The smell of fresh lime filling the air. The rhythmic motions of the mortar and pestle smooshing and mixing, smooshing and mixing. Continue reading
Author Archives: Lara
Weird Pharmacy
A rose frothed gin cocktail with fresh rose petals
Unlike most memorable bars we’ve found in Seoul, we didn’t just stumble upon Weird Pharmacy. We sought it out.
We were enjoying ourselves in Itaweon when several well-dressed men handing out roses caught our attention. Attached to each rose was a business card with enough information to be intriguing: “Hendricks Gin, Weird Pharmacy, @ Flower Gin, August 27-30, 2015.” Continue reading
White Rabbit Tap House
The mascot of the taphouse
Like Alice and the rabbit hole, we kind of fell into this place. It is a little corner spot, filled with Tim Burtonesque artwork, rockin’ tunes, and hypnotic surf videos projected onto a large screen. Oh, and let’s not forget to mention the amazing selection of beer! Continue reading
Burn Cigar Bar
Leather and wood paneling sets the mood
Ascend a flight of stairs: up, off a busy street in Itaewon and enter another world. Low lights, a well stocked humidor, richly coloured walls, and leather arm chairs… you have been transported. It’s someplace moody- sophisticated- like a set from a classic film. I half expected to catch a glimpse of Humphrey Bogart in the corner. Continue reading
For the Love of Elephants
A plethora of beautiful temples. Night markets filled with delicious selections of the local cuisine. Waterfalls, mountains… It is easy to understand why Chiang Mai is a hugely popular stop on any traveler’s Thailand itinerary. Mix in the more adventurous options like zip lining, jungle trekking, and off-track dirt bike expeditions and there is surely something for everyone. Oh, and let’s not forget the elephants…oh, the elephants! Continue reading
A Lazy Day by the Lake
view of Huang Tung Tao from our beach hut
It was a meltingly hot day, and there was no way that we were ever going to entertain thoughts -no matter how fleeting- of doing anything that required any sort of exertion. Just stepping out of the cool oasis of our hotel seemed daunting. Continue reading
Thannatee Boutique Hotel: Chiang Mai’s Little Slice of Paradise
Tucked away on a side street just a few minutes walk from the south gate of Chiang Mai’s Old Town is the Thannatee Boutique Hotel. Step out of the heat and away from the rattling motors of the motorbikes, tuk tuks, and songathew that characterize the city and walk straight into a little slice of paradise.
Cruising the Handicraft Highway
In my head I had been imagining a single lane road on the outskirts of town. A winding road, possibly dirt, flanked with lush greenery, and lined with small booths where local artisans were selling their wares. Little open air shops stocked with lacquerware, silk, Celadon pottery, and ornate silver- all with nearby workshops allowing one to peer in at master artists in the midst of their works. I am not really sure where my vividly detailed visions of San Kamphaeng Road had originated, but Continue reading
How far would you go… for a cup of coffee?
up, up, up the mountain…
I love coffee. I love the moments of contemplation found between sips of a deliciously dark brew. I love magic spots in foreign places, suddenly made familiar with a single cup. It’s powerful stuff. A fuel. It generates, and it brings together. So when I got wind of a Hmong Village somewhere way up and into the wilds of Chiang Mai’s Doi Suthep where there was locally grown coffee to be had, I knew that we had to venture out to find it. Continue reading
Bukchon Son Mandu
There are a few iconic dishes that one shouldn’t leave Korea without trying…one of them is the beloved dumpling called mandu. Steamed mandu (찐만두), fried mandu(튀김만두), meat mandu (고기 만두), kimchi mandu (김치만두), wang mandu(왕만두), or jjinppang mandu (찐빵만두)… Continue reading