RickBehl

Thanks for the tips. We did a trip to Hua Hin over 5 years ago and the one thing I do remember was the Tom Yam Soup which was completely on another level compared to what I had eaten in Thai restaurants outside of Thailand. Will try and take your advice about the street eating although to be honest the older I get the more cautious I seem to get too... Trying to deal with tummy problems is one thing but trying to deal with the same problems and having a 1 year old and a 3 year old jumping and screaming around you is a whole other ball game :-) Anyway, I'm slowly accumulating a small list of places although it doesn't seem to have the same amount of amazing foodie destinations as say Bangkok... Will try and report back hopefully with some more up to date advice for the next traveller... Cheers Rick

Hi all, Heading to Hua Hin in a few weeks with the family (wife and two young kids). Everything I've read so far seems to suggest that there are not a lot of great 'authentic' dining options in Hua Hin? I'm hoping that has changed over time and that there will be some places to get real Thai food hopefully specific to the region and some specialities. Anyone have any advice or personal tips on where to go? We're quite adventurous travellers and eaters although now we have two kids (aged 1 and 3) we obviously cannot climb down a mountain to get to a beach side restaurant anymore :-) Thanks in advance, Rick

Ahhh... I think I bought a knife from Aritsugu in Kyoto a couple years back. Is the shop near the Nishki food market area? They even inscribed my family name on it. It's a great knife but I think my sharpening skills need some work... I bought the whetstone they recommended at the same time but I can never seem to get it as sharp as I think it could be... I'm sure it's not a knife problem but my own poor technique...

Well, I don't have a lot of time to be honest, only 2 days in Tokyo and then moving to Kyoto for another 5 days. Add the fact that I don't speak Japanese and it might make things harder to research/find once I am there... But I'm happy to be told otherwise... I was under the impression that even Pro chefs in the west were using Global knives quite widely?

Oops! Sorry, missed that small detail. Thanks!

Thanks. Any idea on prices? relative to other parts of the world?

Hi, Will be in Tokyo for 2 days at the end of this week and just wanted to check on the latest situation regarding buying Global knives there. Can anyone advise on: 1) Where to buy? Still at the Yoshikin store? 2) How are the prices compared to those in the US or Europe? (especially with current FX rates) 3) Do they sell knife 'sets' in Tokyo? Thanks in advance, Rick

I am travelling to Tokyo (2 nights) and Kyoto (5 nights) next week on my own. I am primarily going to photograph the autumn colours but as I am a real foodie I wonder if anyone has suggestions for solo dining. Also I don't particularly want to break the bank so my budget will be up to USD 30 for lunch and maybe USD 50 for dinner. I may have one splurge if I find a suitable place... So what I am looking for are the budget-mid price gems that locals and maybe ex-pats have made popular... I don't speak Japanese so ideally places that have English menus/staff... The list of foods on my to-try are: Tonkatsu Unagi Sushi Yakitori Tempura Sukiyaki/Shabu-Shabu Izakaya Not sure if all of the above are suitable for lone diners (eg, Shabu-Shabu is probably more a communal experience) Here are some thoughts for Tokyo so far: Breakfast: Daiwa Sushi Lunches: Butagami or Tonki, Izu-Ei or Nodaiwa Dinners: Birdland, Tsunahachi Rin or Asagi I'm staying in Shinjuku in Tokyo and would prefer not to travel too far to get to restaurants. Any thoughts? Rick

Thanks Blether. Will take note of these places. A couple of other places I have been reading about are: Ka Jok See Siam Indigo China Inn Abdul's I'm quite interested to try and find some of the muslim-influenced dishes that should be prevalent in Southern Thailand. Being of Indian origin myself I can never have enough Roti and Curry :-) But I also read about a sort of Thai Biriyani called khao mok gai which the Thai muslims cook which sounds interesting... Rgds Rick

Thanks Blether, we'll try and make it to Palai Seafood. I'm thinking the other options are to ask the hotel staff where they would go to eat with friends for an evening out... Rgds Rick

Hi Blether, thanks for the reply. I'd like to think we know Thai food reasonably well. I myself have been to the country probably 5 times in the last 6 or 7 years (Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Mae Hong Son, Koh Samui). Both myself and my wife are of Asian descent and can handle a fair amount of heat before reaching for the ice cold drinks... I like to find Thai restaurants/eateries which offer dishes/foods that either I have not seen before or are specific to the region where we are eating. I'm not really interested in eating another green or red curry or a pad thai... Dishes I like are the unusual soups (ie, not the straight Tom Yam, Tom Kha varieties) and also the salads (especially the Northern/Isaan types)... We haven't booked our hotel yet but we have been told to avoid Patong as it's too developed. The areas we have been recommended to stay are Kata, Laguna or Mai Khao areas. As for budget we are not really restricted... But based on experience it's not usually the expensive places where you have those meals that you remember... Normally you experience those in some off the road but well know by the locals place which serves amazing food at very reasonable low-mid prices... I hope that gives you a bit more information to go on :-) Thanks again, Rick

Hi, I'm heading to Phuket in Thailad in a couple weeks for a 5 day break. I will be with my wife and 9 month old baby. Both my wife and myself love good authentic Thai food (ie, not the Tourist-Friendly version of Green and Red curries, etc)... Can good authentic Thai food be found in Phuket? or is it all toned down and made tourist friendly on this resort island? I have read that Phuket town offers some of the best options... Bear in mind that we are travelling with a 9 month old baby so hygiene, safety, and location are things to be considered when choosing a place to eat at.... Thanks in advance, Rick

We're actually living in Hong Kong at the moment and so have our fair share of Dim Sum here... probably will try and stick to dishes we can't get here...

We won't have our own car but we don't mind hiring a car & driver or even taking taxis...

Hi All, Just a quick request for any recommendations for particular restaurants, hawker stalls, etc in Malaysia in either Malacca, Penang or Langkawi. We are fairly adventurous and can tolerate quite spicy food so don't hold back with those suggestions ! Thanks in advance, Rick