Michelin Stars

International TravelThings You Should KnowWining/Dining

SPRING TRIP 2023: SINGAPORE

singapore1

Did you know that Singapore has four seasons?  They are hot, hotter, extremely hot, and monsoon rain (resulting in just mildly hot weather).  Frankly, I don’t know how people manage.

After the brief stay in Tokyo (in case you missed it, click HERE), we made a return visit to this center of remarkable capitalism.  Since declaring independence from Malaysia in 1965, Singapore has enjoyed incredible development.  It is:

A highly developed country, it has the second-highest GDP per capita (PPP) in the world. Identified as a tax haven, Singapore is the only country in Asia with a AAA sovereign credit rating from all major rating agencies. It is a major aviationfinancial, and maritime shipping hub, and has consistently been ranked as one of the most expensive cities to live in for expatriates and foreign workers. Singapore ranks highly in key social indicators: educationhealthcarequality of lifepersonal safetyinfrastructure, and housing, with a home-ownership rate of 88 percent. Singaporeans enjoy one of the longest life expectanciesfastest Internet connection speedslowest infant mortality rates, and lowest levels of corruption in the world. (Source: Wikipedia)

Now, if they could just do something about the weather.

I managed to score a highly-coveted booking at Burnt Ends in the Dempsey Hill area for our first night.  We sat at the bar and enjoyed a selection of small plates, one better than the next.  The real show was the bar itself, with truly artisan cocktails being mixed non-stop.  And the bartenders or “mixologists” are quite the showmen.  We were enthralled.

First, the food seen below (“slider”; wings; salad & taco bites; dessert)

Next; borrowed this one to show the bar area where we sat (photo courtesy Burnt Ends)

In answer to the question:  “How do you get to the bottles up top?”  

No trip to Singapore is complete without seeing the iconic Marina Bay Sands complex (casino, hotel, high-end shops galore and endless dining options).  While the 57th floor infinity pool is only available to hotel guests, there is an observation deck atop another tower.  I steeled myself with a libation at lunch (a White Cosmo with orchid petals in the ice cube) which took the edge off being up so high (and outside).  It is quite something to see the entirety of Singapore from that vantage point. Lunch (below) at Daniel Boulud’s bistro.

In the quest for some delicious Chinese food, we opted for Jian-Nan Chun at the Four Seasons Hotel. And what an auspicious decision that turned out to be.  While looking for the restaurant in the lobby, a gentleman offered to help us find the spot.  And then asked, “Have we met before?  Were you at the Four Seasons in the Maldives (Kudaa Hura)?”  Yes, in 2017.  He was the general manager there at the time.  How did he remember us?  Because he reads this blog!  How cool is that?  If ever I question why I continue to do this, it is stories like these that connect and inspire.  We’re still in touch with the executive chef from the Maldives who we visited in Kuala Lumpur in 2019 (who loved this reunion story when I shared it with him!).

A most delicious dinner below with gorgeous centerpiece:

After learning there are giant pandas at the Singapore Zoo complex, it was an easy decision to see them along with assorted other species.  But you had me at the pandas.  While the shy mom was in the den, we watched in awe of the father and the 2-year old Le Le consume copious amounts of bamboo.  That’s a lot of what they do besides exude cuteness overload!

Below, a more rare Red Panda

Patriarch of the family 

And the youngin’ Le Le

From our Orchard Road-adjacent hotel (the St. Regis), it was an short drive for our last dinner. That was at the Singapore outpost of Osteria Mozza. Nancy Silverton (who revolutionized bread via La Brea Bakery) has excellent personnel on hand making sure the food is identical to the flagship in Los Angeles.  Given that every ingredient must be imported, that is not easy. Among the comments shared with us from the Australian-born executive chef, we found out a young lady makes all the pasta from scratch.  It was delicious. By the way, that it is atypical for someone young to be so adept at this particular skill. Especially since there are none of the Italian “nonnas” teaching her how!

