PIG AND KHAO

Sometime in May, my 11-year old and I spent a long weekend in New York, just the two of us on a rare mother and son trip.  The last time he was there was when he was four years old so I promised him some touristy things like a visit to the the Top of the Rock where we enjoyed the amazing new york city view and a walk through Wall street and Battery Park plus a bonus ferry ride to Staten island so he could see the Statue of Liberty.  Of course part of the plan was to walk around the city and eat at interesting new places.  One of these was Pig and Khao which my good friend Claudine along with her son David took us to - it was a mother and son weekend after all.

Owned by a half Filipina-half American former Top Chef, Leah Cohen, the place is a bustling narrow room on the lower east side with a charming terrace out back. The kitchen is not much larger than the one on a food truck with about three chefs slicing, dicing and frying what is a combination of Thai and Philippine dishes culled from the chef's time traveling around southeast Asia.  The menu is not extensive (three snacks, nine small plates, three large plates) and is mostly pork-centric (hence the pig logo) but there are also a few daily specials and there are so many interesting dishes that we wanted to order most of them, and then some.

In the end, we stuck mostly to the Philippine side and ordered the delicious quail adobo, her take on the classic Philippine dish of chicken and pork cooked in garlic and pepper infused soy sauce and vinegar.  We also had the incredible sizzling sisig - typical bar food in the Philippines and quite difficult to master as it's a rich, hot, spicy, crispy mix of chopped up pork jowls and head mixed in with a fried egg - definitely not low-cholesterol but oh so good!  To keep to the pork theme, we also had another Philippine classic - crispy pata, deep fried pig trotters served with pickled green mango and two dipping sauces.  From the specials, we also had the Thai fried soft-shell crab in green curry sauce and a side dish of the stir-fried kailan (Chinese greens).  Of course I couldn't resist to have my dinner with young coconut juice.  We managed to polish it all off and still had space to share a large halo-halo - another classic Philippine dessert of shave ice, leche flan (milk custard), pinipig (toasted crispy rice) and purple ube (yam) ice cream - a fantastic end to a fantastic meal.  Who would have thought that Filipino food could look and taste this good and be so reasonably priced (around $30 per person) in New York?  (Check out their 2-star review from the NY Times) I didn't and I'm already counting the days to my next meal there.
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Pig and Khao
68 Clinton St.
Lower East Side
New York, NY 10002
Telephone: +1 212 920 4485
*Open for dinner daily, Brunch on Saturday and Sunday. Reservations recommended.

THE BEST OF 2012

It's taken a few weeks to get this blog post together but it's finally here - my annual best of 2012.  The first two were unique and fantastic in every way.  The next three are the best of Puerto Rico followed by the three best in Las Vegas and finally, the two best casual eats, one from a food truck here in Dorado and another from a beach shack in Anguilla.  All in all, 10 of my most memorable meals of the year.  Enjoy and I look forward to more new restaurant discoveries in 2013!

BEST OF THE BEST

Pubbelly (Miami)

A mid-year find on a long weekend mini-break to Miami.  Pubbelly is a gastronomic casual restaurant created by three partners - two Puerto Ricans and one Spanish, which has taken Miami by storm.  After this first foray, they have created four other successful casual eateries - Pubbelly Sushi for modern sushi, Barceloneta for Spanish tapas, Macchialina, an Italian salumeria and trattoria and about a week ago, PB Steak.  These boys have got their concepts down and manage to create a casual atmosphere loved by locals and still serve amazing food.  The menu at Pubbelly is mostly Asian-inspired but there were a few Spanish-influenced tapas as well.  Here's what we had in July.

ABC Kitchen (New York)

Another memorable summer meal was at ABC Kitchen located in the fantastic ABC Carpet & Home. Just over a year old and promoting local and organic ingredients, this was pared down comfort food that was all about the ingredients - assorted lukewarm roasted beets tossed in yoghurt, slices of heirloom tomato with just a sprinkling of salt on crusty bread, just-picked tiny radishes with cold sweet butter and bread - everything was delicious!  The service was friendly, the place casual and the menu so enticing that I can't wait to go back. 

