Gazing and Grazing - Page 15 of 41 - Good Food and Views are Worth the Journey

Arzak is Resting on Past Laurels

February 6th, 2016

Arzak, one of San Sebastian's leading restaurants, doesn't seem as novel as it once must have been. Indeed I couldn't shake the sense that the restaurant is resting on its past laurels and coupled with patchy service for a Michelin 3-Star restaurant, our experience was disappointing. I'm hoping that perhaps we got them on a bad day but I don't think the dishes were memorable enough to warrant trying them again. Especially when there are so many other good restaurants in San...

Asador Etxebarri – Ultimate Grilling

February 6th, 2016

This has got to be one of the most fulfilling restaurants in the world. Humankind discovered fire for this reason - to cook meat, and no one does it better than Etxebarri. The freshest produce supplied by nearby farms and fishermen are grilled just right, and without a lot of dressing so that the natural taste of the food comes through. From fish to steak, even cheese, every course was pure joy.

Located midway between Bilbao and San Sebastian, Etxebarri is worth the taxi ride...

Lunar New Year Cruise

January 23rd, 2016

Last lunar new year, I spent ten days on Crystal Symphony with my relatives on a cruise that started in Hong Kong and ended in Singapore. Cruises are not for everyone but I think it is one of the nicest ways to go on holiday when you've got less mobile octogenarians in the group. Along the way, we stopped in Hainan Island (China), Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. Since I live in Singapore, it was a convenient journey for me but familiarity with these stops meant that the cruise was not that...

Barcelona’s Disfrutar gets its Star

January 23rd, 2016

Just an update – one of my favorite new restaurants I tried in 2015 – Disfrutar in Barcelona has been awarded its first Michelin star late last year. Read my original post on the restaurant here. The set menus remain reasonably priced at EUR75, EUR105 and EUR135 for the quantum, quality and staging of the food. You can reserve a table online at its website.

Murakami’s The 500 Arhats Exhibit at Tokyo’s Mori Art Museum

January 21st, 2016

If you’re in Tokyo, I think it’s worth it to spend an hour or more visiting Takashi Murakami’s The 500 Arhats exhibit at the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills. Murakami is probably best known for his commercial work – such as the colourful Louis Vuitton monograms that adorned its bags. His recent work – The 500 Arhats – is tremendous and reveals that he is much more than just a pop artist. The exhibition has been running since Oct. 31 and will end on Mar. 6.