With a morning departure, we said our goodbyes and boarded Singapore Air for the 2+ hour flight to our next stop — Bali.

 

International TravelThings You Should KnowWining/Dining

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

Foodie-01

Does anyone NOT spend a lot of time on the internet in the course of researching and planning travel?  I think not.  It was in this spirit that I was noodling around and thought for fun I would Google myself.  I know, you’ve never done that; right?

Most of what I found I knew … no, I don’t have a criminal record nor am I a deadbeat.  But on about the fourth page, I found a link to an article I wrote in 2015!  And it’s held up quite well.  While I’ve writing/posting as “Travel with Teri B” since 2012, this website is just two years old.  That means the link to the column has not  previously been shared.  And so here you are from Travel Post Monthly:

Eating in Spain: “Basqueing” in the Glow of San Sebastian

View from Hotel Maria Cristina

Oh, how I remember the meals so well:  Arzak, Martin Berasategui (possibly my favorite restaurant ever) … the extraordinary Guggenheim Bilbao Museum and the beautiful Hotel Maria Cristina.  I’m often asked about favorite places and/or return visits.  San Sebastian is at the top of my list.

So enjoy this piece from a few years ago.  Que aproveche!

 

Composed salad at Martin Berasategui
International TravelThings I LoveThings You Should KnowWining/Dining

HONG KONG; PLUS WINNERS & LOSERS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

IMG_2815 hk

If you want to know why I’m so big on brand loyalty, how we were graciously treated for all of a few hours in Hong Kong says it all.  “A few hours” in this case means landing around 2pm and departing at midnight.  It’s roughly 30-40 minutes via taxi from the airport to most of the city.  Our bags were checked through to Los Angeles, so there was no waiting for luggage.  We each had a carry-on.

Once we got to the airport’s very fast and efficient taxi line after clearing customs, it was not much after 3pm when we made it to the Central part of Hong Kong (the other main part is Kowloon, separated by the bay).  The driver waited briefly while the hubby acquired some local currency, just enough for to pay for our cabs and some tips.  Where were we?

At the Four Seasons Hong Kong, courtesy of a call from our friends at their sister hotel in Kuala Lumpur where we had just stayed.  We were familiar with the hotel from a previous visit to Hong Kong in 2017.  So instead of watching the clock at the airport, we had the most lovely afternoon — first in the hotel’s Executive Club, followed by a quick clean up and clothes change in the spa.  We then walked to the Landmark complex (a shopper’s dream come true and location of a newer Mandarin Oriental hotel) for our spectacular “last supper” at  L’Atelier Joel Robuchon.  By 9pm, we were back at the hotel to gather our belongings and were then transported swiftly to the airport for the flight home.  We have great appreciation for their lovely hospitality and plan on returning the next time we are in Asia.

A colossus of cuisine was lost in August last year when Chef Robuchon died at age 73, having been awarded 32 stars total in his lifetime — a record.  His imprimatur lives on in his signature style and exquisite cuisine.  I believe his teams are committed to carry on his traditions and high standards.  If there’s one of his restaurants where this big spring trip takes us, we’ll be there — this was our fourth visit (previously in Hong Kong, plus last year in Paris and before that London).  In the U.S., there are locations in New York’s Meatpacking District and in Las Vegas at the MGM.

Below:  One actually can live on bread and wine .. and spectacular butter.  Fourteen varieties of bread, all made daily on the premises, and all incredible.

Below, top row:  bird’s eye view into the kitchen, aka “L’atelier” (workshop); artistic burrata and tomatoes; bottom row: the best baby lamb chops; make that one can live on bread, wine AND chocolate.  The establishment is well deserving of their three Michelin stars.

Below: 26 seconds of Hong Kong on a remarkably bright, clear day — from the hotel’s 46th floor balcony:

 

Hong Kong was the end of our three weeks for Spring 2019.  Here are my “winners & losers” from this trip:

WINNERS:

Vietnam.  There’s a reason virtually everyone comes away having enjoyed their time in this country.  Great people, food, culture.