BEST IN PUERTO RICO

Santaella

This was our first dinner out in San Juan, right after we moved to Puerto Rico in March and has remained a favorite since.  Santaella manages to serve a modern take on Puerto Rican cuisine in an unfussy location near the Plaza del Mercado.  Food is good, service is friendly and the place is always packed with locals - what more can one ask for?

Blonda

A recent addition to the Condado scene, Blonda is another casual restaurant that knows what it's doing - simple food in great location with probably, the best brunch in San Juan.  There's valet parking, bookings taken on Open Table and good food in a light-filled space.

Compostela

For classic Spanish fare, there is no place better than Compostela - the interiors are modern but nothing special, come here for the food and the excellent selection of wines.  Every meal we've had here has been exceptional - the menu authentic, the ingredients fresh, the presentation simple, the service efficient and the experience always delicious.   

BEST IN LAS VEGAS

Sambalatte

The best coffee in Las Vegas.  Ever since they opened in 2011, they have been the only place in Las Vegas for proper coffee in all forms and shapes, from espresso to flat white, from cappuccino to mocha, from pour over brewed coffee to Aero Pres,  from granita to affogato - they have proper coffee making and presentation figured out.  I never skip my Sambalatte morning cappuccino when I'm in Vegas and always stop by to say hello to the friendly owner, Luis.

Kabuto

Located in the same nondescript mall as other cult Japanese restaurants, Raku and Monta, Kabuto is a tiny restaurant with just three tables and an adequate sushi counter where the edomae sushi (Tokyo style super fresh sushi) is presented nightly using only the freshest fish and seafood and served slowly, one by one to be enjoyed.  This is the way sushi and sashimi should always be - no tricks, no mayonnaise, no fancy rolls - just fresh fish, perfectly seasoned vinegar rice, crisp seaweed, a tiny dot of wasabi and a dash of premium soy sauce.

Honey Salt

In the same area as Sambalatte, Honey Salt is so new that I haven't even blogged about my lunch there yet (post coming soon) but, believe me, this is the restaurant future for Las Vegas - trained chefs and experienced food and beverage operators band together to create their own restaurant concept.  Honey Salt is homey and the farm to table food is very good, but best of all, the minute one walks in, one can sense that the people behind the scenes know what they're doing from the logos, table settings, decor, menus and seamless service that there really is no longer a need to dine well just in a fancy Vegas hotel. Here's to a burgeoning trendy off-strip restaurant scene in Las Vegas!

BEST STREET/BEACH FOOD

Blanchards Beach Shack
If ever I open another restaurant, this is what I want it to be - simple food, a great outdoor setting and casual atmosphere.  Blanchards on the beautiful Mead's Bay beach in Anguilla is probably the best beach shack restaurant concept I've ever eaten in and for someone who's lived on several islands, that's the highest compliment ever.  Food is simple, containers are recycled, service is quick, prices and reasonable.  Blanchards Beach Shack gives fast food a great reputation.

NanoBox
Last but not least, is this Dorado food truck run by two brothers passionate about food and serving their modern version of Puerto Rican street food.  It's a great way to taste what the island has to offer and although their menu is limited, what they serve is pretty good so it's worth it to stop by for a snack on the weekend when this shiny white brand new food truck is parked just behind the Walgreen's in Dorado.
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Listed by location, in alphabetical order:

Anguilla - Blanchards Beach Shack

Las Vegas -
Honey Salt
Kabuto
Sambalatte

Miami - Pubbelly

New York - ABC Kitchen

Puerto Rico -
Blonda
Compostela
NanoBox
Santaella

CHELSEA MARKET

On my last day in New York, I met up with good friend, Brooklyn native and fellow foodie C, who said I couldn't leave the cit without stopping by Chelsea Market - which houses an enclosed food court with specialized food purveyors including a large Anthroplogie boutique, a Posman Books 

and a Bowery Kitchens, restaurant supply store where I finally found a large metal cake stand which I had long-admired in the Dean & DeLuca stores.  Also in the same building are the offices and production facilities of the Food Network which makes for a captive clientele of foodies who often lunch at the market.

