10 best food things in 2016 - International edition

One of the many gorgeous Georgian supra (banquets) we had

I did an uncharacteristic amount of travel this year, and as a result, had some amazing food-related experiences I couldn't fit on my normal year-end list (which was already packed). I don't know that I'll ever blog about these places individually, so here are my top picks, which you probably already know about if you follow me on Instagram, but hey, a round-up never hurt anybody.

25 best food things in 2016 - Hong Kong edition

Oyster tartare at Belon

I started with 31 and tried really hard to cut back to 20 as I normally do, but this year, I've included some things that I think are worth noting that aren't specifically dishes, but definitely worth talking about, so cut me some slack! Promise I won't go over 25 next year! 

1. Belon, especially the bread and oyster tartare
2. Serge et Le Phoque
3. Kin's Kitchen, especially the Yi O collboration
4. Godenya
5. Gaddi's Chef's Table
6. Yardbird's rice cakes, and new cocktails from the Okinawa collab
7. One Harbour Road's steamed toothfish with preserved vegetables
8. Beef Bar
9. Samsen, especially the Son In Law eggs
10. The Bottle Shop Central's pandan pancakes
11. Second Draft's flower crab noodles
12. Cobo House's desserts
13. Caprice bar, especially Nicolas Lambert's desserts
14. CRFT-PIT's pecan pie
15. Kaum
16. Pak Loh Chiu Chow's mooncakes
17. Cookieboy peanut butter cookies
18. Grom
19. Redback Peel Street Espresso Bar
20. Seafood Room rooftop bar, my top pick for visitors these days 
21. Buenos Aires Polo Club's sidecar
22. Camp cooking on wood fires
23. Green Common's amazing expansion
24. Online shopping: Cork Culture, Coffee & Tales, Ztore, HKTV Mall, Sunday's Grocery
25. Pop-up culture: The Landmark Mandarin Oriental's pop-ups, The Mandarin Oriental's Cafe Central collaboration, Birds and Bubbles' fried chicken and biscuits, Filipino feast by Cross Cultures, Roca brothers' visit to Hong Kong, Test Kitchen

Addendum: Hong Kong restaurants and bars I have been to more than once in 2016.

Kin's Kitchen - Is this the future of Hong Kong's Cantonese food?

Deep-fried pigeon with Chinese leeks at Kin's Kitchen

There's a bit of a backstory to this post, which I won't get into, but suffice it to say that I was thinking about restaurants I go to more than once a year. Yes, once a year. I eat out a lot, and go to different restaurants because it's a big part of my job to eat at as many restaurants as possible, in order to find good stories, to be on the ball, to... just do my job.

Kin's Kitchen, I have been to about 6 times this year - that's almost once a month (that's more often than I write on this blog, #burn). I take out-of-towners there, I go there for my own dinners with friends and family, I go with the hyper-discerning Little Adventures crew, I go for fun. And dining out for fun does not happen for me as much as it might seem (have pity on me, LOL!).

The best rice I've ever had - Warakuen, Ureshino Onsen, Saga

Warakuen 和楽園 in Ureshino, Japan, decked out for the New Year

Months after our road trip in Kyushu (the western-ish side: Fukuoka - Nagasaki - Ureshino - Saga - Fukuoka), there is only one thing that keeps coming up in conversation - the rice we had at our ryokan in Ureshino.

The 38 Essential Hong Kong Restaurants for Eater

Essential Hong Kong Restaurants! Go get it on eater.com

It's been three months since my last blog post - OMG.

(What are you doing here anyway? It's 2016 folks, at least get on Instagram maybe? I thought blogs were like stone tablets now. And no, kids, a tablet does not always mean an iPad.)

Just dropping in to say that Eater has launched a guide to eating around the whole wide world (well, sort of, but not really. You know what I mean) and once again, I got to put my 5 8 10 (actually, let's not go there) years of professional eating in HK to good use. ENJOY! And please don't get angry. When it comes to food lists, there is never anything to argue about, only more food to eat. #wisdom

Issaya Siamese Club, Hong Kong - Smoke and Mirrors

Choo-Chee Salmon Rom Kwan at Issaya Siamese Club, Hong Kong

Let me start by saying this: Issaya Siamese Club is a gorgeous looking restaurant.