Vietnam Airlines:  Five flights, all on time, great service.  I would fly EVA again as well (Taiwan’s airline).  Cathay Airlines is always great — I am happy they are an American/One World partner.

Four Seasons Hotels:  I don’t get compensated for my recommendations (why is that?); I simply think they do a great job. Rosewood Hotels is right up there as well.  Whatever your brand is, be consistent and let management know when they do something right, not just when you have a complaint.

Advance planning:  It pays off in spades.  Visas.  Airport greeters.  Tours.  Pre-arranged and nothing missed.

Malaysia:  Very enjoyable and our 70th country, therefore a winner!

Asia travel in general:  The tendency for so many Americans is to head east (i.e., Europe).  I say go west! For U.S travelers living west of the Mississippi, traveling to numerous gateways is easy.   So much to do and see in so many countries.  And it can be done very economically.  And a whole lot easier to get award seats.

LOSER:

Humidity.  Enough said.

And that’s a wrap.

 

 

 

Things I LoveTo-Do ListU.S. TravelWining/Dining

Big Trip/Big Apple/BIG Birthday

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I’m guessing that you’ve figured out the what and the where.  As for what constitutes as a BIG birthday, 65 is definitely one.  If you follow this blog, you know we went to Greece (click for previous posts) for the hubby’s recent milestone birthday.  As for mine, the destination was a no-brainer especially since I love cold weather, great restaurants and shopping, with some theater thrown in because it’s part of what one does in NYC.

We flew American to NY and were really impressed with their new 321T plane which is used for transcontinental routes.  Wow — great plane, modern features, tons of leg room in the exit row, outlets and individual screens at each seat.  We got upgraded for our return (15K miles and $70 each); it was fabulous!

Bottom left is exit row en route to NY; other pix are the new business class seats.

It was a “no holds barred” kind of trip (within reason, of course) because a 65th birthday happens just once.  And when one is fortunate enough to have so much, it’s time to both partake and reflect.  The latter comes in a bit.

Loews Regency Hotel on Park and 61st got the where-to-stay nod after much debate (with myself and the internet).  To me this is a very central location for our plans; we had a terrific previous stay; and, the rate didn’t necessitate a second mortgage.  I chose three shows, all purchased in advance:  The Band’s Visit, My Fair Lady and Network (Bryan Cranston!).  Might I add that none of the NY tickets (all Orchestra seats) cost as much as what we paid for Dear Evan Hansen in Los Angeles.  Go figure that one out.

Hotel greetings; Network curtain call; The Band’s Visit; Still lit up in NYC

There’s a few places and restaurants where I’ve always wanted to go but never have on innumerable trips to NYC.  One is Peter Luger Steakhouse.  So many people have so many opinions about the “best steak” place to go, but one doesn’t stay in business for 130+ years with lousy food.  This was on my to-do list so that we high-tailed it to Brooklyn straight away after a fabulous performance of My Fair Lady.  Norbert Leo Butz as Alfred P. Doolittle is worth the price of admission, if only to see him perform “Get Me to the Church on Time.”

Steak, fries, lamb chops and a mountain of whipped cream

It’s also no surprise that where to dine for the actual birthday dinner was given a lot of thought.  Several months ago, I put a reminder in my calendar of the date when January reservations open up for Eleven Madison Park — notoriously difficult to book.  Three Michelin stars and consistently on the World’s Best list.  Parenthetically, if you click on that link, #15 is White Rabbit in Moscow.  Yikes.  We did not think it was so wonderful on our visit there in May.  So lists can certainly be in the eye of the beholder.

Nonetheless, EMP had availability for Jan 8 so with the hubby’s blessing, the booking was made (and pre-paid in full).  The experience was so extraordinary that I’m dedicating a separate post to it (to follow).  The night before was a return trip to Daniel — an absolute favorite and site of my perfect 60th.  The restaurant is consistently grand and Daniel Boulud was in the house.

