And here my dear friends of lucullan lifestyle the second part of my list of city’s to visit and to have a fantastic culinary experience.   Above picture – great culinary brunch with friends at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Alberta Canada.

8th place Granada.

Drawn by the allure of the Alhambra, many visitors head to Granada unsure what to expect. What they find is a gritty, compelling city where serene Islamic architecture and Arab-flavoured street life go hand in hand with monumental churches, old-school tapas bars and counterculture graffiti art.

  Alhambra, an European Must See Showplace.

The city, sprawled at the foot of the Sierra Nevada, was the last stronghold of the Spanish Moors and their legacy lies all around: it’s in the horseshoe arches, the spicy aromas emanating from street stalls, the teterias (teahouses) of the Albayzin, the historic Arab quarter. Most spectacularly, of course, it’s in the Alhambra, an astonishing palace complex whose Islamic decor and landscaped gardens are without peer in Europe.

       Hotel Abadia in the Centro of Granada. A perfect location to discover the city.

  Absolutely need to try, tapas selection or the „best tuna I ever had in Europe“. All around the Centro many many restaurants, walking distance from the Abadia.

No fan of good food should miss the Spanish city of Granada. The best neighborhood where vacationers will find the typical food of the city is the Centro. Here you should taste Piononos (sweet biscuits with cream and syrup), Olla de San Anton (stew with rice, beans and sausage) and Jamon de Trevelez (smoked ham).

7th Place Bangkok.

Bangkok is as chaotic as cities get, but pause and look closer and you’ll discover deep-rooted traditions and a radiant culture. Zip down the streets in a colorful, tassel-lined „tuk-tuk“, passing Starbucks and food stalls selling grilled pork skewers for breakfast.

     Street food at Sukhumvit – and – tuk tuk’s outside a Bangkok market.

A city that feels alive day and night, Bangkok offers a lot more than your average stopover destination. Most travelers stop for a few days before heading on north to Chiang Mai or to southern beaches like Koh Samui or Phuket – days that can easily be filled up with visiting beautiful temples, navigating night markets and sampling Bangkok’s famous food.

One of my personal favorite places in the world. The sunset buffet at the Oriental Hotel. I could enjoy this dozens of times and was never disappointed. The quality of food, the setting, the climate and atmosphere is one of a kind. The Oriental in Bangkok was chosen many years in a row as the No.1 hotel in the world. Wish I could to go there once again.

Lebanese, Indian, Thai, Seafood, Japanese Sushi – the choice is enough to satisfy the biggest glutton, yet it is all prepared to exacting standards. Fresh seafood is grilled a la minute, with rock lobster and river prawns highly popular. Each area has a dedicated kitchen team meaning this is more in tune with fine dining than a mass buffet.

     Hotel Mandarin Oriental Bangkok.

The roast meats section is most people’s choice for main, with roast prime rib beef, lamb and beef cheek in red wine jus. The meat is cooked to perfection and is deliciously tender. This is complemented by a selection of condiments including Dijon mustard and mint sauce. Don’t miss the dessert station which has a full range of western patisseries, homemade sorbet, exotic fruits and Thai desserts – form the classics (mango sticky rice is simply a must), to the lesser known traditional desserts, like fried mango from the BBQ.

             A cocktail or cool beer at the river bar (where they also serve excellent Italian food) before dinner. And a few drinks (whatever your heart requires) at the Bamboo Bar (with a special smokers lounge) after dinner buffet at the Verandah Riverside, is guaranty for a perfect evening you won’t forget.

The thing that sets this Bangkok riverside buffet above any other is the fact that every offering is carefully prepared and expertly presented. This meticulous focus on the small details is what has come to define the Mandarin Oriental Hotel and what makes this meal a sure winner for an evening of indulgence on the river. There is a smart casual dress code at Mandarin Oriental’s Verandah-Riverside Terrace Buffet, so as at the River Bar, which means no sportswear or sandals.

  a   The relaxed atmosphere at The Riverside (Rim Naam) is what I preferred, but fine dining in air-condition at „Le Normandie“, 2-star-Michelin . Le Normandie is  is the sine qua non of French food in the whole of Thailand.

On a trip to Bangkok in Thailand all your senses are required. The best food can be found in the Siam area. Here you will find an exotic selection of local dishes, such as chicken sate, sukiyaki (beef stripe soup) and khao gang (curry rice). At most food stalls you can not get enough of it.

         Food in Bangkok, just on the street (skewers of all kind) or more elegant (rim nam) in a hotel restaurant.

Street food is a staple all over the city so you don’t need to look hard for authentic cuisine, and the recent introduction of the Michelin-guide has only cemented the city’s place on the culinary city hall of fame.

6th Place Melbourne.

