anthony boordain.

"I write, I travel, I eat - and I'm hungry for more." - in memory of Anthony Bourdain.

[anthonyboordain]

end of season 5

we're nearing the end of 2025. and it's been over 7 years since tony passed away. the past 7 years, i've been fortunate enough to have traveled to many new places, meet new people, and eat delicious food. my perspectives have changed on many things including traveling, eating, and writing.

i'm less organized. i'm more sarcastic. i think i still have both anger and appreciation for many small weird things in this world. and i still think this world is an interesting place that leads me to say that i'm still hungry for more.

here's to end of season 5 and to season 6.

[anthonyboordain]

season 5 episode 11: kuala lumpur

what more can i say. i love kuala lumpur. the blend of malay, chinese, and indian culture. the trifecta.

my flight landed 2 hours before trump landed (yes, i brought trump along for the trip). it was pain in the ass getting from the airport to the hotel due to asean conference. but the beef noodle soup, hainanese chicken, nasi lemak, lala noodle, cocktails at ps150, claypot chicken rice, drinking tiger beer sitting on a plastic chair and table at the night market, nasi goreng, baba nyonya (fusion cuisine done perfectl), uh-mazing nasi lemak and iced cham at oriental kopi, etc.

kl food scene is off the hook. and it''s dirt cheap (if you don't eat at the expat friendly mall restaurants). love it all.

also, i got to try kl's metro system for the first time. it was comparable to seoul and kyoto's metro system. clean, modern, and on time.

i wish i can visit kuala lumpur for a bit more extended period. like a month. it would be amazing to explore the food scene more and travel to different parts of malaysia. i hope i get a chance to do so. i love you kuala lumpur.

[anthonyboordain]

season 5 episode 10: abu dhabi

abu dhabi, united arab emirate. city and nation oil rich as fuck. i thought i would run into sheik mansoor...

this was my first time ever traveling to the middle east. although the middle east is considered asia, it feels someone unfamiliar and distant to someone like me with asian american mixed heritage. and the american media certainly doesn't help with it.

first impression. hot and humid as hell. although it was 10pm my glasses instantly fogged up. the taxi driver was from bangladesh living in a condition he described as chicken cell. the country seem to have a lot of immigration workers. people i worked with were mostly locals in the traditional garments. the dichotomy was very interesting to observe. also within the locals - men in white and women in black. interestingly, uae is the progressive one in the middle east. in abu dhabi there is a place where mosque, synagogue, and church are standing next to each other. also at the louver abu dhai you can see sculpture of 3 individuals from 3 different religions displayed together. emphasizing progression and tolerance outward. however, it was hard to tell if it was truly the case.

sight seeing in abu dhai was fun and interesting. qasar al watan was grand and majestic. the tall library still using the dewey decimal system was fascinating. sheikh zayed grand mosque was stunning. i happend to be there during one of the prayer time. walking around the mosque while the prayer was being played outloud was a highlight moment. it was so hot but i was mesmerized in the white architecture and the stained glasses and chandelier inside.

interestingly food situation was strange. apparently emirates eat their meals at home. there is not much concept of dining out. so there isn't really "emiraty" restaurant anywhere. it's mostly "arabic" food - more like lebanese restaurant serving up baba ganoush. so i ended up eating korean food, malaysian food, brazilian steak, and american steak, lol. so yea - the food scene was mixed. but the variety was good enough.

one visit to one country to middle east is certainly insufficient. it's like saying i've been to fort lauderdale and i understand all 50 states of the us. but the first visit to the middle east was quiet enjoyable. people were polite and friendly. the city was modern and clean-ish. it offered most things you would expect in any major city in the world. it was all enabled by oil. and yes, i'm a corporate slave.

(this message was sponsored by oil money.)

