BBQ

Matt’s BBQ: Best barbecue in Portland, Oregon

The colorful BBQ Plate of brisket, pulled pork, and sausage, Matt's BBQ, Portland, Oregon

When I think of the must-eat foods in Portland, Oregon, the last thing that comes to mind is Texas-style BBQ. While Portland is a foodie paradise, the city isn’t known for its smoked meats and BBQ scene. Portland is best known for seafood, doughnuts, Asian food, and craft beer. But if you are looking for Texas BBQ, you might need to visit another city—or so I thought. Everything changed in 2015 when a small food cart known as Matt’s BBQ …

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Terry Black’s Barbecue: Central Texas BBQ in Austin

A beautiful plate of meat

This past April, I visited Austin, Texas for the first time. The moment I booked my flight, I was thinking about all the delicious smoked meats, BBQ, and brisket I wanted to try. If you don’t know, Austin is home to many quintessential central Texas BBQ restaurants. One of them is Terry Black’s Barbecue located on Barton Springs Rd. Before opening Terry Black’s Barbecue, brothers Mike and Mark worked at their family BBQ restaurant in nearby Lockhart. The brothers took …

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Kushiwakamaru Honten: Yakitori shop in Tokyo, Japan

Chefs grilling meats over charcoal, Kushiwakamaru Honten, Tokyo, Japan

One of my favorite foods to eat in Japan is yakitori. It is a staple of Japanese cuisine and found at izakayas all over the country. While the name yakitori refers to skewered chicken, it can also mean an assortment of grilled foods, including vegetables, eggs, and seafood. Tokyo has its fair share of yakitori shops, including some of my favorites found at Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane) near Shinjuku Station. Kushiwakamaru Honten is a small yakitori shop in the Nakameguro …

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Going to Seoul? 7 Itaewon restaurants that you should not miss

Itaewon packed on a busy Saturday night

Itaewon, a multicultural and diverse neighborhood of Seoul, is home to many must try international restaurants that serve everything from BBQ to burgers. All over Itaewon, you can find the cuisine of many countries including Mexico, United States, Turkey, Thailand, Italy, Germany, Spain, India, and more. Many of the dishes served here are unique to Itaewon and not widely available anywhere else in Korea. For many years, Koreans avoided Itaewon mostly because it was a seedy area filled with overpriced …

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Copper Top BBQ off Highway 395 in Big Pine, California

Smokers out front of Copper Top BBQ

Copper Top BBQ, off Highway 395 in Big Pine, CA, is a BBQ restaurant known for its grilled and smoked meats, such as tri-tip and pulled pork. The restaurant gained notoriety when it was first in Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. for 2015. I am familiar with Big Pine as I often drive along Highway 395 to Mammoth Lakes for some of the best snowboarding and fishing in the county. The highway passes through some of …

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