Grégoire Maillard

Istanbul

Irregular Moda

This is one of my most cherished place in Istanbul!
Located in the youngest and most alternative neighbourhood, Irregular Moda offers a fresh new menu weekly and being there makes you feel like home but with a real chef in your kitchen!
I love the cozy vibe that the place gives, as well as being in the kitchen and seeing your plate in the making while you enjoy an iced latte (or a variety of juices, you can just open the fridge and pick what you like!).
Last time I went, I had this mushroom tapenade eggplant which was an explosion of flavours in the mouth (couldn’t get tired of it) and a pumpkin puree ribeye.
All the ingredients were well thought and well cooked and I felt more than happy when leaving the restaurant.
Also it’s never too crowded which makes the experience always pretty unique.



Location: Caferağa, Ağabey Sk. No:44 in İstanbul.

Hong Kong

蓮香樓 (Lin Heung Lau)

It would not be an overstatement saying that Lin Heung Lay is my favourite place in Hong Kong!
From early in the morning to later in the evening, this establishment is a HK institution and will make you feel an authentic dim sum experience.
Here is what’s on the program for you if ever chose this place to experiment. First, you walk up the long stairs and end up in this huge cantina, full of people, some families gathering for the weekend, some old couple sitting in silence, younger people alone watching two screens at the same time, and a big disco ball on the ceiling.
You’re then getting a seat at a table with other people. Once settled, you can walk up to the center of the room and look at all the available dishes that exist.
Among a humongous diversity of meals, you might want to try a bit of everything, the fluffy baos with delicious meat inside, the soup dumplings served with a special sauce, and why not the weird black sesame sticks for the sake of trying and the churros style dessert because it smells too good.
While savouring all these meals you brought to your table, some walking waiters come with their trolleys and might suggest you some congee bowls or other specialities!
After an hour there, and seeing or tasting stuff you would have not imagine, your tummy is now full and you’re already looking forward for the next occasion you will have to come to Lin Heung Lay.



Location: 160號 Wellington St in Hong Kong.

New-York

Rosemary's

It’s a trendy (and my favorite) Italian place in the middle of Greenwich village.
I had both of the carbonara and bolognese pasta, both are delicious in their own ways.
The bacon of the carbonara is perfectly cooked in some Martini Rossi, while the bolognese sauce is carefully prepared and delicious.
The place is very nice, I love the cutleries, there is a boozy brunch I’d like to try one day, and the staff was very kind!



Location: 18 Greenwich Ave in New York.

Osaka

さかえすし 玉屋町店 (Sakae Sushi)

If you are ever lost at night in Osaka’s streets, Sakae Sushi is here for you. It’s a discreet and calm sushi place open until very late which offer a wide selection of sushis/nigiris/makis made in front of you by an intimidating (although pretty sweet) sushi chef.
I liked the bar aspect of it, it’s perfect for a small set of people. The quality of the food was amazing. The equilibrium between the rice, the fish, and the wasabi was very well executed, I feel like I could eat this again and again.
The super fatty tuna is impressively tasty and melts in no-time when you eat it. It was my favorite. You cannot go wrong by taking the most common one and experimenting any kind of fish that might appeal to you.
The plum wine was tasted for the sake of exploring and was again with no-surprises delicious, it was a nice sweet taste to clear your mouth between different flavours.
Sakae Sushi holds a special place in my heart!


Location: 2-27 Souemoncho, Chuo Ward, in Osaka.

Paris

Les Papilles

Les Papilles is a nice French restaurant located near the Jardin du Luxembourg. The restaurant sells wine produced from all over France, and while eating you can ask the owner his different advices on which wine might be the best fit of the day across the hundreds of displayed bottles. It offers exclusively a fixed price 4-courses menu which changes along the seasons and the fresh products of the market.
If you plan on going with a large enough group, you can even book the cellar which offers a warmful experience.

The menu always starts with a soup that you pour over some well chosen ingredients. Not much description beside that you might want to get a second serving of it.
Then usually comes a tradional-rural-french main dish with braised meat and some legumes swimming in an exquisite sauce.
Finally some cheeses and a dessert are offered to end this filling menu on a sweet note. As a digestive, you might want to explore their collection of Chartreuse, especially the Liqueur du 9eme centenaire one!


Location: 30 Rue Gay-Lussac in Paris.