[anthonyboordain]

season 5 episode 9: barcelona

barcelona, catalonia. perhaps spain. perhaps not. although i'm more of a real madrid fan, i knew that i had to visit barcelona. my brother's been there for his honeymoon and i remember trying to get him a reservation at albert adria's gastronomy restaurant tickets. a restaurant featured on no reservations. it was unsuccessful.

well, it was my chance to visit barcelona. explore its cuisine, experience the true gastronomy, see and sense gaudi's creations, and ponder when sagrada familiar will be completed.

i must say that it's very well planned out city. the streets made all the sense in the world. we enjoyed tapas - especially my favorite the spanish omelette with draft of estrella galicia. gaudi's casa batllo was a wondrous building and the view of the city from park guell was eye opening. but for me it was all about sagrada familia. the unfinished masterpiece. although i don't like the notion of "tour", the guided tour of sagrada familia made it so much more interesting and engaging. the details you would not recognize and understand and the stories behind the small details. fascinating. and the gothic quarter tour at night was beautiful. the lamp post under pastel night sky was a sight to see.

although i never got to visit el bulli or the ticket. although i couldn't go to enigma due to some personal constraints, i did manage to try the direct descendent of tickets - teatro. tickets was passed down to another chef in the great catalonia gastronomy lineage and reopened as teatro a few years and earned a star last year. it was a wonderful experience. the level of finesse was exquisite. although i'm not a fan of "asian fushion" the chef did a wonderful job incorporating specific asian country's (japan and korea) ingredients and flavors. it was a wonderful experience watching the chefs work while enjoying their creations.

barcelona was also for me to connect with an old friend. a friend i haven't seen since college graduation in 2010. she and i have both grew up in the corporate world and enjoying married life. we couldn't believe how fast time flew by. in looking back, it was a brief ~1 hour-ish catch up over tea and bread, and yet it reinforced to me the importance of people and relationship. how fortunate of us to be able to know someone in a city that you've never been to. how fortunate of us to be able to connect with someone and cherish old days as well as share excitement of the future.

anthony bourdain said "i write. i eat. i travel. and i'm hungry for more." although not explicitly stated, tony wrote for people to read, tony ate with people, and tony travel to meet people. people relationship is somewhat intertwined with writing, eating, and traveling. this hit me hard on my trip to barcelona.

[anthonyboordain]

season 5 episode 8: sardinia

what's a perfect summer vacation spot? ocean so clear you can see the bottom. perfectly designed hotel tucked away in the rolling hills. eating delicious local organic breakfast surrounded by the natural sounds (and zero sound of electrons and machinery). perfect dinner and wine pairing under the starry night. jumping off cliff into the mediterranean. sailing on catamaran drinking, diving, swimming, laughing, and living.

sardinia (sardegna, really) was everything. and everything was sardegna.

it was a perfect getaway for us before shit started hitting the fan. la maddalena was picturesque. albero capovolto was probably the best boutique hotel experience we've ever had. baunei coast was well worth the drive (except for the crowded local boat ride). and catamarn again, the beautiful ocean is best enjoyed on catamaran.

it's a majestic place. that night, after dinner and a bottle of wine at albero capovolto, we looked up and saw the stars. it was magical. just being there, under the stars in sardegna.

(i am so torn among sicily, mallorca, and sardinia. they are all amazing. they are unrankable.)

[anthonyboordain]

season 5 episode 7: edinburgh, scotland

when i started working for corporate america, early on i was taught a new world. boondoggle - a wasteful, unnecessary, bullshit business trip where you get to swipe corporate card left and right for - well - pleasure. and when i was given an opportunity to boondoggle to scotland, i said "fuuck yes" in scottish accent.

i've been to england many times, but never to scotland. i've seen, heard, and read about it. and the destination was edinburgh (edinbruhhh). and it was may, a beautiful season.

i must say that edinburgh was historical, friendly, global and local at the same time. i love the preservation of tradition. drinking scotch, climbing up and taking in the view from calton hill and arthur's seat, drinking a pint of ale in a century old pub, having breakfast tea and scone, etc.

