By Julia Cosgrove  June 15th, 2010 10:31 am  |  Comments (2)

One of my favorite San Francisco-based food bloggers, Megan Gordon, posts at A Sweet Spoonful. Megan just returned from a quick trip to China, and posted about it here. For about five minutes this morning, Megan’s photos and writing whisked me away to the World Expo in Shanghai and the Chi Lin Nunnery and Buddhist Halls in Hong Kong. I could taste bean paste sweets, coconut juice, and Din Tai Fung’s famous soup dumplings (featured in the July/August issue of Afar). My favorite description from the post:

I also loved the Sik Sik Yuen Wong Tai Sin Temple, a place where many Chinese and Japanese folks come to worship and pray for a particular wish or blessing. They light incense and place it by the temple as an offering. If their wish comes true, they return to the temple to donate a token of thanks (generally money which keeps the temple running). It’s hazy with incense smoke, it’s colorful and loud and crowded, and filled with a sense of hope and thanks and belief.

Photo by Megan Gordon.

By Derk Richardson  September 24th, 2009 8:00 am  |  Comments (0)

Though Irishman Jonathan Swift praised the luscious mollusks in poetry, oysters might not seem likely cornerstones of Celtic cuisine—until you’re in Ireland eating them with a slice of brown bread and a pint of stout. For 55 years, Galwegians, living close to Ireland’s west-coast fishing beds, have celebrated the opening of oyster season at the Galway International Oyster Festival, a four-day indulgence in all things oyster. September 24-27, you can cheer the shuckers during the international oyster-shelling contest, and sample chowders and raw oysters all day long. Join the locals at the opening-night party, afternoon tastings, and the Saturday-night gala ball and banquet.

Check out the oyster shucking and slurping action in this Fresh From the Sea episode on Galway.

By Jeremy Saum  September 16th, 2009 8:30 am  |  Comments (8)

The Devil's Throat in Iguazú Falls, Argentina

While traveling in Argentina, my wife and I stared down into a waterfall known as la Garganta del Diablo: the Devil’s Throat. In Ecuador, we rode a train down the Devil’s Nose. A look at the geographical dictionary reveals a Devil’s Ear Mountain in upstate New York. All of this has me wondering about a possible Devil’s Anatomy Tour. I’m betting there are more stops out there that I haven’t heard of. What Satanic body parts have you encountered in your travels? And can anyone tell me if Ireland’s Devil’s Bit Mountains is an anatomical reference?

Photo: Luca Galuzzi – www.galuzzi.it

By Nicole Solis  July 27th, 2009 9:59 am  |  Comments (0)

Konstam at the Prince Albert, King's Cross, London.

In Afar’s premier issue, Sophie Howarth, founder of London’s School of Life, shared her favorite places in her East London neighborhood, pointing out the best spots for street photography, the most marvelous-smelling mushrooms, and the most peaceful spot to grab a cup of coffee on a Sunday morning.

When I talked to her in February, right after London’s big snowstorm, she enthusiastically recommended several other places just beyond the East End that she often passes on her bike en route to work.

King’s Cross

The Hub
34B York Way
+44 (0)20 7841 3450

“The Hub is sort of a new phenomenon in shared office space in London. You don’t have to be from London to use it, and you can work in this incredible environment where people are interested in sustainability, social entrepreneurship, etc. It’s a great alternative for travelers, when you don’t have anywhere to hotdesk beside your hotel room. They host loads of interesting events.”

Konstam at the Prince Albert
2 Acton St.
+44 (0)20 7833 5040

“The chef, Oliver Rowe, sources all his food from London or the London Underground network. He only uses things you can get in season from London. It’s has a knock-out interior, designed by Thomas Heatherwick. We host our conversation meals there.”

Bloomsbury

Ben Pentreath
17 Rugby St.
+44 (0)20 7430 2526

“Ben Pentreath, which sells things for the home, is absolutely tiny, the size of most people’s toilets. He’s got this wonderful collection of hardly anything, but you want everything.”

Charlotte Mann mural at the School of Life

The School of Life
70 Marchmont St.
+44 (0)207 833 1010

“We’re now getting pretty close to the School of Life. Ask to see downstairs because that’s where we have these fabulous murals by Charlotte Mann.”

Elsewhere

Guerilla Gardening

“Richard Reynolds, who is London’s guerrilla gardener, goes out by night and plants flowers and bulbs in the most surprising (grimy) places, the center of roads, roundabouts. It’s become a big movement. Lots of people go out together and guerrilla garden. This could be something your readers could do, sign up on the Web site and guerrilla garden.”

Moro
34 – 36 Exmouth Market
+44 (0)20 7833 8336

“There’s a fabulous restaurant called Moro, by Sam and Sam[antha] Clark. It’s pricey, but if you can nip in there, you can always have tapas at the bar quite cheaply. Exmouth Market is one of those streets that have that European idea of where people go for a stroll at 6 pm. You can happily while away a nice afternoon of reading there.”

Konstam photo by Ewan-M.

By Julia Cosgrove  July 16th, 2009 12:40 pm  |  Comments (2)

Last summer, I spent a few days in Copenhagen visiting friends and exploring the city on foot and on bike—the two main ways locals get around. Modern design is present at every turn, and the city’s meatpacking district in Vesterbro is no exception.

We had brunch at a very cool new restaurant called Karriere (Flæsketorvet 57 – 67), which also functions as a bar and gallery. The souped-up space is the main draw—the Danish artist Olafur Elliason (famous for the waterfall installations in New York’s harbor last summer) did the glittery lights, and a trip to that bathroom is a bit like entering a mirrored labyrinth. All playful, all fun. Today, Karriere hosts concerts, conversations with artists, performances, and film screenings. If you’re in the city, it’s worth a stop.

Photo courtesy of Karriere.