Amsterdam Curated: City and Food

Ever since I was nineteen, I have been visiting Bangkok yearly for vacation. I can't deny that its diverse and delicious cuisine is one of the biggest reasons why. However, one of my complaints about the Bangkok food scene was that price and interior did not always impact the satisfaction I got from the food. Although I also enjoyed dining at Michelin-starred restaurants such as  Nahm ,  Gaggan ,  Le Normandie  and  Paste , my biggest delight always came from small eateries like  Polo Fried Chicken  near the US embassy or  Wat Dong Mun Lek  in Chonburi. Before arriving in Amsterdam, I had heard about a small Thai snack bar near the Red Light District. Apart from a few places in Sham Shui Po or Sheung Wan in Hong Kong, I couldn't recall any other eatery deserving of the "hole-in-the-wall" title more than this place. Despite the crowd and the line, I managed to easily find a seat at the wall-side sitting bar ...

If you have ever experienced the endless queue for the famous brunch spot of San Francisco -  Mama's On Washington Square , in the morning, two things are likely to stick in your memory. First, the Chinese Americans practicing Tai Chi in nearby Washington Square, and second, probably Liguria Bakery , another San Franciscan institution opened in 1911 that specializes in selling focaccia, located just across the street. As the name suggests, Focaccia, the fluffy Italian flatbread, originated from Liguria, in the north-west of the country. If you are interested in travelling, you must have heard of Cinque Terre, or even Genoa (Genova), the hometown of Christopher Columbus. Opened in 2021, Focacceria is run by a couple from Liguria, as expected. the authenticity of its Focaccia was already widely recognized among Italian expat communities. Focacceria is interesting not only for its Focaccia but also as a place. Its bright yellow exterior catches your at...

I love Japanese Ramen. I know it's not the healthiest food, but I've always loved its addictive flavour. Thanks to the proximity and cheap flight tickets, I used to visit Japan a few times a year when I lived in Asia. Some of my favourite destinations are Sapporo and Fukuoka, which are two of the top three ramen cities in Japan. Japanese people love to rank things, like the top three ramens (Sapporo, Hakata, and Kitakata) or the top three udons (Sanuki, Inaniwa, and Mizusawa). I sometimes find it amusing how many lists they have. Nevertheless, I can tell you that these ramen cities - although I haven't visited Kitakata, located in Fukushima - are serious, and there's undeniable authenticity there Since I'm not Japanese, you may not approve of my taste. That's possible. Still, Ramen is one of my favourite Japanese delicacies, and I've visited quite a few great ramen places all over Japan. I consider  Ganso Nagahamaya (元祖長浜屋)  in Fukuoka and  Baikohken  (梅光軒) ...

  I loved Hong Kong. For me, one of the greatest parts of visiting Hong Kong was always its Dim Sum (點心). Before moving into this low land country - of course in pre-covid era, - I visited the city at least two or three times a year, and I never missed chances of having Dim Sums there.  Not only with those great Cantonese institutions where Michelin showered with stars -  Lung King Heen  龍景軒,  Yan Toh Heen  欣圖軒,  Tin Lung Heen   天龍軒,  and  Sun Tung Lock   新同樂 , of course, I went there - but I had Dim Sums all over the city. I even went to Happy Valley for Dim Sum The Art of Chinese Tit Bits 譽滿坊 and Kennedy Town for Sun Hing 新興食家. If you ask me which are my favorites, I would say the Sunday dim sum of Fook Lam Moon 福臨門 at Wanchai and Sun Hing were my top choices. I did like Yan Toh Heen for its beauty and heavenly service, Tin Lung Heen for its grace and view, and Sun Tung Lock for its authenticity, but Fook Lam Moon's Sunday Dim S...