We met right after noon and walked around the place scoping out the area and doing a tour of what was available before deciding on lunch from the specialty butcher Dicksons Farmstand  where the daily blackboard menu listed pulled pork, banh-mi, roast chicken and hot dogs.  C had the pulled pork sandwich and treated me to a banh-mi (a Vietnamese sandwich usually made with roasted pork belly) with caramelized ground pork stuffed in a soft baguette and topped with pickled cucumbers and carrots and lots of fresh cilantro along with a fizzy organic lemonade.  We managed to snag one of the few tables where we devoured our sandwiches before heading off in search of dessert.  

We finally ended up at Bar Suzette where we lined up for a takeaway lemon, butter and sugar crepe made with the pedigree ingredients of Ronnybrook Dairy Farm butter, fresh lemon juice and natural granulated sugar.  Wrapped up in a paper cone, we then exited onto to 16th street and climbed up to The High Line where we enjoyed our dessert while taking a stroll in one of the prettiest parks created out of an abandoned railway.  We grabbed a post-lunch coffee at the Blue Bottle stand where I had an espresso while C chose an iced coffee then we walked further on until we found a spot in the shade of The Standard Hotel and listened to a classical quartet while enjoying the summer breeze, the Hudson river views and several years of catching up. 

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Chelsea Market

75 Ninth Avenue (between 15th and 16th streets)

New York NY 10011

Telephone: +1 888 727 7887

*Open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The High Line

Telephone: +1 212 206 9922

*Open daily from 7 a.m to 10 p.m. 

Access from the following locations:

• Gansevoort Street
• 14th Street (elevator access)
• West 16th Street (elevator access)
• West 18th Street
• West 20th Street
• 23rd Street (elevator access)
• West 26th Street
• West 28th Street
• West 30th Street (elevator access)

ABC KITCHEN

On our second evening in New York, we met up with Chef Z, an friend from the nineties who is the current executive chef at the Conde Nast Cafeteria (where we had breakfast a few days later but that's another story).  She knows her way around the NY culinary scene and chose the restaurant - ABC Kitchen - as she knew I was a fellow foodie who would appreciate something new.  The last time we saw each other was in 2010 in Singapore for a Hainanese Chicken lunch at the well-known Wee Nam Kee.

T and I showed up at ABC Kitchen where Z was already seated and waiting for us.  ABC Kitchen, another creation of chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten with Phil Suarez, prides itself in its' locally-sourced menu serving modern cuisine using local, sustainable, organic and seasonal produce in a lively atmosphere.  The restaurant is located inside the ABC Carpet & Home  store with it's own entrance on East 18th street.  Listed as the Best New Restaurant of 2011 by the James Beard Foundation, the restaurant has been packing it in since it opened and is popular with both locals and tourists, young and old.

On that Tuesday evening, the restaurant was packed with large groups including the Food Network Senior Vice-President and General Manager Bob Tuschman who was seated right beside us.  The dinner menu is on one-page clipped onto a piece of cardboard with a large selection divided into market table (shared plates), appetizers, pastas, whole wheat pizzas, main courses and sides.  Food is served in different antique-looking dishes on polished wooden tables while servers are dressed in checkered shirts and jeans contributing to the casual farm-to-table cuisine at ABC Kitchen.

We ordered their freshly-made sodas (no Coca-Cola served here) - ginger-lime for Z and the basil-lime for me while T had a glass of Pinot Noir.  While we studied the menu, the chef sent out a complimentary starter, the heirloom tomato toast, for us to share - a slice of toasted country bread drizzled in extra-virgin olive oil and topped with sliced heirloom tomatoes and sprinkled with sea salt.  This was a sign of the food to come with the flavor of the fresh summer tomato making this dish a star.  Next, we were given a basket of fresh country bread and a dish of tiny spicy radish.