i also enjoyed the modern and fine aspects of scotland. tasting menu with wine pearing at eorna was a highlight (funny story. i had reservation to a different michelin starred restaurant. fellow passenger on the flight from london heathrow to edinburgh convinced me to go to eorna instead. he said they know him lol. so i named dropped him in the reservation and the chef and the sommelier just scratched their heads and said "who the hell is he?" lol). also top notch hotels and modern restaurants with avant-garde staying grounded in tradition. the hillsides mixed with green and yellow were stunning.

during the trip, i got a chance to relax and take it all in. we hit up all the key spots and over the weekend, i just sat in a quiet neighborhood pub and read a book while sipping on an ale. the bar didn't play any music - just people chatting in low voice. the ale was local, warm, and flavorful. and the book (was so into the three body trilogy at the time) was such a mind grabbing read. i think that was my favorite moment of scotland. later, i went to a scotch bar and tasted 3 different whiskeys while biting into dark chocolate in between to cleanse the pallet. that day was so relaxing. nothing too fancy or sophisticated. just enjoying some local fluids, reading books and observing people. i think travel has gotten simpler for me. those mere moments of sitting down in a space and being in the moment.

[anthonyboordain]

season 5 episode 6: bengaluru, india

(time to catch up on 2025 travels)

working in the oil and gas industry, i often find myself in various parts of the world. i've been to the northeastern corner of canada, all throughout the southern half of england, middle of no where chad, and many other memorable places. this year was no difference. in fact, it's been a pleasure visiting new places.

bengaluru, india. the silicon valley of india. pretty much unlimited talent pool in IT and engineering. pretty much all large corporations have a "low cost" (or "high value") office in bengaluru. although my best friend / roommate college is indian, i didn't know what to expect on my first visit to india. and i knew india also had many regions with different languages and cultures.

getting there took a while. but that qatar airways q suite made the travel easy and comfortable. after ~20 hours of flying and a short layover in doha, i found myself lined up in immigration line to enter india for the first time. at 3am... it was a long struggling wait.

getting out of the airport, i was picked up by the most non-sketch sketchy ground transportation i can find through the company. the driver and the car was alright, but the entire trip was just sketch. over the ~25km journey, there was 1 traffic light. staring out the window at ~4am, i saw so many people walking around, chit chatting, eating, driving, and doing things. someone told me that in india there are more people awake at 4am than at 6am. but i didn't see any night clubs or after clubs... what a strange world. and yet, the concept of IST a.k.a. indian standard time started to make sense. and for me, india felt more like africa than asia. i guess it's technically south asia, but it didn't feel like east asia or southwest asia at all. it reminded me of chad. undeveloped and unorganized everything.

over the course of a week long trip, i got to experience the following

one - indian whiskey and beer. i never knew that whiskey was a thing in india. i guess it helps that i was staying at a 5 star hotel and had a coworker who was very well cultured in the fine art of drinking. i got some indian whiskey recommendations and sipped on them almost every night. either before or after a few bottles of king fisher which was super smooth.

two - i never crossed a single road myself. on monday some of my coworkers took me "across the street" to an authentic indian restaurant. the road conditions were... interesting. nonstop honking makes you dizzy. and over time the air condition really gets to your lung. but for some authentic food i managed to follow the locals non-verbal queues and cross the street. later in the week i really tried hard to cross the road myself, but i couldn't... i guess it's like asking a foreigner to just suddenly start speaking the local language. there is local language on the roads of india and i don't know how to speak it.

three - unfortunately i ended up eating mostly hotel and shopping mall food for the entire trip. the one time i went to a local restaurants the locals helped me order some legit food and they were delicious. i followed along and dipped my pinky into the salsa like sauces and taste the wonderful spice of india. although it will make the foreigners tummy go cray cray for a day, the indian spices are magical. it's magnificent.

four - chai tea. oh how i fell in love with chai tea. there are tea stalls lined up in front of the office building. coworkers and friends took me out and let me sip on that wonderful hot silky delicious chai tea. i fell in love. sip by sip. cup by cup. it melted my work stress away. for me, the entire trip was made by chai tea.

it was a short trip. in a way, memorable and yet unmemorable. normal and yet unique. uncomfortable and comfortable at the same time. do i want to go back? well maybe. i won't be jumping up and down to go to india. i prefer europe and east asia any day. but i have a special spot in my heard for indians. they are warm people. it goes back to my college roommate and many indian friends and coworkers over the years. i think the trip just helped me get a bit more understanding and appreciations of my friends and colleagues.

