Restaurants Archives - Page 6 of 8

All Day Mookrata, Everyday Mookrata: A Korean BBQ & Chinese Hotpot Love Story

August 3, 2023February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Thailand BigBody Leave a Comment

I can’t believe that I had lived 32 years of my life never having heard of mookrata (also known as ‘mu kratha’). I love Korean BBQ. I love Chinese hotpot. I love Japanese motsunabe. Mix them all together and you have an unrivaled Frankenstein’s monster of flavor (and fun) that the villagers aren’t chasing out of the village with pitchforks.

Instead, they’re cozying up to this gastronomic monster, giving it the love that Victor never did.

So, you can bet I was in for a huge surprise after being recommended a popular mookrata haunt not far from the eastern bank of the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok – Everyday Moo Krata & Cafe. “Like a virgin, grilling for the very first time.” Plus, I went with one of my best roll-dawgs which is how mookrata should be enjoyed.

Sushi Misaki-Nobu: an Omakase Experience For the Books

July 28, 2023February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Thailand BigBody Leave a Comment

I would have never guessed that Bangkok just happened to be home to some of the best Japanese restaurants in the world. I guess that one is on me considering it is a frontrunner in the Mr. and/or Mrs. Universe competition for best gastronomic cities in the world. Cue Sushi Misaki-Nobu, a powerhouse Japanese omakase restaurant (and Michelin Guide recommendation) located in the Saladaeng area serving up Edomae-sushi – raw fish, cooked rice, and seasoned red vinegar (as opposed to traditional rice vinegar).

Northeast – a Bustling Bangkok Haunt Serving Up a Killer Crab Curry

July 28, 2023February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Thailand BigBody Leave a Comment

Located across the street from the south center of Lumpini Park (and a 3-minute walk from the Silom MRT), where monitor lizards roam freely and cats sleep in the middle of the road with zero cares in the world, sits ‘Northeast’, a no-nonsense, bustling, Thai restaurant serving up familiar (and unfamiliar) ‘Northern-style’ dishes including – a killer soft-shell crab curry.

As I’ve mentioned in several other posts, Bangkok makes a more than formidable bid as the gastronomic capital of Asia (at least in my books), and ‘Northeast’ is the staccato on the end note of this culinary symphony.

Let’s take a look at what makes this popular haunt for locals and tourists alike a must-go when you are in Bangkok and the feast that single-handedly forced me into bed by 8 PM.

Gyudon Life: Why I’m a Yoshinoya Ride or Die For Life

July 9, 2023February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

I really can’t express just how happy Yoshinoya in Japan makes me but I’ll try.

Maybe it is because I have fond memories of patronizing this fast food gyudon (beef and rice bowl) chain my first Chinese New Year in Beijing when it was the only thing open (that and KFC). Maybe it is because it is there for me while working odd hours with clients in the U.S., leaving me a rather rushed eating window between 11 PM and 12 AM some nights. Maybe it is because they just make a high-quality, bang-for-your-buck, hearty meal that is delivered with enthusiastic service and care.

I am a Yoshinoya ride or die. For life. My last three months living in Osaka, Japan have solidified this ten times over. I have eaten at Yoshinoya, at minimum, bi-weekly (sometimes tri-weekly) for the last three months. I know it well and it will always have a special place in my heart and belly.

If you are a Sukiya or Matsuya (competing gyudon chains in Japan), consider this an open invitation for hand-to-hand combat.

If you are unfamiliar with exactly what Yoshinoya is or what you can expect when walking through the doors here or are curious exactly what makes this fast food chain one of my most frequented (possibly most frequented) spots in all of Japan – read on!

A Mouth-Watering Beef Katsu Sando in Osaka You Needed Yesterday

July 4, 2023February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

If you read my previous post on ‘Custard Nakamura’, a popular Japanese bakery in the heart of Bangkok, then you already know my feelings towards Japanese sandwiches – I may love them more than some members of my immediate family. So you can guess that after landing in Osaka for a three-month stint, one of the first things I did was research local sandwich shops in my area (not “hot local singles in my area”).

Cue ‘Kitashinchi Sand’, a late-night specialty sandwich shop located just a five-minute walk to the south from Osaka Station. What could possibly go wrong when you combine high-quality beef and bread? Absolutely nothing. Say “Hello” to your new best friend – the beef katsu sando. Oh, and I was such a glutton that I also knocked back several Menchi sandos (ground meat cutlet sandwiches) for good measure.

Delay no more! Let’s dig in.

The Deep-Fried Beef Cutlet Dilemma: Is Gyukatsu Motomura Worth the Line?

June 25, 2023February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Japan BigBody Leave a Comment

Having posted up in Osaka, Japan for the last two months (with one more to go), a popular restaurant my friends raved about and kept recommending was ‘Gyukatsu Motomura’ – a deep-fried beef cutlet (similar to Tonkatsu) haunt where patrons cook their rare beef over a hot stone and slather it in soy sauce or wasabi. All in the name of the perfect bite.

After unsuccessfully being turned away the night before for showing up too late (this was on me – not them), I decided to circle back the next night to their Umeda branch, located in ‘Lucua Dining’ on the 10th floor of the North Gate Building of Osaka Station City. This time I arrived at 8 PM, dressed in my finest Yakult Swallows baseball jersey, to see if the hype was worth it.