Australia is known for having the most beautiful beaches and spectacular sunsets in the world. The best food was found by travelers in the South Yarra, Melbourne area. Above picture made out of my hotel room at the Crown Plaza at Yarra bank.

  The famous rustic Aussie „Surf and Turf“. In front big shrimps (Surf) on green beans with garlic, behind a medium rare filet steak, crispy bacon and to perfection cooked pork-belly. Aside a kind of spicy Thousand Island sauce. What else does one need to be happy ?

The vibrant center is indicative of the city, with lively bars and restaurants along the Yarra River. Real Australians can enjoy delicious barbecues with friends and family in one of the hippest cities in the world. Aussie food, surf and turf, east meets west. Melbourne meantime ran Sydney the rank off.

  The Melbourne Midnight Burger.

The Midnight Burger at East Brunswick brewery Temple Brewing Co. has to be seen to be believed. Its black burger bun flummoxed at first sight, and when their head chef told us he uses charcoal in the recipe, we swore we’d never chomp it down. But after a craft beer or two, we took the plunge. Boy, are we glad we did! The Midnight Burger—in all it’s black bunned, bacon and pickle-topped glory—is EPIC. It might be time for another best burgers round-up because this is definitely vying for the accolade of best burger in Melbourne.

5th Santiago de Chile.

Santiago was founded in 1541 by conquistador Pedro de Valdivia. Chile’s capital is formally called Santiago del Nuevo Extremo, a marvelous demarcation for the latitude and attitude at this southerly extreme.

  Every need you find at La Vega Central Market.

And it can’t happen soon enough.   Chef Rodolfo Guzman of Borago (won 2017 a prize belonging to the 50 best restaurants in the world) states: „I cribbed a dozen Spanish-to-Latin-to-English databases in an attempt to identify the plants and proteins—boldo, moye, rica rica, kolof, piure, guanaco—that I use in the kitchen. As far as I am concerned, to truly understand a land, you must understand its ingredients“.

     “Without culture,” he says, “you cannot have your soul. And food is culture.” Top right: Braised Beef Stew with Garlic. Bottom left: Cream Scallops with Stewed Chickpeas and Tomatoes, here spiced with merken, a traditional Chilean red chile spice mix. Bottom right: A Chilean seafood platter with fried plantanes.

  Yummy empanadas with black olives, meat and a spicy salsa. Sadly they don’t like spices in Uruguay.

On the way through the vineyards of Casablanca we pull over at a modest roadside joint to devour empanadas de pino baked in a wood-fired clay oven. The filling, rich with shredded beef, onions, and olives, is a favorite of both gauchos and taxi drivers, not to mention myself. A country side treat of the finest.

4th place Tokio.

The Japanese city of Tokyo offers an exciting mix of modern and traditional. The skyscrapers shine in the neon light and historic temples await the visit of the travelers. The district of Chiyoda is known for its excellent food. 24/7 the life is pulsing, always big crowds, but I liked it, because on the food side dishes are always fresh renewed.

  A Robot restaurant, not my style, being honest. But I wanted to show that in Tokio one can find nothing that does not excist.

The diversity of the city is also reflected in the restaurants. The best establishments have more Michelin stars than all the restaurants in Paris and New York combined. The most famous dish Sushi has taken the palate by storm.

          On the left „ramen“ the famous Japanese spicy soup. Available in thousands of variety’s. To enjoy this speciality you have to dive in and taste. Same with sushi, which conquered the world anyhow. But having sushi from a sushi master in a specialized restaurant is a delight. Click on pictures to enjoy the view of such an excellent food.

Tokyo is a city of 100,000 restaurants, and sometimes it feels like the same dish everywhere. Hakata-style tonkotsu and flavor bombs like the diabolically fiery noodles served at joints like Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto. I love their spicy ramen.

  A visit to Japan without an original Teppanyaki and show is like not being in Japan. You can find this in many places of the world, but the atmosphere in Japan is totally different. Just the fun and the applause they can show is an amazing experience.

3rd place Athens.

Having an European city within the 3 top ones is may be unusual, but this one is often so underestimated and deserves a top rank. Athens has so much to offer, it is the ancient capital of the world. The magnificent Acropolis, visible from almost every part of the city, is the hub around which Athens still revolves. This temple city, built in the 5th century BC, serves as a daily reminder to Greeks of their heritage and the city’s many transformations.

  Just a butcher shop in Athens. Isn’t that something ?

There are plenty of surprises to be discovered, so make sure to leave room in your schedule for spontaneous discovery: buy a ticket to that dance show that’s just starting as you walk by, or sit down at the restaurant where the musicians are setting up. You’ll be rewarded.

           To die for, charcoal grilled – Gyros left and Haloumi right. Click on pics to size up for a better view.