[anthonyboordain]

coming up - season 5 episode 6

... india?

[anthonyboordain]

seoul round 2

second time in seoul. although i was there for a full week or longer, i didn't do much. seoul feels very comfortable and well known. we went to the famous spots, our favorite places, and did familiar things. running on han gang felt like a normal workout day. watching jesse lingard play for fc seoul in ridiculously outdated football stadium was a unique experience. stopping by pc bangs to get some fc online action in. and eating the good ol' korean bbq.

it's funny how after multiple visits to london, i continue to yearn to go back. same for sicily. seoul has a different feeling for me. although i've never lived there, it being the capital of my motherland gives it a different sense and feel to it. it felt very comfortable and familiar. there wasn't much i wanted to really seek out. perhaps i was complacent about this visit, or way too relaxed. nevertheless, a good visit to a familiar place.

[anthonyboordain]

jeju

jeju island. the island of hwansang. the korean hawaii. maybe not?

we spent 4 nights 5 days in jeju - 2 nights in the eastern part of the island and 2 nights in the southern part of the island. clear blue ocean, delicious mackerel hwae, pretty nice hike up to see the sunrise from the east (haven't seen a sunrise in years), climbing up part of the mystique hanrah mountain. the island has everything to be wonderful.

but for some reason, it felt eerie. there were so many closed down shops / airbnbs and ungroomed / unattractive places. apparently the over tourism in the 2010's and the covid lockdown led to many crashes. and it's the same price for many koreans to go on international trip in the southeast asia region these days. this is the unfortunate side of travel & leisure. at some point things unravel a bit.

but there are timeless attributes. the locals who have been there for decades and pride themselves on their food. the hanrah mountain and its magnificent views. and the pretty clear ocean that gives the impression of hawaii (still, mediterranean islands > hawaii >>>> jeju). travel for the timeless food and sceneries.

[anthonyboordain]

kyoto

kyoto, the old capital of japan. tucked away in the island. apparently it was the worst location for a nation's capital - inaccessible. but japanese people maintained the old capital's heritage and beauty for centuries. no high rises. no modernization.

there are certain places in the world that are timeless. kyoto felt timeless. yes there are shopping centers and so on, but its traditional heritage sites, cultures, and mindset all seem to be steady.

we went to a moderately placed high end sushi place. the chef was from kyoto and also happens to be a wine connoisseur. he helped me understand what edomae sushi is and isn't, and served us classic and traditional kyoto style sushi. it was probably the best sushi omakase i've had in my life.

on day 2, we took the local train out to arashiyama region. the trains were fascinating. they were definitely very old and yet so well maintained - just like all the taxies that had minimum ~150k miles on them. kyo people seem to have obsession of keeping the classics classic, keeping the traditions traditional. arashiyama was very touristy. tenryu ji temple was beautiful and so calming. no wonder monks are chill.

food and drinks were delicious. cocktail scene in kyoto was lively. i checked out two bars. at bar alchemist a local boy bartender and i had a good chat because he spoke broken english. at bar jazz in rokudenashi oya and i just made eye contacts as he didn't speak a single word of english. but i enjoyed jazz music under smokey ambiance (one place i can seem to tolerate smokers).

kiyomizu dera was my favorite spot. the balcony leaning into luscious forest, supported by tall beam structures. the dark wooden structure seem to be standing firm. inari shrine was mysterious. although it was super crowded, you can sense some sort of spirit. it was a bit eerie.

i loved every single inch of kyoto. including the strange culture where the server literally bows you behind the dining desk at ichiran ramen. kyoto is a mysterious place.

