Duck Soup is a buzzing London restaurant where the chefs turn out simple food made with restraint. In fact, everything about this hotspot is pared-back, even the surrounds are minimal, probably deliberately so to showcase their honest food. The restaurant is inspired by the neighbourhood eateries of provincial France but with an … Continue reading
London Hotspot Find: L’Entrepot
L’ENTREPOT, HACKNEY What goes together better than food and wine? Nothing right? So to me, it makes complete sense for an independent wine merchant like Borough Wines, known in London for their excellently edited wine selection, to open an adjoining rustic French eatery. It also leaves me questioning why more boutique wine sellers aren’t doing … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Joseph Leonard
JOSEPH LEONARD, WEST VILLAGE Brunch at Joseph Leonard can be likened to attending your cool stylist friend’s brunch party. You feel slightly jealous as you enter into her tiny but bright West Village apartment filled with all the curious antiques she’s discovered on her travels. You can’t help but notice how she seems to have … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Hi-Collar
HI-COLLAR, EAST VILLAGE I keep saying “this is my new favourite restaurant” but this time it really is, promise. Hi-Collar is one of those no-details-spared Japanese hotspots. It’s a Parisian-inspired cafe by day and restaurant/sake bar by night. The place literally transforms as soon as the barman stealthily slides the wall-to-wall cabinet door to reveal … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Bohemian
BOHEMIAN NYC | NOHO Hidden behind Japan Premium Beef on Great Jones Street, lays a Japanese restaurant shrouded in secrecy – an almost impossible feat in a city run by publicity and where speakeasies and members clubs are a dime-a-dozen. Somehow though, Bohemian pulls off the member’s only restaurant concept in a way that weeds out … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Charlie Bird
CHARLIE BIRD, SOHO Lingering lunches at Charlie Bird are my new favourite weekend pursuit. Modern Italian food isn’t always done with as much flair in this town, there’s always that fine line that’s crossed where the food is more American-Italian than it is Italian-Italian, but Charlie Bird gets it right. I’m even poised to say … Continue reading
London Hotspot Find: Ottolenghi
OTTOLENGHI, ISLINGTON Yotam Ottolenghi, best known the world over for his imaginative and beautifully photographed cookbooks (Plenty being my fave), is also known by lucky Londoners for his delightful little restaurants (Islington being my fave). You see, I used to live right on Upper Street where Ottolenghi’s Islington outpost is located and each day walking … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Uncle Boons
UNCLE BOONS, NOLITA Let’s say you’re reminiscing about your last trip to Thailand, when you were nursing that ice-cold beer and grazing on Thai food with that unmistakable fresh, dynamic flavor. You want to recreate that, but you’re stuck in Lower Manhattan, that concrete jungle we all know lacks quality Thai, considering every other cuisine … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Taïm Falafel & Smoothie Bar
TAÏM FALAFEL & SMOOTHIE BAR, WEST VILLAGE In the beautiful tree-lined West Village lies Taïm (pronounced ta-eem) a quaint little falafel and smoothie bar serving up unadulterated Israeli falafel in the form of sandwiches and platters. Taïm, meaning “tasty” in Hebrew, has no difficulty living up its own name by offering crunchy on the outside, … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Extra Fancy
EXTRA FANCY, WILLIAMSBURG If I really think about the establishments popping up around Williamsburg one theme comes to mind – not so fancy and extra fancy. It’s a veritable hodgepodge of highbrow, lowbrow, cheap, expensive, dive-y and upscale and Extra Fancy is a bar/restaurant nodding its head to this wonderful characteristic of Williamsburg. Don’t let … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Dimes
DIMES NYC, LOWER EAST SIDE Newcomers to the downtown restaurant scene like Dimes (and Skal around the corner) make the once desolate intersection of Chinatown and the Lower East Side the area for cool new restaurant watching. The arrival of Dimes makes me a happy bruncher, luncher, and all day breakfaster. I’m happy because of … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Bromberg Bros. Blue Ribbon Fried Chicken