We ordered several items from the market table and appetizers to share so we would have a chance to taste several dishes form the menu.  Pretzel-dusted calamari - lightly breaded crispy and not oily, these squid bites came with marinara sauce and mustard aioli followed by crispy squash blossoms drizzled in honey and grated goat cheese - again, a perfect bite of sweet, salty and crunchy.  Another complimentary dish was sent out to our table - roasted beets with house-made yogurt - yellow, red and orange beets tossed in a cold creamy light yogurt.

For our main courses, we all shared two dishes: an appetizer portion of pasta - cavatelli with cherry tomatoes, prawns and and chili breadcrumbs and the mushroom, Parmesan, oregano and farm egg whole-wheat pizza.  The pasta was light and filling with the crispy spicy breadcrumbs bringing texture to the dish while the pizza was heavier with the mix of earthy mushroom and oregano and the rich flavors of the Parmesan and raw egg mixed into the hot dough.  We tried our best to polish off the pizza but Z ended up taking half home to her hubby for a midnight snack.

We were already quite full but couldn't resist to share the toasted almond panna cotta - a classic panna cotta served in a glass topped with apricot jam, compote and crumble - a tangy, sweet taste of summer.  Along with this, the chef sent us a final complimentary dessert - their signature sundae, which several chefs name as their favorite late-night sweet treat on Chefs Feed.  This delicious dessert is served in a large bowl where three scoops of salted caramel ice cream sit in a pool of dark chocolate sauce where a mix of candied peanuts and caramel popcorn float - all this topped with a dollop of whipped cream - heaven in a bowl and a cheeky dessert rendition of the classic ice cream sundae.  It was a perfect end to a perfect meal and one that I would gladly repeat every time I visit the big city. 

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ABC Kitchen

35 E. 18th Street (between Broadway & Park)

New York NY 10003

Telephone: +1 212 475 5829

*Open daily for dinner from 5:30 p.m. till 10:30 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, till 11:00 p.m. on Thursday, till 11:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and till 10 p.m. on Sunday.

*Brunch daily.  During the week from 12:00 to 3:00 and on weekends from 11:00 to 3:30 p.m.

NY EATS

DEAN & DELUCA

On our first morning, we headed off to Fifth Avenue for some much-needed retail therapy and to take advantage of the end-of-summer sales.  We headed straight for a quick breakfast at the centrally-located Dean and De Luca in Rockefeller Center.  This is a classic NY deli/cafe where one can be assured of good coffee and lots of amazing stuff to eat.  We shared a cheddar cheese scone and a sticky breakfast bun with some strong coffee and got ready to pound the pavement.  First stop was the new Canadian brand Joe Fresh and their flagship US store where there were loads of great bargains to be had.  Next was the 8th floor of Saks Fifth Avenue which is their special shoe department (with their own dedicated zip code) where we ended up spending a few hours trying endless pairs of pumps and sandals until finally making our selections. 

SERAFINA PIZZA on Madison and 79th

We still had Madison Avenue to get to so before lunch, we ended up at the J Crew Collection boutique on Madison and 79th where we bought a few more things which they offered to send to our hotel free-of-charge. Next was a quick lunch at Serafina across the street.

It was an overcast day so we didn't get a chance to eat on their roof terrace but stayed on the mid-level overlooking the street.  The place was packed with groups of ladies and families having a lively lunch.  The menu is extensive with antipasti, salads, pastas, main courses and pizzas.  We were tempted to have one of their famous pizzas but instead opted to share an arugula and Parmesan salad to start which came served with a basket of fresh ciabatta then pasta as our main course.   T had her favorite, linguine alle vongole veraci (clams in a tomato, garlic and white wine sauce) while I had the classic spaghettini pomodoro e basilico (plum tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil and basil).  Both were delicious and perfect for a quick light lunch.  We skipped dessert and had espressos to end our meal the hopped in a cab to go back to our hotel with all our purchases.