[anthonyboordain]

osaka

japan. a country of my teenage fascination and obsession. a country of anthony bourdain's constant and continuous visits. a country so familiar and yet new to me.

finally, time has come in my life and i visited japan for the first time (technically third, but all others were short layovers). i spent a year researching, brainstorming, planning, reserving, and dreaming of osaka and kyoto. i was determined to experience japan.

it was a very long way to asia pacific as usual. 1am flight out of houston to taipei is rough - staying awake in the cheap ass lounge in IAH is a pain. but pain worth enduring. eva business class was as wonderful as i remembered it (except for the pre-ordered food, just stick to the normal menu).

after long flights and long immigration line at kix airport, and a train ride and a cab ride, we finally got to W osaka. what a wonderful hotel - upgrade definitely helped.

first meal - okonomiyaki. a classic osaka street food. we ended up waiting at a restaurant thinking that this is the place we wanted to go to. and we eventually realized that this was a different spot - navigating in japan is like working through a maze, you will get lost. we waited 1 hour and the place was uh-mazing. obviously the best okonomiyaki ever. the table side cooking and asking the waitress if okonomiyaki is osakan food and she gave a firm yes. and with beer and yakisoba. amazing start to the trip.

the next day, we got lost once again trying to find a quaint coffee shop. it was struggle - literally we were lost for good 10 minutes. eventually we found this shop tucked away -0.5 level below ground - a small side door as you walk down the stairs into the basement level. there was one owner - an old lady with short hair making every cup of coffee. we had wonderful cups of hot and iced coffee with cheesecake surrounded by classical music and beautiful looking saucers. the only negative was that this place is smoker friendly. but it was worth it.

umeda sky building is an engineering marvel. it has a space ship looking structure on the top connected by two escalator hanging in the air. my fear of height has gotten worse over the years but i bit my lip and went up to the top. and they didn't tell me that the elevator has glass windows lol. scary af but a trip worth making to see the grand view of osaka and the surrounding mountains.

sometimes, it's fun being a tourist. we did the most touristy thing in osaka - riding the overpriced boat by the water to see the night view of glico-san. it was so ... worth it, lol. glico-san looked vibrant and energetic. and it was good to get away from the overcrowded streets.

we wanted to try low-key down to earth japanese sushi place. we went to a casual spot and had lunch. the "normal" sushi still tasted great - tasted "plain" and "clean" in a good way. you taste the fish (the textur) and the rice. the rice isn't over flavored. it's just classic and plain but really good. the variety of sushi available was also wonderful.

osakans love meat too. the culture of yakinuku is apparently a blend of korean and japanese culture as it is served with kimchi. the meat were so fatty and buttery that you definitely need kimchi to cut through the fat. the charcoal grill and the meat quality are certainly top notch. the beef tongue filled with onion and garlic look disgusting and it is taste of heaven.

3 days in osaka was a great start to my first ever trip to japan. w osaka served up delicious breakfast buffet. there was something about japanese rice - it tastes so delicious (later i found out that it's about the water). japanese food was very simple and clean. there aren't too much food with sauce served on top - everything is assembled together and nothing too drenched. japanese people were friendly, except that there are so many rules. they get mean if you don't follow their rules lol. i couldn't believe the rule on how to stand by the takoyaki food stall and getting yelled at for putting their water into our bottle. other than that, osaka was great. city of indulgence. food and drinks were great. touristy as hell but still wonderful.

