KFC is the latest in a line of restaurants to participate in Japan Airlines’ Air Series promotion. This holiday season, JAL will be serving KFC to passengers on flights to New York, Boston, Chicago, LA, San Diego, London, Paris, and Frankfurt. Dubbed the Air Kentucky meal, it will be offered in addition to JAL’s regular offerings.

Why KFC? Apparently the trend started when Turkey, a popular Christmas dish, ran out and the Japanese turned to fried chicken as a substitute. And who better to get fried chicken from than the Colonel? 

Photo by NewYorkSeriousEats.com

To be honest, I had no idea who Guy Fieri was until a scathing review of his new Times Square restaurant appeared in the New York Times and went viral. The review contained such vitriol as

“Why did the toasted marshmallow taste like fish?”

and

“Has anyone ever told you that your high-wattage passion for no-collar American food makes you television’s answer to Calvin Trillin, if Mr. Trillin bleached his hair, drove a Camaro and drank Boozy Creamsicles?”

Note to self: look up this Calvin Trillin character.

All this begs the question - what bone did NY Times restaurant critic in resident, Pete Wells, have to pick with Guy Fieri that he wrote such a scathing review?

Perhaps more intriguingly, is all this just part of a big publicity stunt? After all, they do say that all publicity is good publicity and now everyone is talking about the new restaurant. Now if only I could get some reputable newspaper to do a review - scathing or otherwise - of my blog…

San Sebastian was one of my favourite destinations on my tour of Europe last year. We arrived in town just in time for the Tamborrada festival, a highly energetic drum-fest where the entire town dresses up in either soldier’s or chef’s garb and parade around town banging on little drums or Tamborradas.

Also known as Donostia, San Sebastian is a foodie haven. La Tamborrada itself, so the legend goes, is a tribute to the many fine chefs of the town, who when San Sebastian was under threat by the French, joined the soldiers in their march to battle, all the while banging on their wine casks, pots and pans. Hearing the commotion, the French thought the San Sebastian army was much larger than it actually was, and ran for their lives.

Perhaps the best part of the trip was the food. From the churros con chocolate every morning to the many delicious pintxos served at every bar in town, to the 3 Michelin star Arzak, the town is a must-visit for any self-proclaimed foodie.

I’m home for a short while - less than 24 hours - but still managed to fit in a delicious curry laksa for breakfast, with a slice of yummy crispy, peanut-y pancake as dessert. Thanks, Tyng! :)

Discovering new tastes is all part of the fun of travelling. But what if you want to recreate that dish at home but have no clue how to start? Enter Google’s new recipe search tool, Recipe View. Start with the name of the dish, a central ingredient, or even an event or a festival. Google’s Recipe View will come up with a list of recipes for you to try. You can even filter them by time required, calories, and ingredients you want to include or exclude. Happy cooking!

The best part of travelling, for me, is the food. New tastes, new colors, new ways of cooking… I’ve had many great experiences, and some plain disgusting ones. It’s all part of the fun.

Splurging on a 3-Michelin star restaurant is a fantastic experience but most often, the soul of the new culture that you’re exploring is in the street food. From kumpirs in Istanbul (my absolute favorite!) to takoyaki in Japan and satay in Malaysia, here are some of my top-rated cities for street food.