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Dean & DeLuca
Rockefeller Center CaféOne Rockefeller Plaza (between 5th and 6th Ave.)
New York NY 
Telephone: + 1 212 664 1372
*Open Monday-Friday 7am-7pm • Saturday & Sunday 8am-6pm

*Many locations in New York and other States

Serafina Pizza
1022 Madison Avenue (at 79th St.)
New York, NY 10021
Telephone: +1212 734 2676
*Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to midnight.  No reservations taken except for large groups.
Several locations in the city

HAKKASAN

I did a girl's holiday with my friend  T in New York a few weeks back and on our first evening we booked an early table at the newly-opened Hakkasan.  Although they got slammed by the NY Times, we decided to give it a go as we had fond memories of our last girl's holiday together in London and our wonderful lunch at the original Hakkasan off Tottenham Court road.

The interiors (see photos from the NY Times here) are dark with rich colors, lots of reds and purples, and cozy corners making this one of the sexiest Chinese restaurants ever.  There is a long runway-like white marble hallway for an entrance that leads to the dimly-lit bar and further on to the screened-off areas making it seem like different rooms in a home instead of a large restaurant.  We opted to sit at the far banquette nearest the frosted glass windows to enjoy some of the summer evening light and so I could take photos of our dinner without using a flash.

Hakkasan's dinner menu is bound in a leather-covered book and as expected from a Chinese restaurant, lots to choose from.  Along with the regular menu was the prix-fixe menu offered for NY Restaurant Week (most restaurants had a lunch prix-fixe for $24.07 and a dinner one for $35).  As there were three of us for dinner, we decided to go for the bargain $35 menu and add another dish from the Small Eat section and share everything family-style the way Chinese food is supposed to be eaten.  The 3-course prix-fixe dinner menu had a choice of three appetizers, three main courses and three desserts plus either fried rice or steamed rice.  To make it easy and to give us a chance to taste the most dishes, we chose one of each along with some Riesling by the glass.

First up was the selection of appetizers: fried dim sum, steamed dim sum and the salt and pepper squid. The steamed dim sum was excellent - four pieces of delicately flavored beautiful steamed parcels - a classic har gao (steamed prawn dumpling), scallop siu mai topped with shrimp roe, black pepper duck dumpling and an all-vegetable chive flower dumpling.  The fried dim sum starter had roasted duck and pumpkin puff, crispy prawn dumpling and XO seafood puff - all three were different in shape but quite similar in taste with the ribbed crispy prawn dumpling having the best flavor mix of salty crunch. The salt and pepper squid was less successful and quite bland for a traditional Chinese dry-fried dish - not enough salt or pepper or spice.  The extra order of our favorite fried soft shell crab with curry leaf and chili ($19) was also served with the appetizers.  One of Hakkasan's signature dishes the battered and deep-fried soft-shell crab chunks came tossed in curry leaves and chili, and topped with shredded crunchy egg-yolk threads.  The soft-shell crab was a burst of flavor with each sweet-salty-crunchy-seafood-umami bite making it quite hard to stop popping more in the mouth.

We took our time finishing off the appetizers as the portions were quite big for a prix-fixe menu.  The main dishes came next - sweet and sour pork tenderloin with pomegranate,  spicy prawns with lily-bulb and almonds in a light curry sauce and the vegetarian stir-fried sugar snaps, water chestnut and cloud ear mushrooms and the spring onion and egg fried rice for all of us.  Surprisingly, the sweet and sour pork was very good and interesting with the pomegranate seeds providing the sour crunch to the dish.  The vegetables were not soggy and overcooked but crisp and fresh with the sugar snaps retaining their crunch and sweetness, the water chestnuts like crispy turnip chips and the addition of the cloud ear mushrooms giving the dish a smoky twist.  The dish that was a letdown was the spicy prawn which was not spicy at all and quite bland with the prawns looking and tasting like they were just steamed then tossed in the curry sauce and almonds.  The egg-fried rice was, again, bland.

Dessert was much more refined than anything one would ever get at a Chinese restaurant - apple tatin with green apple sorbet, summer cherry ganache and the PB&J.  The classic tarte tatin was served in a perfect rectangle along with a tart green apple sorbet to complement the sweetness of the caramelized apple layers.  The cherry dessert was a long slice of dark chocolate ganache over a chocolate dacquiose (chocolate flavored meringue) with 2 dollops of sorbet - white tea and cherry.  Finally, the PB& J, a riff on the classic peanut butter and jelly which was modernized into a peanut butter parfait, raspberry jelly and passion fruit sorbet concoction.