If you are looking for traditional Greek national dishes, you are guaranteed to find them in Athens in Greece. Here you will find delicious souvlaki (grilled meat and vegetable skewers) and koulouri (sesame rings). It is best to pay a visit to the Plata area.

        What a feast – mouthwatering – and right the famous Greek yoghurt with honey and walnuts.

If one wants to get to know another side of the Greek cuisine there are many possibilities. Especially the street food is excellent here.

       Left the yearly Athens street food festival and right the typical street food – sesame rings with different fillings, including ham-and-cheese, turkey-and-cheese, chocolate, tomato-and-olive and many more.

2nd place Lima.

When fog bundles its colonial facades and high rises, Lima’s enchantments come across as all too subtle. After Cairo, this sprawling metropolis is the second-driest world capital, rising above a long coastline of crumbling cliffs.

       Lima special, Tallarines on the left and Papa Rellenas on the right.

But Lima is also sophisticated, with civilization that dates back millennia. Stately museums display sublime pottery; galleries debut edgy art; solemn religious processions recall the 18th century and crowded nightclubs dispense tropical beats. Don’t miss the capital’s culinary genius, part of a gastronomic revolution for more than 400 years.

    Absolute fantastic, both Peruvian specialties are nothing for everyone, but worth to try. Left the „melting in your mouth“ pulpo (octopus) and right the guinea-pig, soft-delicate-tender grilled pork.

This is Lima. Shrouded in history, gloriously messy and full of aesthetic delights. The land of more then 3000 variety’s of potatoes, you should see. Don’t even think of missing it.

        This shows the difference in Peruvian cuisine, Mariscos platter or Alpaca skewers.

World Travel Award 2016 – Again. The South American country of Peru has been recognized as the world’s best gastronomic destination for the fifth time in a row. See my article „World’s No.1 Culinary Destination“, posted on December 7, 2016.

1st place Hong Kong.

The most popular culinary destination, according to opinion of international travelers, is Hong Kong. Above all, the metropolis is famous for its lively city center and skyscraper skyline. The best food is on Hong Kong Island.

  Can you imagine what this is ??

The variety of dishes is remarkable. You should try everything from Dim Sum to Kau Kee to Wantan noodles and Poon Choi (Chinese casserole).

Take a trip to the bustling Mong Kok and head to the famous Ladies Market. Make sure you haggle hard for anything you want to take home and try out the street food vendors in Mong Kok. The best street food vendors are located by Dundas Road or in Fa Tuen Street Market, another worthy local market to visit.

  Hong Kong’s Jumbo Floating Restaurant.

The Chinese cuisine is very varied. A typical dish in North China is „Huoguo“ – the Chinese fire pot. Typical are two different variants – „Sichuan fire pot“ and „Mongolian hot pot“. The fire pot Sichuan uses a very sharp background. The Mongolian hot pot, however, is much milder.

       Good fun for a group of friends, sitting around a hot pot and enjoying food.

The main ingredients of the fire pot are wafer-thin slices of lamb and beef. In addition salad and cabbage leaves. Other ingredients include shrimp, shrimp paste, cuttlefish, algae leaves, various mushrooms, fresh noodles or glass noodles, tang, tofu, and everything you can imagine. Even pancakes come in the fire pot.

                  Being in Hong Kong and not having some Peking (Beijing) duck cooked to an amazing perfection, would be a great mistake. Have a lesson in one of the specialized duck restaurants and learn how they make this famous, well known mouthwatering dish. Traditionally the meat is eaten with spring onion, cucumber and sweet bean sauce with pancakes rolled around the fillings.

  Hyatt Regency Peking Duck serving, individual-elegant.

The Hyatt Regency Hong Kong Sha Tin hotel would be my recommendation for the perfect duck experience. Walk into the restaurant and you’ll see the ducks lined up ready to be roasted to perfection. The slices of duck skin aren’t too oily and pancakes are very thin.

     Peking duck at the Peking Garden Restaurant, more tourist mass-serving. My second choice, after the Hyatt.

If you’re looking to impress out of town guests with fine Chinese cuisine, the place is Peking Garden, particularly the Alexandra House location. It features rich Chinese decor and you can see a hand pulled noodle demonstration. But everyone comes here for the Peking duck that is carefully carved at the table. The slices are thinner than at Spring Deer, with a good ratio of meat to crispy skin. The pancakes are almost paper thin.

  Here the denouement of the earlier picture. All these are fridge magnets. You easily can take home now your favorite Hong Kong dish.  Chinese business imaginative.

I would suggest anyhow to book a guided food tour in Hong Kong, and some other city’s of course as well, to get the maximum out of your culinary city food adventure. Hope you enjoyed this ex-curse of some „delicious“ city’s.  This all is travellers choice of course, to me:     My personal favorite city still is Bangkok, especially the Oriental Hotel !