Food in Asia

As enticing a reason as any to cross the Bosphorus into Asia, Çiya Sofrası has been hailed by more than one source as possibly the best restaurant in all of Istanbul.

Turkish food is described as the continuation of Ottoman Empire cuisine. The Ottomans fused Central Asian, Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, Eastern European, and Balkan cuisines to create one of the world’s most diverse and influential cuisines.

We ate many delicious things in Turkey, but if I had to eat just one dish for the entire two weeks, then I would happily choose dürüm. And not just any dürüm, but the dürüm from Dürümzade, hailed by Anthony Bourdain as some of the best wraps in Istanbul.

When ready, the blazing hot jug is brought out and cracked in front of you, releasing the aroma of its still gurgling contents whilst treating the diners to a little tableside theater.

Turkish Night is an evening of dinner, drink, and dance. Accompanied by live music, guests will be treated to traditional folk dances from different parts of Turkey. There’s a belly dancer, a wedding ceremony, and a whirling dervish interpretation among others.

If you like seafood and don’t mind the soppy, fishy, often stinky conditions of an authentic wet market, then a visit to a dampa in the Philippines is a must.

Outside of seeing the cherry blossoms, eating sannakji or “live” octopus was the one thing I was most excited about on this trip. I couldn’t wait to try it.

Though the tour may be called the Binondo…

If Shinsaibashi is for shopping, then Dotonbori is for dining. If you like to shop and eat, then this is where you want to be.

Kobe, Saga, and Matsusaka are the three most coveted beef brands in Japan. Among the three, Kobe is the most famous.