***Hey, another series I get to periodically update!!***
1.) Non-Fancy, Non Tasting Menu - basically places that are, as stated not tasting menu restaurants, that are on the cheaper, lighter, side. Some probably toe the line here, but due to the countries they're in, probably still qualify as "non-fancy"
2.) Fancy, Non-Tasting Menu - which is as it states. Again, probably there's a few that are toeing the line on whether they are any more "fancy" than a couple in the "non-fancy" area
3.) Tasting Menu - again, fairly self explanatory. Howevrer, I'll state that a place with a set 3-4 course menu, I'm not counting as a tatsting menu. The fewest number of courses I have here in 6
Anyway, on the the stuff.**
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15.) Hangkook Jib (Joenju - 2022)
Technically the place has more than one thing, but pretty much everyone comes here for their bibimbap, noted as one of the best in Jeonju, the home of bibimbap. The kimchi and various assortment of small bowls they give you at the start were all great. The bibimbap itself was about as tasty as any I had on the trip, with the raw beef preparation being a nice touch and more eatable, in my view, than the cooked beef version I had elsewhere.
14.) Miorskie Oko (Krakow - 2014)
I went here twice in my time in Krakow. Partially because it was great food, and partially because it was super affordable. The food in the style of the highlander Polish people, adorned with traditional dress and live traditional music, enlivened up what is at the end of the day, really good takes on traditional polish food. The dish I remember was a really well seasoned, thick and great beef stew, somethign way beyond what i've gotten elsewhere in Poland or Berlin.
13.) Cha Ca Thang Long (Hanoi - 2019)
They serve one dish. That is in a way the genesis of this list to begin with. But that one dish, which is a cumin and turmeric spiced white fish, cooked in front of you. The server sets everythign up, gets the cooking goeing and prepares your first bowl, combining the fish with a little bit of rice noodles, bean sprouts, basil and mint, chili oil and seaweed. It is a perfect concoction, truly. After that you have to make the next few sets, but it isn't too difficult. Truly this was a special place, packed all for one dish.
12.) Hassaku (Kyoto - 2023)
In a way, this is a stand-in for all the amazing Izakaya's in Japan, but Hassaku was the best. Like any Izakaya - it's fairly cheap, it has a weird, eclectic, random assortment of starters and dishes, and it is all cooked with such care and affection. Like all, it was a mom and pop joint, with them both acting as cook and server, along with their daughter who showed up halfway. Places like Hassaku are what make Japan special. Their amazing lightly dusted fish starter, and incredibly pungent, deep, complex short rib braise, are incredible memories - washed down with the best of sake. Just a great place.
11.) La Marmita (Punta Arenas - 2017)
We went to Marmita for our first dinner on our trip to Patagonia. It was a really nicely adorned place and while the menu was super affordable, the chefs did a great job playing it up. It was the only place on our trip to serve Guanaco (cute animals are delicious, sadly) and they had some great other dishes as well. It is a bit more lowkey than some of the fancier places in Punta Arenas. Really nice spot.
10.) Safran (Amman - 2019)
This is one of them that toes the line a bit between fancy and non-fancy. In the end I went non-fancy given the cost. The food was excellent, from a great take on Mansaf (their version of biryani) a couple good grilled lamb dishes, and even good vegetables. The only real negative I would say about the place is that their mezze was a bit uninspired. But since I'm not a huge fan of mezze to begin with (I realize that is a bit weird), I'll give them a well earned pass on that.
9.) Ayasofya Kebab (Istanbul - 2024)
If you could think of a place where you would get great Turkish kebab's, you probably wouldn't pick an alley with tons of other restaurants all wooing passerby travelers in the shadows of the Hagia Sophia. But indeed, deep in this tourist trap area is a perfect kebab spot. Truly the best adana kebab I've ever had - so succelent and smokey, a combination that should be fairly impossible. Their other dishes were great as well, such as a really nice take on Dolmas, and Kunefe. You may have to trust me, because this is basically like finding a great spot in an alley off of time square.
