Foodies!
Food forms a huge part of my life so it’s only natural that when I go on holiday part of the whole experience is the food offerings. When people talk to me about the culture of a place all I’m thinking about is food. Dim Sun in Hong Kong, green curries in Thailand or ribs in America! On reflection my clients are probably wanting to know about temples, sightseeing and places to go. I’m usually recommending restaurants, street food and cookery courses!
When I say I’m a foodie what I actually mean is I just like food. I can’t pretend to be dining at Michelin starred restaurants every other week and I’m still not sure why a jus is not just a sauce and a confit of something doesn’t sit right with me.
But like many of us I always watch Master Chef the professionals and occasionally prepare dinner with a fancy ‘smear’ of parsnip puree across the plate. I eat at Jamie’s or Gino’s and love to buy exotic ingredients that I’m not always sure what to do with from the ‘fancy’ aisle at the supermarket as we call it.
Being a foodie doesn’t necessarily mean it’s all about the Michelin stars. In fact, quite the opposite. Part of my blog will be about fine dining, but I’ll start with the street food!
In most of the major cities across the world I can offer food tours through a local tour company that specialise in going to the places that locals eat and drink at. They take you through the back streets and genuinely off the beaten track to some of the little tucked away places that you would never find or probably know about. These places tend to be simple, honest and locally produced regional food and always offer fantastic value. They also double up as useful city tours. City tours can be great, but I’d much rather walk around a city from amazing food place to food place than jewellery store to gift shop!
A great example of these tours is in Venice. Although Italy is famed for its food and drink, Venice might not be at the top of the list. The Cicchetti & Wine tour will certainly put this right. Cicchetti is like the Spanish Tapas, and this tour takes you to the best places serving seafood, polenta and olives before trying the finest offering from the Bacari wine bars. Prosecco, wines and local beers are all included as you walk through the narrow medieval streets and take local ferries across the canals.
Venice is of course a great option for a long, romantic, weekend away. But it’s easy to add a day or two to a trip, the beginning or end of a cruise or the start or end of a trip through Italy.
These tours are available throughout the world and I’ve added them to people’s itineraries in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Ho Chi Minh, Tokyo and Madrid. So, don’t forget to ask If I can add something to your next trip.
Another big part of some of my previous holidays has not always just been eating but cooking too! In Thailand, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Vietnam, I have done some excellent cookery courses. I have found these to be an inspiring and interesting way to experience a country. They take you to the local markets to buy the food, so you get a great experience and tour through the market before being taught the local ways, traditions and techniques of preparing the meals you’ve been eating since you arrived. Learning the basics of a Pad Thai or Vietnamese Spring rolls have inspired me to at least try these at home. They tend to give you the recipes and instructions when you leave so there’s no excuse. It can be a bit tricky to pick some of the ingredients up in ASDA, although it’s certainly easier than it used to be.
Then there is fine dining. I have regularly put together trips and itineraries for clients who have gone specially to visit specific restaurants. Many of the top Michelin star restaurants have unique and quirky ways to book, usually involving staying up to midnight on the first day of the month to book a year in advance, when it comes to the number one restaurant in the world, El Celler de Can Roca in Girona, Spain.
But this is certainly something I am now able to advise and help you with. A great example is the culinary mecca of San Sebastian in Northern Spain. Widely regarded as the food lover’s paradise with no less than 10 Michelin star restaurants in this small fishing village. But without prior knowledge the traditional long weekend could be a waste as none of the restaurants are open on Sundays or Mondays! San Sebastian varies from the three Michelin star Arzak which is formal and fine dining to the more relaxed and rustic feel of Alameda which is run by three brothers.
San Sebastian is a great example of a ‘food destination’ in its own right. Another food destination is the now world-famous Franklin's barbecue in Austin Texas. It’s widely regarded as the best joint in Texas, which by default means the world, for BBQ ribs and particularly it’s Brisket. My mouth is watering at the mere thought. Its fame has now led to regular four-hour queues and even more famously the only person allowed to queue jump was Barack Obama, but he had to pay for everyone’s food in the line he’d jumped in front of. Kanye West thought he could do the same and was told in no uncertain terms to get to the back! Four hours though!
Staying with the States and in particular New York one of the most accessible 3 Michelin star restaurants is Eleven Madison Park. You are only able to book a month in advance and for research purposes I’ve looked, and most dates next month can be accommodated. They also have a slightly better value bar menu for those of us who want to experience what three stars tastes like!
My next dream food destinations are Buenos Aires to eat steak and drink red wine (not a great place for those suffering from gout) and Kerala for the unbelievable Southern Indian curries, and no doubt cookery course.
If food is a big part of your holiday let me know. Whether its reserving a fine dining experience or sampling street food I can incorporate it into most itineraries.
I will be putting together some suggested short breaks for foodies to San Sebastian and Venice on my Facebook page so make sure you like a follow it for some more inspiration and make sure you tag and foodie friends!