Anthony Bourdain

Nong’s Khao Man Gai: Chicken Rice in Portland, Oregon

The specialty of the house, Khao Man Gai, Portland, Oregon

In 2003, Nong Poonsukwattana moved across the world from Bangkok, Thailand to Portland, Oregon. When she arrived, Nong only had two suitcases and $70 to her name. To make ends meet, Nong took a job at a local Thai restaurant. After years of hard work and saving money, Nong opened her first food cart in 2009 in downtown Portland. The name of her cart was Nong’s Khao Man Gai. As with many restaurants and food stalls in Asia, the food …

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Lotus of Siam: Northern Thai Cuisine in Las Vegas

The beautiful Crispy Duck Panang

If you are looking for the best Thai restaurant in Las Vegas, you go to Lotus of Siam, which specializes in authentic Northern Thai cuisine. Everybody who loves Thai food knows of Lotus of Siam, including locals, tourists, magazine writers, food bloggers, and celebrity chefs such as Anthony Bourdain. Since its opening in 1999, the restaurant has become well known for its Northern Thai cuisine inspired by Chef Saipin Chutima. In 2011, Chef Chutima won a James Beard Award for …

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Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre in Singapore

The specialty of the house, the Hainanese Chicken Rice

Exactly who serves the best chicken rice in Singapore is up for debate. Everyone has their favorite. My favorite is Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, a famous hawker stall at Singapore’s Maxwell Food Centre. Singaporeans love their chicken rice, considered by many to be the national dish of Singapore. This simple dish of boiled chicken and rice can be found at hawker centres and restaurants all across Singapore. There may be no other hawker stall as well known as Tian …

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El Aljibe in Havana, Cuba: Famous Restaurant Serving Roast Chicken

Roasted Chicken, the specialty of El Aljibe

A few miles west of Old Town Havana is El Aljibe, a state-owned, open-air restaurant popular with tourists for the family style roast chicken, served the same way for over 60 years. The first time I heard about El Aljibe was while watching Anthony Bourdain’s show ‘Parts Unknown’ when he visited Havana, Cuba. When I saw Anthony eating perfectly roasted chicken marinated in a secret orange sauce and luscious black beans, I knew I had to try this place. If …

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14 things I learned on my first trip to Singapore

One of the most recognizable buildings in Singapore, the Marina Bay Sands

I just returned from my five day trip to Singapore. Since this was my first time visiting Singapore, I had no idea what to expect before leaving. Through my little research, I knew it was clean and tropical, and the best spot to eat in Singapore was at one of the many hawker centres. That’s about all I knew. But I went with an open mind as I love visiting new cities. And when I landed, I hit the ground …

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Sushi Kyotatsu inside Tokyo’s Narita International Airport

Nigiri Miyako

Sushi Kyotatsu is my go-to spot for sushi every time I find myself on a layover at Terminal 1 of Tokyo’s Narita International Airport. Delicious and fresh sushi in the most unlikely of places: the airport. When I think of airport food, the last thing that comes to mind is sushi. But Sushi Kyotatsu is different. It’s good. I take that back, it’s great. It’s better than most of the sushi I have ever had. Though pricey (you’re in an …

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Empire State South, Hugh Acheson’s midtown Atlanta restaurant

Pimento Cheese with a side of pullman toast, Empire State South, Atlanta, Georgia

Note: Since posting this review, the restaurant has closed. As a longtime fan of Top Chef and Top Chef Masters, I knew I had to check out Hugh Acheson’s Empire State South in Atlanta, Georgia’s midtown district. If you aren’t familiar with Top Chef, Hugh Acheson is often a guest judge on the show. Even more exciting was that Anthony Bourdain stopped by here on his short-lived television show “The Layover.” When my Uber driver dropped me off at the …

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