Dinner at Hakkasan was ok.  Several hits but also lots of misses which shouldn't be the case for a high-end overpriced Chinese restaurant especially in New York where a short subway ride downtown can mean a fantastic Chinese meal sans the sexy fine dining ambiance of Hakkasan.  Could it be because uber-chef and creative founder Alan Yau is no longer involved in the Hakkasan group of restaurants or because they haven't worked out the kinks in their menu yet since they opened in less than six months ago?  Whatever it is, Hakkasan has lost some of it's shine food-wise and in a super competitive high-end restaurant environment like New York, their tried and tested formula needs reworking.

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Hakkasan

311 West 43rd Street

New York NY 10036

Telephone: +1 212 776 1818

*Open daily for lunch and dinner from 11:30 till late.  Dim sum brunch served on weekends.

The Expat Weekend Brunch

Brunch is the one of the highlights of the expat weekend.

In every place I've lived, there has always been one particular place that we end up spending almost every Saturday and/or Sunday morning in. These places are all unique and as far as I know, none of them are franchises.

Lots of different places could have been included but I set a few parameters to make the list: it should open early and/or stay open all day, serve good coffee and a selection of breakfast items, carry foreign newspapers and magazines and most important of all, cater to other expats. Here's my list arranged by city in alphabetical order:

BALI

Ku De Ta - Jalan Laksmana no. 9, Seminyak, +62 361 736969

Ku De Ta's location right on the beach coupled with its' chic design makes it a one-of-a-kind breakfast place and an expat magnet. It opens early and is a restaurant/bar/beach club/cigar lounge all rolled into one. Dinner is good too and needless to say, the place is pumping all night long and with the sun loungers and great breakfasts, you won't even have to go home at dawn.

BUENOS AIRES

bar6 - Armenia 1676, Palermo Viejo, +54 11 4833 6807

My sister-in-law, Silvia, took me here for lunch several years ago and we really enjoyed it. Ever since then, my husband and I make it a point to stop by bar6 each time we visit Buenos Aires. They open from 8 a.m. till late and are usually full. The crowd is a mix of artsy locals, chic Porteños and expats. Great for hanging out with a book and a coffee, brunch on the weekend or even after-dinner drinks when they pump up the music with the in-house DJ. Also an excellent stop for when you explore Palermo Viejo's shops.

DUBAI
Lime Tree Café - Beach Road (across the Jumeirah mosque) +971 4 349 8498

Although this is more of a deli than a classic breakfast place (they don't have the full eggs and bacon option) it's on this list because it has a great selection of sandwiches and salads, a cool-looking interior and lots of people hanging around. It's fine to go it alone or with kids or a deux - this place is casual and friendly. You can always enjoy a large coffee with an even larger slice of homemade cake or linger over a salad and sandwich lunch. They have a small front garden with outdoor tables but with the desert heat, better to grab a table inside or upstairs on the breezier terrace. This being Dubai and liquor licenses almost impossible to come by, the Lime Tree Cafe is a non-alcoholic hangout.

PARIS
Coffee Parisien - 4, rue Princesse 6ème arrondissement +33 1 43 54 18 18 (also in the 16th and Neuilly)

I first came here in the early 1993 when it was hidden away in a small street off the boulevard St. Germain. It was packed to the rafters every weekend with English-speaking expats clamoring for weekend brunch. My sister and I spent many Saturday mornings here waiting for a table. It was also our choice for when we just needed a hamburger and a milkshake. The atmosphere was noisy and crowded and the tight tables conducive to making friends. It's still the same except now they've moved to larger premises beside the Village Voice bookshop on the Rue Princesse. they've also branched out in the Rive Droite and Neuilly. Coffee Parisien continues to cater to expats but there are lots of locals as well looking for a taste of America. Breakfast and brunch are still on the menu along with those famous hamburgers as well as a large selection of daily specials, sandwiches and salads.