[anthonyboordain]

new mexico

new mexico

hello season 5 episode 1. time to look back on 2024 travels.

new mexico. let's just start by acknowledging that there probably isn't much there. desert? jackson's mma? anything else there? for very random and surprising reason, i went to new mexico to go snowboarding. yes, strange. but it actually offered very good snowboarding scenes.

we flew into albuquerque, spent a night, drove up north, passed by the sandia national lab, and checked into our hotel in santa fe. the hotel was rundown with dogs barking everywhere. the streets were filled with homeless people pushing around shopping carts filled with junk. although it was freezing temperature, some where topless. it was very strange scenery. the best word i can use to describe the city was "ghetto".

yes we still managed to find out some decent local places for food. a warm dish of Papas at Weck's was delicious, second street brewering served up good beer and food in hip space, dolin bakery had solid breakfast burrito, and so on. all cities have good local spots where you can see, hear, and taste the locals despite the first and obvious stereotypes of the city. and yes, avoid the tourist traps in the old town with ~$20 margarita made from mixes.

ski santa fe was great. we conquered all peaks and had great time snowboarding for several days. but we missed civilization and had a wonderful dinner and drinks at albuquerque. 3128 social house and teddy roe's were a cut above anything in santa fe.

[anthonyboordain]

end of season 4

"I'm a big believer in winging it. I'm a big believer that you're never going to find perfect city travel experience or the perfect meal without a constant willingness to experience a bad one. Letting the happy accident happen is what a lot of vacation itineraries miss, I think, and I'm always trying to push people to allow those things to happen rather than stick to some rigid itinerary." - Anthony Bourdain

as season 4 closes, i look back on how my travels have changed. i've definitely been winging it more. itineraries seem meaningless from time to time. i've definitely found more joys deviating and detouring. it's led to some intriguing moments. breaking the mold, being flexible. that way of travel is definitely trending more for me.

see you in season 5.

[anthonyboordain]

tuscany

tuscany.. a beautiful scenic region in the heart of italy. we chose to explore tuscany to end our honeymoon. we rented a peugeot from florence aiport and drove 2 hours through the hilly (and somewhat sketchy) roads of tuscany to our 5 star hotel borgo pignano. tuscany was about relaxing and enjoying the beauty of the region. so we chose to splurge a bit.

the hotel was beautiful. tucked away in the heart of tuscany, breakfast served overlooking the scenic hills, cocktail hour straight into the sunset, elegant food served by friendly staff, pampered with couple's massage and sipping on prosecco, and soaking in the tuscan sun by the pool. what a life. what a moment. what a trip.

we took a trip to antinori chianti classico winery. it's probably very commercial but the trip was pleasant and nice. we enjoyed the wine tasting, the history of chianti and its family, and the view. more importantly we stopped by an intalian restaurant for lunch on the way back and we had the best past we've ever had. literally the best pasta ever (period).

tuscany was breathtaking. watching the sun set over the tuscan hills, sipping on cocktails, listening to bird chirp, and being in love with your wife. enjoying all the moments, loving everything.

[anthonyboordain]

florence

“Just believe me when I tell you that the city is beautiful – and not in the oppressive way of, say, Florence, where you’re almost afraid to leave your room because you might break something.” Anthony Bourdain, A Cook's Tour: Global Adventures in Extreme Cuisines

florence... we flew in via another ryan air flight, clapping as we landed. we flew into bologna because there were more flights into that city. after a quick sip of italian coffee out of the vending machine (how i missed you so dearly), we took 1+ hour bus ride down to florence. it started raining. we checked in and walked into the city center and found the city to be draining. crowded with people, umbrellas, puddles of water, crazy traffic pattern. perhaps everything normal about italy, but for some reason that day all these small things got to us. we had decent pizza but left unsatisfied.

fortunately, the second day started off well. we enjoyed italian espresso at a legit local espresso bar. we got a guided tour of the uffizi museum. i'm the type of person that walks through 80% of louvre in an hour. but this tour was different - we took 2-3 hours to really understand the city, its history, renaissance, and the major artists and their master pieces. it was eye opening and mesmerizing - you can see what you understand. my favorite piece was undoubtedly bacchus by caravaggio. god of wine, sitting there half naked, holding onto a flat wine glass, looking tipsy. my type of god.

