[Weekend Trip Series] On the last weekend of February I headed down to the Caribbean island nation of Aruba. We didnt know it until we arrived, but that weekend also happened to be the finale of weeks of Carnaval celebrations culminating in the largest Carnaval parade in downtown on Sunday (sadly, the day we were…
Category: food
Review: Balwoo Gongyang Restaurant, Korean Temple Cuisine
I watched Netflix’s Chef’s Table season 3 Episode right when the season premiered and was immediately inspired by Chef Jeong Kwan, a buddhist nun from the Chunjinam Hermitage at the Baekyangsa Temple, South Korea. She probably came into the American spotlight when Chef Eric Ripert of Le Bernardin in NYC invited her to cook at…
Long Weekend in Seoul, South Korea
[Weekend Trip Series] Over President’s Day Weekend in February I took a few extra days off and headed to Seoul, South Korea. I had never been into Seoul itself, having only transited through the rather impressive Incheon Airport once. Over all I enjoyed Seoul more than I thought I would. I love Korean food and…
24 Hours in Paris, France
[Weekend Trip Series] In January I spent a very nice weekend in Paris, France. Simply put, Paris is magical and beautiful. This was my first time in both Paris and France. I went with rather low expectations. Here is why: Despite having always wanted to go to Paris and France, I part of me in…
24 Hours in Madrid, Spain
[Weekend Trip Series] For my first weekend journey in 2017 I spent 24 hours in Madrid, Spain. I had previously been to Spain in 2008 as part of a High School summer language immersion program. I recalled that I thought Madrid was ok, a little dirty and really not that exciting compared to some other…
Thanksgiving Weekend at German Christmas Markets
[Weekend Trip Series] For Thanksgiving break 2016 my friend and I ventured out to Germany for the Christmas Markets. We specifically opted for Nuremberg, which plays host to one of the most famous Christmas Markets and on the Friday of Thanksgiving break was the opening night of the Christmas Market, with a special opening ceremony. We…
Weekend in Granada, Nicaragua
[Weekend Trip Series] At the end of October 2016 I spent a weekend, mostly just a full Saturday, in Granada, Nicaragua, said to be the oldest city in the Americas. We flew from Atlanta to Managua on Friday night. Managua is the only international airport in Nicaragua. Though there isnt much to do in Managua,…
Weekend in Quebec City, Canada
[Weekend Trip Series] In early October 2016 I decided to head up to Quebec City, Canada to meet up with my mom and aunts as they prepared to board a Northeast cruise trip. Multiple U.S. carriers fly nonstop flights to Quebec City from the Northeast, specifically the NYC area. I flew Delta from JFK to…
24 Hours in Barcelona, Spain
My first post in my new Weekend Series will cover my 24 hours in Barcelona, Spain over a weekend way back in September 2016. I have been to Spain before, did a wonderful 3 week home stay language immersion program in Cadiz and Madrid, which was incredible. But I hadnt been back since that program in…
Review: Belmond’s Eastern Oriental Express, Restaurant Andre, and Gaggan
Hi All, The following is a guest feature from a recent journey with Belmond’s Eastern Oriental Express from Singapore to Bangkok including meals at Asia’s top restaurants Restaurant Andre (Singapore) and Gaggan (Bangkok). This is one family’s member second Belmond train journey and first overnight one, previously we went on Belmond’s Hiram Bingham train in…
Shanghai Quick Review: The Peninsula Hotel, Yi Long Court and Mr. and Mrs. Bund Restaurants
Hi, Ive been trying to catch up on many posts that I’ve been meaning to post but just havent gotten to, and so you may notice my recent posts are very quick, and not as detailed as I tend to be. I do apologize for that. In July this year, right before I returned to…
[2022 Update] Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark: Subtle, Complex and Balanced
[2022 Update] Quick update. Had the pleasure and honor to return to Noma, this time Noma 2.0 in July 2022. We had the summer vegetarian menu. It was still amazing and truly some incredible things were happening with vegetables, and I did indeed come out feeling very full and satisfied. The Noma 2.0 space is…
TheGastronomicTraveler 