8.) Martin's Corner (Goa - 2013, 2015)
On my second trip to Goa in 2013, I was dismayed that the resort we were at were far away from the shack-lined beaches of North Goa. The one positive development was getting a chance to go to Martin's Corner, which combined the great shack food, elevated it up a few notches and built out the rest of the meal beautifully. The menu is pure Goan classics, from Xacuti's to Vindaloo's to Pepper Fry's and everything else. The setting, open air with the breeze of the Indian Ocean waters wafting in, adds to it really nicely.
7.) Sushi Ichii (Nara - 2023)
This is 100% a stand-in for all the gaitenzushi and non-super-fancy sushi spots that are all over Japan. Sushi Inchii in Nara isn't exactly a gaitenzushi spot. It's a more traditional sushi counter spot, with a sushi master cutting pristine cuts of fish on an elevated counter - with counter seats and ratan mat seats abound. There was no prices in the menu, which terrified me, but instead it was super affordable. The best was the unagi, which was amazing. But so were the cuttlefish, the various tuna cuts, and the great tea from a tap. This was a great space overall in the heart of Nara, a nice stop after the deer.
6.) Cuc Gach Quan (Ho Chi Minh City - 2019, 2022)
Another one that toes the line between fancy and not, I went here because they want to be traditional vietnamese cuisine, served in a large home converted into a restaurant. The setting is gorgeous, with various rooms all adorned well. The food is even better, pure home-style Vietnamese cooking cooked perfectly. Their beef stew there was something incredible, as are the fresh salads with chicken or shrimps. Vietnamese cooking over the years has really risen up my rankings of foods, and places like this are a big reason why.
5.) Mahesh Lunch Homes (Mumbai - 2015, 2018, 2019, 2021)
There's a few of them in Mumbai (and elsewhere in India). I believe each time I've gone is to the one in Fort, which has been excellent. For starters, they have maybe the best single curry I've ever had in an Indian restaurant. a half white, half red amalgamation of everything great about Indian food. The restaurant nominally serves Coastal food, similar if not right from my ancestral home of Mangalore, and all that stuff, from the pepper fry's and bangda's are all spectacular as well. The menu is giant, and to be hoenst you can go dozens of times and not hit everything.
4.) Gli Specialisti (Rome - 2019)
It was our last day of our Italy trip, reaching a neighborhood on the outskirts of Rome after a flight delay with little options for food. So we went to Gli Specialisti, adorned with bicycles everywhere. On the plus side, it had maybe the best Cacio e Pepe I've ever had. So well seasoned and cooked. The other food we got, from pizzas to lightly grilled fish, were all great as well. It was so good, that when I was alone after a flight cancellation the next night, I went back.
3.) Romdeng (Phnom Penh - 2013)
The star of the show was the tarantula, a famous appetizer of theirs. It might seem gimmicky, but the fried tarantula is truly very tasty. But this is no gimmick. The rest of the food at Romdeng was excellent as well. The curry I had there was a pure combination of the richness of Malaysia with the spiciness of Thai food, and it was excellent. The setting too, open air right in the heart of Phnom Peng made it all the better. I believe this restaurant to have since closed, but man was it a great spot in Cambodia.
2.) Ruta de Azafran (Granada - 2021)
This is the restaurant that probably comes closest to not being "not fancy". It has tons of outdoor seating at the base of the hill that leads up to the Alhambra. We went for dinner, with the Alhambra glowing above it. The food was all excellent, from my braised & curried short rib, to a strange but excellent meat pie in philo dough starter. My friends got fish and an eggplant dish (he's vegetarian) which both seemed excellent as well. The setting itself is worth a good deal of the price of admission, and add onto it great Moorish cooking (hence the name - "The Saffron Route" in English) and you get a truly special restaurant.
1.) Schwartz's Deli (Montreal - Many Times)
I half made these various series of lists because I wanted a place to extol the brilliance that is Schwartz's. I've gone probably a dozen times on various trips to Montreal. In recent years it's generally been getting take out (a far shorter, though still long line) and eating self-made sandwhiches with their incredible smoked meat in a park. But a few times we waited the line and were treated to a slice of Canadian history. The line is due to notoriety, but that notoriety is due to consistent brilliance. The meat is always amazing, and truly not as fatty as you would think (granted, you can ask for the "fatty" option). The sauces, the bread, the mustard, the pickles, all the other stuff is top class as well. Some times, the experience exceeds the hype. Schwartz's is always one of those times.