we walked around florence continuing to understand more of the city. visiting dante's birth place and so on. for me, it was cathedral of santa maria del fiore. the duomo. i was amazed by this architecture while watching money heist. it looks 2d and yet is 3d at its finest with so much detail. everything about the building took my breadth away.

we enjoyed so much bistecca alla fiorentina, pasta with truffle, gelatos, and spritz. oh man, we were doing spritz 24/7 (couldn't handle all the dior and celine visits sober). the weather cooperated and we really got to enjoy the city over the next two days. the morning after we got to climb up to the top of the duomo. i was paranoid by the time i got to the top - my heart wouldn't stop pounding and my cold sweat continued to pour out. so i sat there not really enjoying the view while chinese grandmas were laughing at me. what a moment. what a memory. but man, the older i get the more i get scared of heights.

florence is truly beautiful. it's a walking museum with so many american tourists, but man it's beautiful. as tony pointed out you are almost scared to touch it because you might break it or damage it, and when you understand the history and the magnitude of some of the arts and the architectures, you really really don't want to touch it and rather want to just soak its presence in.

"firenze - the city was draining at first. too many american tourists. but uffizi gallery tour was amazing. actually understanding and appreciating some paintings and sculptures. climbing up the duomo. bisteca alla fiorentina, gelato, and spritz all day, chianti, pasta, and espresso. grazie." - anthony boordain.

[anthonyboordain]

mallorca

after several wonderful days in porto, we got on ryan air to fly into palma, mallorca. ryan air - what a treat, clapping as you land lol. mallorca welcomed us with its gigentic palma airport filled with european tourists. we took a short taxi ride to our hotel for a quick one night stay. we went to a local restaurant recommended by the hotel employee and we had our first taste of authentic local spanish jamon and it was delicious. off to a great star.

after a quick walking tour of palma (a beautiful historic city with luxury shopping everywhere), we grabbed our rental car and drove up to our luxury hotel. when your wife is a suga mama and gets you suite upgrade, life is amazing. we enjoyed a pitcher of sangria by the pool overlooking the island. already at this point, i was dreaming of buying an estate here - what a beautiful island. dare i say, i find it to be more attractive than sicily.

we had the meal of the trip in this city. el viejo y el mar. me being me - we got there about 15 minutes before opening and grabbed the only non-reservation table at the bar. what a lucky day it was. we had the best meal of the trip there - uh, mae, zing. every single bite. every single dish. every single sip of that weirdly shaken white wine out of a plastic bottle. and every single sipe of that galiciean draft beer. the best meal of the trip. and we did cement the fact that our most memorable, must go back meals tend to be the local, simple, non-michelin restaurants.

we drove around the island exploring. valdemossa was a charming small town with wonderful picture spots. we found our spanish go to drink - vermut rojo on the rocks with orange. what a treat. soller - it was so crowded but with reason. the old tram ride to the port of soller is such a magical ride. you look up and see the mystic mountain - almost computer graphic like. and yes, paella all day. with olives, bread, and that magical mayo dip. we discovered our affection for pintxos on our last day and we devoured so many of them. and yes that little egg omelette thing - heaven.

walking around palma, you understand why europeans flock to mallorca for their vacation. it's beautiful. it's delicious. it's relaxing. and it makes you happy. the wonderful emerald beach all over the island, windy roads taking you through the coast lines as well as the mountains. seafood galore. full of amazing 5 star hotels (stayed at 3 different hotels and they were all equally amazing, luxury and posh).

if i had unlimited amount of money, i'd buy a multi million dollar estate near palma and go visit 2-3 times a year for vacation. it's just so damn beautiful.

"mallorca - so corwded because it's beautiful. cala del moro, cala pi, valldemossa, soller, and palma. seafood and paella all day. gambas a la plancha and estrella galicia. discovering vermut mutaner and pintxos. gracias." - anthony boordain.