MARBELLA
Terra Sana - C/Las Malvas, Edif. On-Line, Nueva Andalucia (+34 952 906 205)

Lots of places in Marbella serve breakfast and are open all day but Terra Sana's food quality, free Wi-fi, numerous magazines and newspapers, friendly staff and all sorts of expats under the Spanish sun make it the best choice in town. There are plenty of breakfast options and Lavazza coffee plus a super selection of wraps and salads along with a daily changing list of specials. There is an extensive wine list as well and a daily happy hour from 5 to 7 p.m. Pity that the one near us closed recently so now we have to drive down to Puerto Banus to get our Terra Sana fix.

MOSCOW
Starlite Diner - 16 Bolshaya Sadovaya Ulitsa +7495 290 9638

It's been ages since I've set foot in Moscow but I hear from my friends that the Starlite is still there. When they opened in the early 90's, it quickly became the place to have breakfast on the weekends. It's conveniently located in a small park off the ring road and is basically an aluminum trailer kitted out as a typical diner with the standard interiors - red leatherette booths, Formica-topped tables, bar stools, black and white checked linoleum and ketchup and mustard in squeeze bottles. The only thing missing here is the gum-chewing smart aleck waitress (or maybe not anymore). The all-American menu and the fact that it's open 24 hours is a real draw. It's probably the only place in town where you see expat couples and families sharing the space with party goers who just finished clubbing all night tucking into their fried breakfasts on the weekend. Not the place for a lover's tryst but great for a midnight snack on those long, dark Moscow winters.

SANTIAGO

Cafe Melba - Don Carlos 2898 - off Av. El Bosque Norte, +56 2 232 4546

This cafe serves all the typical breakfast items and lots of newspapers and magazines if you decide to eat solo. In the El Bosque area, it's where you go for brunch or lunch. Cafe Melba's Aucklander owner, Dell, is there to check that everything is running smoothly and those frothy cappuccinos keep coming.

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These next ones on my list are not necessarily expat hangouts but are great places for breakfast that both tourists and locals frequent and where we used to go.


MONTREAL
Beauty's - 93, Avenue Mont-Royal West corner St. Urbain, Mile End +1 514 849 88 83

Opened in 1942 as a simple place for workers to get a decent meal by Hymie and Freda Skolnick. This place has become a Montreal institution. Hymie still hangs out at the counter and assigns seating to everyone walking in while his son helps out. It's a great place for breakfast and has a strong local clientele who have been going there for years. Visiting celebrities enjoying Montreal's party scene are also frequent diners. The menu is simple but has all you expect from a typical diner and the mixed crowd and people watching is always lots of fun. Sit at the counter if you're alone and strike up a conversation with Hymie about the good old days. Keep in mind though that this isn't a place to hang out with a cup of coffee (except when on weekday afternoons when it's a bit quiet). Eat up and pay before Hymie seats someone else at your table.


NEW YORK
E.A.T. - 1064 Madison Avenue New York, NY 10128 (bet. 80th & 81st) +1212 772 0022

There are loads of interesting brunch options in Manhattan where power brunches rank high on the weekend social agenda. If you're in the mood for "painfully hip" then Balthazar in Soho is the place to go but in my opinion, Eli Zabar's E.A.T. on Madison is where you get to see the locals, or at least the "upper east side locals". There is an excellent deli and takeaway service, wonderful breads and pastries but also a bustling cafe in the back with serving breakfast items and excellent deli sandwiches all day long.

NAPA VALLEY

Gordon's Cafe and Wine Bar - 6770 Washington St Yountville, CA 94599 +1707-944-8246

Yountville's main street boasts several fine dining establishments including The French Laundry, probably the most well-known restaurant in America. At the very end of this street across the gas station is a small unassuming one-story building with a large front porch and a screen door. Step inside and you immediately understand why I love this place. It's small and cozy and not pretentious. There are lots of delicious things to eat and the valley's movers and shakers stroll in and out for breakfast or coffee.