Top-notch sushi at Cafe Japan in Golders Green, London, which uses the best ingredients for a very good value and has one of the best sake selections in London (as it’s owned by Atariya group). Book the counter seat when Fukushima-san is there.

Derek Wilcox, chef of Shoji at 69 Leonard in NYC, is one of very few non-Japanese sushi masters in the world to have reached a comparable level to the best in Japan. Originally from upstate New York, Derek trained at Kikunoi in Kyoto for 7 years and at Sushi Aoki…

Some highlights from my lunch at Kiro sushi last week, easily one of the best “Edo-mae” style sushi restaurants in Europe at the moment. It is located in Logroño, La Rioja, the place you will probably not travel to eat sushi, yet it’s definitely worth a special trip. Most of…

Perfect tortilla from my short trip to Spain this week. Light, with the runny center from La Primera in Madrid. La Primera potato tortilla 1 kg potatoes (chopped) 12 eggs Onion (chopped) Olive oil Salt Fry onions in olive oil until golden. In a separate pan, fry potatoes for 15…

Shuji Niitome, currently Japan’s number one tempura master in action. Until only recently, tempura master from Nagoya Shuji Niitome refused to be listed in any restaurant guides. As soon as he got onto tabelog.com, he soared to number one in Japan for tempura. Niitome-san is a true shokunin (and despite…

Never in my wildest dreams I’d think that tacos with escamoles (ants eggs) could taste so good or I would try them at all. Or that gusanos de maguey (mezcal worms) give that nice unique smokey flavour you cannot replicate. My short term plan in Mexico City is to try…

I thought I knew something about fish until I met up with Aitor Arregi, who heads the kitchen at Elkano, a seafood restaurant in Getaria on the Cantabrian Sea. Aitor is the son of the late Pedro Arregi, who founded Elkano in the 1960s and developed his own pioneering ways…

If you have ever witnessed a Japanese tea ceremony, then you know that it is a very special event. Unfortunately, many Westerners think the ceremony is just a fancy way to drink tea. As Fuyuko Kobori, a 17th-generation tea master and one of the rare women to attain this position…

“As fresh as it can be” is one of the most common pre-conceptions about sushi. Sushi masters in Tokyo have the world’s greatest seafood market to buy their fish, but often, depending on the fish or seafood they would mature it before serving to their guests. Yet few of the…

Pictures from introduction only Kawamura steakhouse, which is known for one of the most difficult reservations in Tokyo. It was the season of Alba truffles in October, but we decided to go for the “student” menu, which still cost us around ¥100 000 per head without wine. Full review here.