Foodle

First stop on my Baltimore trip is at the legendary @ekibenbaltimore. 🫶🏻

Stevie Chu and Ephrem Abebe met as students at UMBC and started Ekiben in 2014 with a hot dog cart at the Fells Point Farmers Market, slinging chicken meatballs and bao buns to a city that had never seen anything like it. That scrappy cart turned into a brick and mortar in 2016, then more locations across Baltimore and beyond.

Stevie and Ephrem are two of the kindest guys in this industry, and their Taiwanese and Ethiopian roots show up in every dish. Every bite is packed with flavor, and it’s the kind of cooking that makes you understand why this city loves them so much.

If you’re in Baltimore, Ekiben needs to be on your list. I’ll be sharing more from this incredible city all this week! 🧡

#visitbaltimore #ekibenbaltimore
🤝 @visitbmore

Neighborhood bird - Taiwanese curry fried chicken thigh top with spicy sambal mayo, pickles, and fresh herbs

Ramen broccoli - crispy broccoli that taste like Shin Ramen and hot Cheetos had a baby

The Crispy Shrimp Bowl - crispy shrimp season with Cantonese dry rub, topped with fresh herbs and roasted aromatics and red onion. Served over steamed jasmine rice with sesame sauce and Housemade pickled vegetables

Red beans and rice - jasmine rice topped with spicy Ethiopian lentils and tomato salad

Tofu nuggets - crispy tofu nuggets topped with spicy peanut sauce, roasted aromatic, herbs, and onions

Spicy walnut shrimp - crispy shrimp tossed in shichimi tagarashi and spicy walnut shrimp sauce

Garlic chili oil noodles - knife cut noodles, garlic chili oil, herb slaw, pickles, and ancho chili pork Less

📍 @two_pups_coffee by day, @notions.dublin by night 🍷 🍽️

Perched outside a cafe on the corner of Francis Street in the Liberties, Saturday evening bathed in August sun, a table of shared plates and a bottle of Piedmontese white in a cooler at arm’s length; Notions could be as cool and continental as Dublin gets in 2026.

The evening flip of perma-queued cafe Two Pups, where the food is flavour bomb plates to share and the wine list is accessible, sectioned by headings like “elegant & playful” and “lil’ funky”. The focus here is organic, biodynamic, minimal intervention bottles from smaller European vineyards. Sorry Boomers, natty wine it is.

Read our latest restaurant review in The Sunday Times Ireland app and website (link in bio!) or scroll through for some of what we ate ➡️

⭐️ 7/10 Less

On the lake by the levee, between the streets named Flounder and Drum, visiting the old school @deaniesonhayne .

Roast pork and rice, crabmeat stuffed redfish from the lengthy daily specials.

No relation to the better-known Deanie’s of Bucktown fame, but instead a New Orleans East institution for local flavor.

#wherenolaeats #igersneworleans #nolaeats #nolafoodie #neworleanseast Less

Code COFFEE6 gets you $6 off when you order from Trung Nguyen E-Coffee on the @hungrypanda_usa app!

No minimum spend.
Order ahead on the app.
Skip busy wait times.
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Enjoy!
📍: @tnecoffeetx via @hungrypanda_usa 9750 Bellaire Blvd Ste 188, Houston TX 77036

#houston #houstoncoffee #houstonfoodie #vietnamesecoffee #houstontx sponsored Less

Dinner at @sawaanthainyc was such a treat! This modern Thai restaurant just south of #BryantPark features a tempting menu of classics and specialties - we had such a hard time choosing! Each dish is beautifully presented and crafted, and is packed with flavor (and sometimes spice)! 🌶️

Our favorites were the Beef Shank Khao Soi, which featured tender beef in a creamy, savory, and lightly spiced broth with noodles and the Beef Brisket Yum Jeaw, which was perfectly balanced in acidity, spice, and sweetness - with a little fish sauce! And no dinner is complete without Mango Sticky Rice.
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#thaifoodstagram #thaifoodlover #thaicuisine #spicyfood Less

This sushi restaurant in Tokyo has earned a Tabelog Bronze rating. I had been curious about this place for a long time and had actually made a reservation last April, but it was canceled due to the chef's health issues. I made another reservation for this April, but had to cancel at the last minute for another restaurant. Finally, after a year, I was able to visit my long-awaited destination.I booked a Sunday lunch slot on TableCheck a month in advance. I arrived a bit early, but was only allowed to enter right on time.This time, I chose the omakase course with appetizers. Photography was prohibited inside, which allowed me to focus on the details of the meal. The portions were generous, with 7 appetizers and 13 pieces of nigiri. The nigiri was quite large, not fitting in one bite. The appetizers featured sashimi and highlighted the natural flavors of the ingredients. Among them, the abalone and ankimo (monkfish liver) were the most delicious I’ve had recently. The other sashimi didn’t stand out much.Regarding the nigiri, perhaps due to the summer season, the overall flavor and richness of the fish felt somewhat mild. The horse mackerel, which I enjoyed at first, tasted oddly bland when I ordered it again. Conversely, the squid, which I usually don’t prefer, was excellent, and the quality of the sea urchin was high. The rice had a nice grainy texture, but it wasn’t as tangy or salty as I had heard.Being a traditional Edomae-style restaurant, it might cater to a specific clientele. The service was quite dry, with no explanations about the origin of the ingredients. I didn’t expect a warm welcome since it was my first visit, but it was a bit disappointing that the egg wasn’t served at the end of the course and was treated as an additional order when I inquired about it.Looking at just the base price of the course, it seems quite reasonable. However, with the cost of drinks and the additional orders of abalone and horse mackerel, the final bill ended up being higher than I anticipated. That said, the pairing of the sake and dishes was excellent.Having looked forward to this for over a year, I honestly felt a bit let down by the experience. I wonder if traditional Edomae style doesn’t quite suit my palate, as I often feel a similar discomfort at other places. Nevertheless, it is true that among the traditional Edomae sushi restaurants I’ve visited, this one was the most approachable and least eccentric. I believe it’s worth a visit to discover which style of sushi you prefer.Today's Menu:Appetizers:Shirasu (whitebait)Ala (fish)OctopusBonitoClamsAbaloneAnkimoSurf clamNigiri:WhitingStriped horse mackerelSquidLean tunaMedium fatty tunaSnake eelYoung gizzard shadScallopSurf clamHorse mackerelClamSea urchinConger eelAdditions:AbaloneHorse mackerelEgg[Rating Criteria]5.0: A top restaurant in its genre. A memorable experience that strongly encourages a return visit. (This is not an absolute comparison with other genres; for example, a 5.0 ramen may not necessarily be better than a 4.9 sushi.)4.5 and above: An outstanding and unique restaurant in its genre. Difficult to substitute, worth the special trip.4.0 and above: A restaurant with notable features and charm.3.5 and above: A standard level. No complaints about the taste.3.0 and above: A restaurant to visit only when there are no other options.*Ratings are completely personal and based on my impressions during the meal. While taste is the main criterion, very friendly service, attentive care, a rare and reasonably priced selection of sake, and a refined interior are all positive factors.I am currently studying Japanese, so there may be some unnatural expressions or grammar. Please forgive any difficult-to-read parts. Less