Below is the custom menu delivered at the end of the night.  I’m always grateful for this so I don’t have to either take notes or try to remember what scrumptious dishes were served!  Inside the box is a small pastry to take with, just in case we needed another bite …

In the kitchen with Chef Boulud and with the wine director lower right.
Five years ago on my 60th.

We got to visit with family as well for Sunday brunch at Les Leopard des Artistes, close to Lincoln Center.  And we had a late night drink with a dear Houston friend who happened to be in NY.  Remarkably this is the second birthday in a row we’ve seen him (see post)!

Regular readers might remember Aunt Judy (blue coat) who traveled to India with us. Her husband, son, daughter & son-in-law made up a lovely group!
We met up with Houstonian Fred Zeidman (left) and his NY friend Gary to close the bar in the wee hours.
First visit to Russ & Daughters Cafe, Lower East Side, for transparent salmon, amazing latkes, egg cream, rugulah and clever wallpaper
Bergdorf’s shoe department, where the hubby’s “dogs” are in repose as I scoured the sales racks (sadly, nothing for me)

As for the reflection part,  I am indeed blessed.  A loving and devoted husband, adult children launched and flourishing in their respective careers, a successful business with loyal clients, seeing the world, two close sisters and great friends.  It’s a lot.  I am so grateful that I trusted my instincts to make the choices in life that resulted in all of this.  No doubt, some luck was involved as well.  But I wake up every day happy in wonderful surroundings.  So life at 65 is pretty, pretty good.

 

Things I LoveU.S. TravelWining/Dining

NYC: GOING WITH THE FLOW IN THE SNOW!

Lucky me — back to the Big Apple again after last October’s visit (see previous post).  This time the hubby is in tow as the principal reason is a bat mitzvah celebration on his family’s side.  Of course I took the opportunity to schedule in a few fabulous meals and two Broadway shows plus an exhibit at the Met, all crammed in to four nights/three full days of non-stop action.
Never were the words “man plans and God laughs” more fitting than experiencing NYC’s second largest recorded snowfall, beginning the night before the event.  For much of the eastern seaboard, it became a series of plans changed, plans canceled, plans uncertain until the last minute, and everyone going with the flow.
Our original plan stayed in place for the first 24 hours: we checked into our hotel — The London on W. 54th.  A benefit of traveling to snowy cities are the reduced rates, plus this hotel’s location is superb for access to pretty much everything.
We landed in time to have dinner at the exquisite Le Bernardin, the flagship restaurant of Eric Ripert, garnering three Michelin stars, the 18th spot on the World’s Best List, and pretty much every other accolade out there.  The dining room is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen.  Service was impeccable but never snobby, even when I altered the chef’s recommended preparation of a dish. The four-course tasting menu is practically a bargain compared with others in this caliber .. Per Se (east coast sister to The French Laundry) used to be there but has apparently slipped (see review) and is more than twice the cost. The nearly all-female sommelier staff (6 in all) were very knowledgeable with a neatly-edited list focused on certain varieties — heavy on white and red burgundies.  I asked what percentage of patrons bring in their own wine and the answer was: “None.  It is not allowed.”  It was a spectacular meal in all aspects.  No wonder it is the toughest reservation around.
Hamachi sushi
Seafood pasta with
shaved truffles
Beautiful salad with
apple
Amazing white tuna
and waygu beef
Black walnut dessert

 

