Queenstown, New Zealand is considered the “adventure capital of the world” which means you get to hurl your body off a variety of locations, such as bridges (bungy jump), trees (zip on a harness on thin lines between tree tops at the Ziptrek Eco Tours), hillsides (paragliding) and airplanes (skydiving). For those more inclined to [...]
After five months in Santiago, I have come up with my list of favorite restaurants. None serve traditional Chilean food. Why? Because Chilean food is mostly bland and unappetizing. Traditional Chilean dishes don’t use garlic, ginger, black pepper, spicy red or green peppers, in other words, anything that has a strong flavour is eschewed in [...]
I have just returned from a fantastic two-week holiday in New York City where I indulged in my favorite ethnic food (Japanese, Korean, southern Indian, Italian, Vietnamese). Here’s where I ate: (1) Sakagura: Japanese sake bar (over 100 types of sake) and restaurant that serves small plates of very creative combinations of raw fish, tofu, vegetables, [...]
On a trip to Buenos Aires last month, I was delighted by the quality of food, wine and service in the restaurants in Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood, two adjoining districts that are home to young designer’s shops, ad agencies, cool cafes, and trendy boutique hotels. I have put together a list of restaurants and cafes [...]
A visit to Mendoza, Argentina means suspending all notions of dieting and sobriety, at least for a few days. Mendoza is Argentina’s premier wine growing region and that means enjoying the amazing food that goes well with their Malbecs, Cabernet Sauvignons, and Merlots. I highly recommend savoring the tasting menus at the following three wineries, [...]
One of the best things about eating out in Istanbul is the amazing variety and quality of seafood in Turkey. Here are the top seafood restaurants in Istanbul, selected Ugur Ilgar, founder of LuxuryIstanbul. Because these restaurants are extremely popular with locals, make sure you reserve in advance. LACIVERT (Address: Körfez Caddesi No: 57/A Anadoluhisari, Istanbul, Tel: [...]
If you are craving Asian food in Istanbul (yes, it happens sometimes), then check out these three outstanding places chosen by Ugur Ilgar, founder of LuxuryIstanbul, a luxury travel company that organizes tailor-made holidays and special tours. HAKKASAN (Address: Buyukdere Cad. No: 206 Kanyon AVM Levent, Istanbul, Tel : +90 212 319 8888) Hakkasan is located on [...]
After three attempts, beginning in 1875, the long-awaited restaurant of the Paris Opera is getting ready to open its doors on 27 June 2011 under the management of Pierre François Blanc. Numerous chefs’ names have been circulating regarding this coveted post. The Chef who was finally chosen to take charge of the menu is the [...]
Looking for a restaurant in Istanbul where the young, hip and fashionable congregate? Here’s our list of the hottest places in the city: REINA (Muallim Naci Cad. No:44 Ortakoy, Istanbul, Tel: +90 212 259 59 19) Pearl of the Bosporus and one of the most popular in the city. The Mediterranean and Turkish dishes are [...]
One of the greatest pleasures of visiting Istanbul is eating Turkish food. Turkish cuisine ranks among the top five in the world because of the variety of ingredients used in their dishes, the inventiveness of the way they are prepared, the exquisite and unusual mix of flavours, and the artistry of their presentation. The origins of [...]