Jean Georges Steakhouse

Continuing on with the previous trip to Las Vegas, located in the Aria Resort & Casino is Jean Georges Steakhouse, tucked away on the second floor past the entrance to the Cirque du Soleil Zarkana entrance. Having sampled Jean Georges Nougatine restaurant in New York previously for lunch, expectations were high.

Tonchin Ramen

While staying at the Best Western Astina Shinjuku, we asked the hotel staff for food recommendations in the vicinity and they provided us with a list of places by cuisine. As I was craving ramen badly, I made up my mind and proceeded straight to the nearest ramen place on the list. This happened to be Tonchin and I was quite happy with the choice.  Once you exit the hotel, just turn right, stop at the next light and then turn left.  The restaurant is located less than 5 minutes walk away although it is located in the red light district in Kabukicho if that makes a difference to anyone.

Hilton Tokyo Executive Lounge Breakfast

I just had to do another piece on the Hilton Tokyo's executive lounge breakfast as it was really quite an nice experience. As mentioned, the executive lounge is only opening to those residing on the executive floors although they seemed to be a bit lax on the checks. In any case, the lounge had your typical assortment of western items such as scrambled eggs, sausages, bacon and there was actually a nice international variety of stuff like siu mai and stir-fried noodles.

Cravings Buffet @ The Mirage

Following the excellent buffet at the Bacchanal, we were very disappointed with the buffet at the Mirage. Charging $30 for dinner, we were expecting a fairly decent buffet experience even if we weren't expecting Bacchanal or Wynn quality. The first thing I guess we should've noticed was the unexpectedly short line for the buffet. Previously, at the Bellagio, I had waited one and a half hours to get into that buffet and the Bacchanal had required a total of two and a half hours of waiting to finally get seated at a table.  With Cravings, there was just a few minutes wait.

 

Bacchanal Buffet

Among other things, Vegas is known for its buffets and this year, we were lucky enough to be able to try out the new Bacchanal Buffet that opened 2 months earlier back in September 2012 at Caesar's Palace. Boasting over 500 different food items by master chefs at 9 kitchens, you'll get a chance to sample Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, American cuisine along with some samplings of Seafood, Pizza, Deli and Dessert.

Overall, I'd rank it the same as the Bellagio buffet although they are somewhat different in focus.

Lunch in Cordoba

After an amazing experience in Granada, the next day was another day trip from Sevilla to Cordoba. This time out focus was the famed Mezquita of Cordoba. Before we got there however, lunch came first!

Triomphe

Triomphe is a bit of a discreet gem hidden in the hustle and bustle of New York City. Located in the theater district near Times Square, this restaurant is a regular haunt of theatergoers and definitely deserves a try if you're looking for a fancy (but pricey) French restaurant to try while in town in NYC. The ceiling fresco and ambient lighting gives off a very warm and cozy atmosphere and it would be the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion with a refined dining experience like this one.

Sachiko's on Clinton

Although I'm already too late to refer anyone to this restaurant (as it's now unfortunately closed down), nevertheless I have to say that the Sachiko Kaiseki set we had here was probably among the best sushi I've ever had.

Jean Georges' Nougatine

Located just next to Central Park is the towering Trump International Hotel & Tower where you can find probably one of the best prix fixe lunches in New York at Jean Georges' Nougatine cafe. As we were situated at a table next to the window, you can see a nice pleasant view of Central Park.

Lunch in Granada

If you plan on doing a day trip from Sevilla to Granada, be sure to leave plenty of time in the morning and the evening. While there are trains running between the two cities, trains typically take about the same amount of time as the buses which are often cheaper. We ended up taking the bus which set us back 36 euros each for a return journey.

Once you get to the bus station in Granada, you can ask around at the information desk for more information about places to explore - but if you're here to see the Alhambra, you'll need to take another bus, which stops right outside the bus station, into the city center to get to the palace. Each bus ticket was pretty cheap at 1.2 euros each.

Last Dinner in Krakow

Although it was our last meal in Krakow before departing, it was definitely one of the best I had in the city. The name of the place, if I recall correctly, was Wieczorki Gitatowe and came highly recommended by other travellers. They've got a really nice atmosphere with lots of rustic, homely decorations that definitely exuded a lot of charm. Seating was very much cafeteria/beer hall style although the tables definitely felt very sturdy and not cheap.

Last Day in Krakow

It was with some mixed feelings as we got to our last day in Krakow. The former Polish capital was one of the more fascinating European cities I've been to and I had definitely enjoyed my stay but I was also hyped for Budapest which was next on the list. We began the day with another round of pierogies and delicious cabbage rolls.

Wieliczka Souvenirs and Meals

Having completed the tour of Wieliczka, the gift shop was the final stop before heading back up to the surface. Here, there is another elevator which takes you to another observation level within the mine.

NTU, shaved ice and A380s

Stopped by the pretty famous National Taiwan University (NTU) area for a brief visit with a friend.

The campus is filled with plenty of palm trees and an interesting sign barring megaphones:

Dinner at Jadetkol

After a long day walking through Wawel Castle, we decided to go to a traditional Polish restaurant by the name of Jadetkol for dinner.

Walk through Wawel Castle

Lunch at Pod Wawalem was delicious aside from the sauerkraut. For some reason, sauerkraut doesnt sit well with my stomach =( In any case, the sausage, soup and cabbages were delectable.

Pod Wawelem

It wasn't without reason that we had wandered all the way down to the vicinity of Wawel Castle after a hop from Dortmund to Krakow. While most restaurants are almost closed, Pod Wawelem was recommended to us by our hotel as it stays open late and offers nice large quantities of authentic Polish fare.

I was quite taken in by the unique curved roof of the establishment with the dimmer lighting and chandeliers giving the place a very warm, homey feel.

Pike Place Market

Seattle is ever the rainy city, so it was fortunately only cloudy that afternoon when I went to the Pike Place Market, one of the oldest open air farmer's market in the US.

Hotpot in Taipei

This was easily one of my favorite meals in Taipei.  I've always been a fan of hotpot but this restaurant (named 'Gathering' - as in a gathering of friends or family) really took it one step further with its delicious variety of meats, vegetables and other goodies.

Probably my favorite part of the meal was the appetizer included in the meal which was a delicious 'onsen' egg (an egg sitting on top of a boiling shot of water), a scallops on the shell and a piece of vinegar soaked cabbage.

Bellagio, Buffet & Sensi

Likely the most well-known casino on the Strip is the Bellagio, home of the gorgeous fountains. As you  in through the front, you'll encounter a very unique ceiling of colored umbrellas attached to the front foyer like a bunch of helium balloons.