BROMBERG BROS. BLUE RIBBON FRIED CHICKEN, EAST VILLAGE NYC’s cult fried chicken favourite now has its own outpost where hungry Manhattanites can indulge in deliciously crispy birds in the bright, low-key, cafeteria-style space. If you’ve not tried Blue Ribbon’s fried chicken before, expect umami galore when you feast on the Chicken Dinner with chips and … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Pearl & Ash
PEARL & ASH, NOLITA When you dine in a restaurant with an inch-thick wine list you’d expect to be dropping some serious cash. You could go either way at Pearl & Ash, a progressive downtown wine bar serving up globally inspired small plates with a plenty of wow factor. For 10-15 bucks a plate and … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: The 303 at Louie and Chan
THE 303 AT LOUIE AND CHAN, LOWER EAST SIDE This brand-new restaurant and basement bar/music room concept is exactly what discerning New Yorkers have been looking for. I for one am celebrating its arrival to the downtown Manhattan scene. Here’s how your night at Louie and Chan is going to play out – a pre-dinner … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Contra
CONTRA, LOWER EAST SIDE Contra’s concept of simplicity is one many New York restaurants could learn from. A seasonal menu that changes daily, 5 courses with options to add sides or a special, $55. The food is New American done with elegance and restraint and the beverage program is equally stripped-down, presenting only the good … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: The Heath at McKittrick Hotel
THE HEATH AT MCKITTRICK HOTEL, CHELSEA Experience Sleep No More over dinner at the London theatre crew’s new restaurant “The Heath” at The McKittrick Hotel. They nod to their U.K roots by putting on a modern American interpretation of traditional British fare (delicious, by the way) but they add what they’re famous for – a … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Gran Electrica
GRAN ELECTRICA, DUMBO Is it a myth that there’s no good Mexican food in NYC? Maybe. But this stylish Mexican restaurant is definitely attempting to dispel that myth. And even if you’re the fussiest Mexican food aficionado, you’ll at the very least be impressed by the restaurant’s creative cocktail list and its design-minded fit-out (think … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Reynard at the Wythe Hotel
REYNARD, WILLIAMSBURG This quintessentially Brooklyn eatery owned by the people who brought us Roman’s (which for the record is one of my favourite NYC restaurants) offers its diners a grown up Williamsburg vibe, quality, unfussy food and a free pass to skip the line for a cocktail on the Wythe Hotel rooftop. Best Bit: Oyster … Continue reading
Sydney Hotspot Find: The L-P Bar Pop-Up
THE L-P BAR, PADDINGTON Located on “the intersection” of Australia’s famed fashion houses, one of the most prestigious Champagne estates, Laurent-Perrier has launched a pop-up bar, The L-P Bar at Jackies Paddington. This gives you Sydney-siders a rare and indulgent opportunity sample from five Champagne styles, including Laurent-Perrier Grand Siècle, the world-renowned Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé, Laurent-Perrier Millésimé 2004, the … Continue reading
The Curators: Ms G’s Executive Chef Dan Hong on Sydney Food and his favourite off-duty eats
On my last trip out to Sydney I checked out Ms G’s, a hip pan-Asian restaurant in Potts Point. It instantly took a spot in our Sydney restaurant guide and also became the subject of my Vietnamese food obsessions. You see, the food at Ms G’s is my comfort food only I strangely found myself … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Ramen Setagaya
RAMEN SETAGAYA, EAST VILLAGE NYC probably has more ramen restaurants than any other city outside of Japan so I think I can forgive myself for letting this one slip my mind for a year. I revisited Ramen Setagaya recently (this time with a lot more NYC ramen experience under my belt) and I was majorly … Continue reading
NYC Hotspot Find: Luke’s Lobster
LUKE’S LOBSTER, EAST VILLAGE Luke’s lobster has all the simple elements of a good lobster roll lunch covered: 1) A toasted, buttered New England roll 2) Not over-mayoed 3) Filled only with the sweet lobster parts – the knuckles and claws 4) A dash of celery salt and lemon infused butter 5) A cool hip … Continue reading
melting butter 