Wattana Panich: Tucking Into a 50-Year-Old Bowl of Beef Noodle Soup in Bangkok

March 31, 2023February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Thailand BigBody Leave a Comment

I am declaring this now for all to hear…errr…read. From this day forward, I am only consuming beef broth that has been aged more than 50 years. Fleetwood Mac and I are both never going back again to day-old beef broth. We demand 50 years. Wattana Panich Beef Broth, located on Ekkamai Road in Bangkok, is to thank or curse for that.

Passed down for three generations, Wattana Panich has set the bar for what beef broth and beef noodle soup restaurants should aspire to be – simple, unapologetic, and filled to the brim with savory, herbaceous, salty flavor. This article definitely will not do it justice and will be one of the few where I attempt to let the pictures speak for themselves.

3:10 to Zuma: The Neverending, Free-Flow Brunch of the Century

January 12, 2023February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

If you are looking for the holy grail of all brunches in Hong Kong, look no further than ‘Zuma’s Weekend Brunch’.

This is the brunch mecca to go on pilgrimage to, where you cast the ring into Mount Doom to prevent Sauron from destroying brunches across Middle Earth, your final resting place as you kick up your feet and hum R.E.M.’s ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It’ while digging into free-flow champagnes and wines, neverending gyoza and sashimi bowls, and other Japanese izakaya-inspired fare.

… “And I feel fine.”

Shugetsu’s Tsukemen: My Number One Meal in All of Hong Kong

January 6, 2023February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

Shugetsu’s tsukemen would unquestionably be my last meal on earth if I was ever on death row. This might sound absurd but it isn’t a lie. Shugetu’s tsukemen was (and still is) my number one meal when I was training for a powerlifting competition – unfortunately, I kept eating like I was training for a powerlifting competition once I ended and I developed a crippling tsukemen addiction.

There have been worse things in life.

This Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a ramen hybrid consisting of a salty broth, 300 grams of al-dente elastic noodles, and fatty pork belly cubes is everything that is right in the world. Pair it with an ice-cold, crisp Suntory Premium draft beer, crunchy fried chicken cartilage “bar snacks”, and half-moon pork-filled gyoza pillows, and your last days won’t be for nothing.

What My Perfect Day in Hong Kong Looks Like

January 2, 2023February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Hong Kong, Travel BigBody Leave a Comment

I was inspired to write this post after declaring ‘Big Body’s Sacred Day’ on July 5th, 2021. I’m not sure why that date in particular but everything lined up that day and I did almost everything I could have wanted (almost) in Hong Kong in just one day. I repeated this day again on July 5th, 2022, and plan to do some sort of variation of this in 2023 (and beyond).

The beauty of Hong Kong is that you are a stone’s throw away from a challenging hike with a view, a hop skip, and a jump from a serene and secluded beach, and always within eyeshot of a cold beer, strong coffee, or bite to eat. That’s why days like ‘Big Body’s Sacred Day’ are possible in Hong Kong. While there are countless other restaurants, hikes, and things that I love in this city, I tried to remain true to exactly what I’ve done on both sacred days.

Here’s what my perfect day in Hong Kong would look like (and has looked like) should I have my druthers. Keep in mind that I am combining two of my sacred days (July 5th, 2021, and July 5th, 2022) so everything may not be achievable in just one day. Or maybe it is.

Dacha: Cabbage Rolls, Pelmeni, & Eastern European Home Comfort Cuisine

December 23, 2022February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

Maybe it’s because I am constantly mistaken for Russian (and Bulgarian), or maybe it’s because I grew up eating a steady diet of Eastern European-inspired stews and other comfort foods, but this is exactly the type of fare that I revert to when I want to feel at home. It may also be because I drank about 5 liters of vodka with a Ukrainian babushka and Russian busboy on my 29th birthday at a restaurant in Vienna.

Cue Dacha, an Eastern European restaurant and bar, offering up a variety of traditional Ukrainian, Russian, Georgian, Polish, and Romanian cuisines, such as mouthwatering pork-stuffed cabbage rolls (golubtsi), cheesy buttery khachapuri (Georgian cheese bread), spicy smoked kielbasa, and hearty half-moon shaped vareniki (dumplings). And, I can’t forget the Baltic herring with homemade bread to start things off.

Ink Seafood Bar: Craft Beer, Chips & Guac, & One Hell of a View

December 19, 2022February 19, 2025Asia, Destinations, Food, Hong Kong BigBody Leave a Comment

Find me a better view of Victoria Harbour and the always regal Hong Kong Island skyline, and I’ll show you a liar. At least once a week, I break into an incoherent rant to whoever has unfortunately found themselves within earshot about how there is a disappointing lack of restaurants, cafes, and bars with views of either the Hong Kong or Kowloon cityscape.

But there is one saving grace that keeps me sane (moderately sane). A place that does it all. A Power Rangers Megazord humanoid machine of the food and beverage industry with a view – Ink Seafood Bar. This is my go-to post-work safe haven (and Sunday-hangover haunt) to soak in indisputably the best skyline in the world over an IPA (and espressos), chips and guac, and fish and chips.