Seoul

한일각

It’s my hidden student gem in Korea. It’s located in a small apartment on the first floor of a random building in Itaewon, usually empty of people, with a desk full of papers and messy folders that have been there for years at the entrance, and a big TV continuously playing Korean news which makes you feel like you are at your grand-parents.
The only meal I ever tried there (and probably will ever try) is their ridiculously delicious jajangmyeon (you can use the following Korean characters if it’s more useful to you: 자장면).
This is basically some noodles covered with a huge batch of brown sauce (not the American one) with some pieces of pork and onion, it tastes delicious, and cherry on the top it’s only 4$.
I strongly recommend it as it is a Korean classic cheat meal, and the place is more than authentic!


Location: 217-23 Bogwang-dong, Yongsan District in Seoul.

Shanghai

佳家湯包 (Jia Jia Tang Bao）

It’s a cute restaurant offering many crab dishes,located at the north of People’s Parc and surrounded by many other food places.
In a nutshell, the food was delicious and if you like crab you can’t be disappointed. As represented on the following pictures, you can see meals that might appear familiar, but they are flawless!
The dumplings were filled with a yummy crab filling and some soup (which destroyed my pant, beware).
The noodle meal were somehow funny, I guess you are supposed to put all the stuffing on top and then mix; although the taste was amazing, it was so fat I doubt one single human being can finish it alone... (or at what cost?),I would still re-take this meal if I was in the area.
Finally the soup with sorts of wonton was good but definitely an overkill in terms of quantity.
Overall the place is clean, the staff is nice but push to consumption, and the food is great.
A must-go!

Location: People's Square, 黄河路90号 邮政编码: 200003 in Shanghai.

Singapore

Ya Kun Kaya Toast

It’s a classic Singaporean breakfast branch which you can find all over town. It is also very popular so you might want to get there early if you do not want to be stuck in a line for hours.
Overall, it is silly how simple it is. A classic order would be the Kaya toast with butter set. It consists of pieces of bread, sandwiching a piece of butter and some kaya jam (derivative of coconut jam). It is very tasty and sweet, and you can dip in a bowl of soft-boiled eggs on the side which you can salt with some soy sauce.
As I am not a big fan of the regular hot coffee, I always upgrade it to the iced soya milk coffee, which on top of being pretty aesthetic, is also very good (it feels like absorbing a sweet paste of soya mixed with a casual iced latte).
Ya Kun Kaya Toast is nothing revolutionary, but it feels like a great cheat meal before starting a long day!

Location: 118 China St in Singapour.

Taipei

菲登早午餐

It’s a Chinese breakfast place as you’d find many walking across Taipei streets.
Everything is written in Chinese so you either need a Chinese friend or must accept your fate.
It was very good overall, really like the savory dishes which were offering some unusual flavors; I recommend especially the one full of basil.
The sweet dish represented in the pictures is a sort of bread with chocolate, not worth some Nutella bread but it was fluffy so it was good. For drinks, I recommend the hot black sesame one as well.

Location: 5號, Lane 9, Section 1, Luosifu Rd, Zhongzheng District in Taipei.

Tel-Aviv

ויקטור דגים (Victor Dagim)

It's crazy how the streets of Tel-Aviv are full of sushi and pizza restaurants, and how difficult it is to find a mediterranean one! Yet I found this one specialized in fish in the middle of Florentin's district and I loved it!
All the products looked and tasted very fresh and their limonade would quench anyone's thirst.
The main meal was a mix of fresh cooked fish, tomatoes, green onions, cream, and olive oil. Overall, it felt pretty light and perfect for the warm weather.

Location: Levinski St 36 in Tel Aviv-Yafo.

Tokyo

松栄 渋谷スクランブルスクエア店 (Matsue）

It’s a fancy sushi place located near Shibuya crossing, and probably the best one I ever went too!
Two setups exist; either at the counter facing the chefs and seeing your different meals being prepared, or some private rooms for large groups.
I had the chance of trying the full set which comprises multiples amuse-bouches/starters, sashimis, nigiris, and different drinks.
All the products were very fresh and felt qualitative.
The chef was describing the different dishes and was very fun.
Also the highball is delish. Booking in advance is recommended I assume!
A must-go!

Location: Shibuya, 2 Chome−24−12 スクランブルスクエア in Tokyo.