The Culinary Diplomat

Bouchon Bistro: The French Laundry’s more accessible sister pulls its weight

If you are a resident or visitor to San Francisco or New York, you’ve probably heard of Bouchon Bakery. If you are a foodie anywhere, you at least have a passing familiarity with the name The French Laundry. You might not pay much attention to its sister restaurant, Bouchon Bistro – unless, of course, you’ve…

Costanera 700: A hidden gem for the best of Peruvian-Japanese seafood fusion in Lima

The best of Peru’s Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian fusion) is evident at Costanera 700. A wide selection of seafood dishes combine Peru’s love of exquisite cooking with the flavors of Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. When I spent a full month in Lima, Peru a few years ago, I was impressed with Lima’s restaurant scene. From its…

Apres-surf cuisine in Punta Hermosa, Peru

Where and what do Peruvian surfers (and their friends!) eat after long rides down El Pico Alto? Find out here! I consider it the ultimate privilege to have been let into a secret few but the most worldly of surfers or locals know: the gem that is the area surrounding the Pacific seaside town of…

My friends’ grande y loca Peruvian wedding

La hora loca, Peruvian causas and tiraditos, Pisco sours, Fernet Branca and cola, quinoa salad, and a dessert table piled high with chocolates and sweets laced with condensed milk, all set against the backdrop of a Pacific sunset: Those were highlights from a memorable CD moments from a truly grand Peruvian-Argentinian wedding. Does the title…

Huana Pucllana: Where archaeology, and fine dining meet in Lima

The CD finally traveled outside the US again, and you reap the benefits! Today, we travel (back) to Lima, Peru, arguably the food capital of the Andean community of South America, for an impeccable experience dining at the Incan ruins of Huana Pucllana. “Napa and Sonoma need a break,” my father texted me after reading…

Celadon: A garden spot for California cuisine in Napa, California

No trip to Napa County is complete without good wine and food. The area has an overwhelming selection of both, so how can one choose? I offer one suggestion for a great dinner of California-influenced global cuisine in a literal garden spot in the city of Napa: Celadon. My experience with Celadon came to be…

Willi’s Wine Bar: Sonoma’s little secret

Considering a visit to Sonoma’s Russian River Valley wineries? Make sure to stop into Willi’s Wine Bar for pretentious food -without the pretentious ambiance or price. Willi’s Wine Bar of Santa Rosa, California, embodies every quality that makes Sonoma County an attractive wine destination. It appears more laid back and relaxed, less pretentious and showy…

San Francisco’s Greens: A fine dining experience to excite vegetarians and surprise carnivores

Vegetarians are accustomed to limited options at fine restaurants. Yet San Francisco’s Greens has given generations of vegetarians (and their carnivorous friends!) living or visiting the Bay Area meatless, international farm to table experiences since 1979. If you are a vegetarian in the Americas or Europe, your restaurant dining options typically force you to choose…

The Capitol Hill Food Tour: Seeing Washington, DC in a new light

Having lived in the Washington, DC metropolitan area for over a decade, I thought I knew all the ins and out of the city – much less the food scene. A recent food tour proved me wrong about this multifaceted city. If you’ve followed my blog for awhile, you may recall I recently relocated to…

My friends’ Big Fat (Posh) Indian Wedding

Like a fantasy ending of a twisting, turning Bollywood movie, the spectacular wedding of an amazing couple and my dear friends, D & K., was truly worthy of a CD homage. Cheers to the start of the next phase of your Grihasthashram! It’s been a long time coming, but I finally experienced one of India’s…

The Culinary Diplomat

Wedel chocolate cafe: Polish confections for a chocoholic

Peru: More than ceviche, Pisco, and Machu Picchu

A tour of Belgium’s chocolatiers

Healthy Diplomat: Chocolate superfood cookies – paleo, vegan, and packed with chocolate

Extreme chocolates in the Baltic States

You, too, can make French macarons – trois façons