The all-white blossoms towered
in the center of the room
The Met visit included taking in the Costume Institute’s exhibit featuring international style/fashion icon Jacqueline de Ribes.  The hubby was about as interested in this as having a tooth extraction, but he makes an effort to be a willing participant for which I am grateful. What’s unique and special about this woman is her attention to detail — a dying art. Few women have the time, means and interest to concern themselves with always appearing “just so.” We live in an era of people getting on airplanes in flip-flops and tank tops. It’s not so much about the designer clothing, but rather the caring about one’s appearance which seems to be sadly diminished.  Enough said …
The gowns are timeless and look fresh
today as they did 30 years ago
The gown which she is shown wearing to a costume ball was on display
Not part of the exhibit but I was inspired to shoe shop after … Bergdorf’s still had their post-Christmas sale going on!
Friday afternoon was when the plans for Saturday and Sunday began to change so rapidly it was hard to keep up.  The bat mitzvah scheduled for Saturday late afternoon with evening party got moved to Sunday.   We made a beeline for the box office at Lincoln Center to change our Sunday matinée tickets (The King and I) to Saturday evening, plus change our nearby dinner reservation as well. So far, so good.  We informed the hotel we would be staying through Sunday instead of spending one night in Westchester and coming back to the city for a night.  No problem there.
We LOVED the hilarious Something Rotten  (second time for me) and departed the theater to a light dusting of snow as predicted late Friday evening.
Saturday morning was something entirely different as the snow was really coming down.  Nonetheless, the hubby hightailed it down to the box office to get matinée tickets (phenomenal seats!) for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (again a repeat for me) —  as even in a snowstorm Hamilton is impossible.  Not 90 minutes later as we showed up at the theater we were informed our show — and all of Broadway — was cancelled due to the weather. In fact, the entire city was shutting down save for the hotels and the restaurants within the hotels.  Hello Jonas, the blizzard of 2016.  Frankly I don’t see why so many folks had to be hugely disappointed. In some cases the tickets are next to impossible to get; people traveled long distances for special occasions that they may never have again.  The actors were already in place; you could hear people cheering as they exited the stage doors to go home. Couldn’t the productions just have a big slumber party if folks connected with the shows couldn’t access their normal means for getting home???
Snow piled up in Times Square with the
 die-hards still trying to get tix before alerted to the closings
Why the smirk?  Because in the hubby’s
native Ohio, two feet of snow is called “spring.”
 
Fortunately our dinner that evening at Nougatine was spared (cannot say the same for the hotel’s umbrella which the wind literally dismantled). This is the more casual companion eatery to Jean-Georges at Columbus Circle.  Even that was all upside down as the casual side was overwhelmed in order to accommodate hotel guests (the restaurant is in Trump International Hotel, but you-know-who had nothing to do with this!) so we were seated in the formal dining room with our choice of menus. Anything goes in the face of a blizzard..
One of my favorite
shots … perhaps the
driver needed to make a hasty retreat.
Below as we’re walking
down Central Park South back to the hotel.  I would have killed for those cross-country skis.
we had a great time with the hubby’s family, most of whom live in the northeast or Florida so these visits are regrettably less frequent. Congrats to Lauren, the bat mitvah girl, and her family. It’s not easy undoing and redoing an event for which the planning begins more than a year in advance.
With the hubby’s cousins Andrew, Nancy (mom of Lauren) and David Stone.
Below are the beautiful grounds of Elmwood Country Club in Westchester County
As for the experience of being in the “center of the storm,” we actually thought it was quite an adventure … Shout out to JetBlue for getting us home on time Monday even with all the clean up!
International TravelThings I LoveWining/Dining

BARCELONA – LAST STOP IN SPAIN

Upon deciding to revisit Spain after a 28-year period, Barcelona was foremost on the list of cities to visit. After just a few days in this vibrant city on the Mediterranean, it is clear what the attraction is for so many — both inhabitants and tourists alike.
 
For sure the thing I am delighted about is NOT having a rental car during our stay. After needing the car to make the approximately one-hour drive to Girona for our much-anticipated dinner at El Cellar de Can Roca, I couldn’t wait to have the hotel take care of returning the car to Hertz.  Not only is this a city with excellent public transportation, but it is likewise full of “loco” drivers and tons of motorbikes weaving in and out of not-clearly-marked lanes.  Add in the buses, pedestrians, and the like, and I’ll gladly opt out of driving for once.
 
