March 2017 - Gazing and Grazing

I Tigli in Theoria in Como – Modern Italian in an Enchanting Space

March 28th, 2017

I Tigli in Theoria is a Michelin starred modern Italian restaurant with fantastic pastry in a beautiful courtyard building in central Como. This was our first meal in Como - a large seven course lunch at the chef's table with a view of the kitchen. Unfortunately, having just arrived after a 12-hour flight, it was difficult to fully enjoy what we were eating. Nonetheless, I'm glad I was able to squeeze in a visit and overall, I think it's well worth having a meal here. The tasting menu costs...

Akira Back in Singapore Melds Japanese and Korean Influences Delectably

March 26th, 2017

From his Korean roots, Akira Back blends in a Japanese reverence for subtlety and quality inputs to produce deliciously creative dishes with a nuance of America. The main foundation of the food remains raw fish (Akira is a trained sushi chef) but it has been given a twist using Korean influenced sauces and garnishing. Within all this is a decidedly modern presentation. Akira has restaurants located in Las Vegas, Seoul and Jakarta but we ate at his Singapore branch, which sits in...

Varenna – Best Place to Chill Out on Lake Como

March 25th, 2017

Varenna may be one of Lake Como's smaller towns, but it packs a big punch in enjoyability even if most of our visit consisted of sitting at a cafe drinking aperol spritzes. Situated on the central eastern edge of Lake Como, Varenna is well worth a visit for its lake front ease and photogenic waterfront. Simply put, there probably is no better place or way to see the sun set at Lake Como.

Why We Came

We had a spare afternoon in Lake Como and between the hustle of...

Da Noi is a Slice of Sardinia in Melbourne

March 24th, 2017

Melbourne's Da Noi restaurant serves up a sunny slice of Sardinia, from freshly grilled octopus to slow roasted kid (young goat). Food like this is almost always wonderfully satisfying, where the taste of quality meat shines through with minimal garnishing. "Honest" food as some other reviewers call it. It helps that the food is cooked well. We normally just leave our meal in the hands of chef-owner Pietro Porcu and this leads to a series of seafood based antipasti,...

Ajiro in Kyoto is the Temple for Japanese Buddhist Cuisine

March 21st, 2017

Michelin one-starred Ajiro is certainly the temple of buddhist vegetarian ("shojin ryori") cuisine with the foundation of its food being yuba, the tofu skin that Kyoto is famous for. I've been here in both winter and summer and have enjoyed both visits immensely. Beautifully presented dishes are brought forth as we scoop the yuba from a simmering box of soy milk. So this is non-stop yuba snacking punctuated by vegetarian presentations of meat dishes. And best of all, whether it's true or...