About that dinner around which our itinerary in Spain was planned, it definitely lived up to all the extraordinary reviews and Michelin stars, but in a most wonderful, fun, and not stuffy way.  There are three brothers Roca — Josep handles all the wine together with the four sommeliers for each seating (two seatings per day, Tues-Sat) and he greets every table; Joan is the head chef; baby brother Jordi is the pastry chef.  They must really get along because not only do they work closely, but they are rarely separated and all live near one another.
 
Doing justice to what was eaten is virtually impossible. As with the astonishing restaurants in San Sebastian (see previous post), a menu was provided at the meal’s end with course descriptions (to which I repeatedly referred in order to write this). We asked for and got a peek into the kitchen and a brief chat with all three brothers. More than one person inquired as to how we were going to be able to drive after the meal, but that wasn’t a problem. We were in the minority of guests — only 20% — who do NOT go with the wine pairing.  Thus a glass of champagne and sharing a half bottle of wine in no way impaired the drive back, especially after a good bit of food and a four-hour experience.  By the way, their wine pairing includes 14 different pourings, which we were told amount to 750ml — i.e., a full bottle per person. Following are photos and details:

 

Each table is set with just 3 rocks (for the brothers)

 

 

Clockwise from top left:  Live olive tree bonsai style with stuff olives attached to the branches; the hubby with one of three immense wine books on a rolling cart; sea bream foam and ceviche; pine nut duo
The above arrived closed (shown right) and then opened to reveal tastes of the globe, from Mexico/Turkey/China/Morocco/Korea.
Then it was local bar food a la Roca (complete with small cut-outs of the brothers): the red ball is filled with Campari which dissolved in the mouth.

 

From top left: Spring vegetable stock;mushroom bonbon and brioche; favorite: 3-corn ice cream
Fish, clockwise from top left: Skate with mustard; Mackerel; Oyster with anemone; Cuttlefish with peas; Surf & Turf – sardine with pork jowl; Prawn
Savories (clockwise from top left):  Crispy pig with garlic; Veal shin; Goose; Pidgeon. NO, I didn’t try everything!
And then there were the sweets.
Top row, l-r: Milk/Lime combo; Chocolate “anarchy”; Orange “Colourology” – frozen balls of all different orange flavors.
Left: Amazing rolling dessert cart. Right: The offerings.  The vertical cylinders are apple.  Ridiculous.
At the end (close to 1am):  Top is Josep – front of the house;
the gleaming and enormous stove;
head chef Joan (l) and pastry chef Jordi (r)
After returning to the hotel at nearly 2 a.m., hindsight would have been experiencing the meal at lunch en route to Barcelona.  This became abundantly clear after sleeping ’til noon!  Alas, small note to self in an otherwise spectacular experience. 
 

 

We then explored the city on foot followed by Flamenco tickets in the evening. The waterfront area is beautiful with a long walk between two prominent hotels: The Barcelona Arts and the W. In spite of rather cool and cloudy weather, many people still enjoyed a dip in the Mediterranean.  Finally, when in Barcelona — Spain to be sure — how can one not seek out the best paella? Our hotel sent us to La Salada Mar for the delicious dish and it did not disappoint.   

 

Above at the Hotel Arts (vacant) pool.  Frank Gehry’s “Goldfish” can been seen from everywhere on the waterfront.  Below is the seafood paella ..

 

An entirely different and terrific meal was at Dos Pallilos, whose owner and chef once worked at the now-shuttered El Bulli, long at the top of the world’s great restaurants.

 

Clockwise from top left: sauteed vegetables; “hamburger”; mushroom caps w/ garlic; seafood potstickers

 

The chef’s jacket from El Bulli is on display outside his new “home” — he is shown above (on the left) together with his crew making “raviolis” for the evening’s dinner seating.
After eight wonderful and certainly gastronomic days in Spain, we say adios and gracias for a lovely stay in this country.  It is a shame the country is not better managed — the unemployment rate is a whopping 23% — for we wish the people here greater success and encourage all to visit this beautiful destination.   Next stop: Milan.