Melinda Joe

Lovely lunch at Hu Jing inside the recently opened @janutokyo, the first in a new line of hotels by the @aman group. It’s sleek and serene, urbane and very Tokyo.

The food at Hu Jing is flavorful without a trace of heaviness. I especially liked the steamed minced pork with shiitake mushrooms - a childhood favorite executed with refinement. The vegetarian XO sauce added a hit of umami. Less

“Dim sum for breakfast is a tradition in Panama,” @jorge.chanis told me when we first met.

I smiled politely, unsuccessfully disguising my disbelief. Which is how I found myself at @palaciolungfung, the venerable institution that helped bring dim sum into the mainstream in Panama City more than 50 years ago. As we gorged on hargow and siumai, charsiu bao and cheung fun, Lung Fung scion @ericleec explained how his grandfather immigrated to Panama from the Canton region in China. It’s part of a larger story that goes back to the 1800s and sheds light on why Chinese influences are inextricably woven into the cuisine of Panama, alongside Afro-Caribbean traditions.

It was a fascinating discussion about diasporas and what identity means to people in a relatively young, multicultural nation.

Thanks to @isaacvillaverde @armandopebre @andreapinzonb for your insights and @tononrafa for being my hand model. Less

Panama! So full of surprises. A small but globally significant country, Panama has been a cultural crossroads for hundreds of years, well before the completion of its famous canal in 1914.

Panama’s multicultural history is reflected in its modern cuisine, which draws upon influences that span from China to the Caribbean. It’s vibrant and exciting culinary terrain, ripe for discovery.

I got my first taste at @cantinadeltigre. Chef @fulviococinero’s career started with a flan, when he was growing up in the mountains of Chiriqui, playing guitar and hanging out with his grandad, learning how to cook. And, man, can he cook! Kanpachi ceviche, bright with herbs and laced with tomato-tangy umami; banana leaf-wrapped fish bathed in coconut sauce and served with pickles and patacones. And the collagen-rich saus, a beloved dish with Afro-Antillean roots made with pork trotters doused in a vinegary marinade with onions and spices. Less

#tb to my recent island-hopping experience in Okinawa 🏝️After a glorious stay at @halekulani_okinawa, I whisked over to Ishigaki and then sailed to Kohama, the remote island famed for its long-lived population and status as a Blue Zone.

The tranquil @haimurubushi_resorts, a vast property of rolling hills, sandy shores, and a lake where water buffalo like to sunbathe, provided some much-needed R&R. Loved the open-air hot spring bath, the view from my beachside villa (slide 1), and the amazing star-gazing experience. Thanks to its location and absence of light pollution, Kohama offers a glimpse of rarely seen stars and constellations.

The culinary offerings - a dinner based on Japanese ferments, negitoro-don for breakfast, and yakiniku with local wagyu - were delightful, washed down with champagne and a very special edition of @suntorywhisky_hibiki. Less

Panama! So full of surprises. A small but globally significant country, Panama has been a cultural crossroads for hundreds of years, well before the completion of its famous canal in 1914.

Panama’s multicultural history is reflected in its modern cuisine, which draws upon influences that span from China to the Caribbean. It’s vibrant and exciting culinary terrain, ripe for discovery.

I got my first taste at @cantinadeltigre. Chef @fulviococinero’s career started with a flan, when he was growing up in the mountains of Chiriqui, playing guitar and hanging out with his grandad, learning how to cook. And, man, can he cook! Kanpachi ceviche, bright with herbs and laced with tomato-tangy umami; banana leaf-wrapped fish bathed in coconut sauce and served with pickles and patacones. And the collagen-rich saus, a beloved dish with Afro-Antillean roots made with pork trotters doused in a vinegary marinade with onions and spices. Less

#tb to my recent island-hopping experience in Okinawa 🏝️After a glorious stay at @halekulani_okinawa, I whisked over to Ishigaki and then sailed to Kohama, the remote island famed for its long-lived population and status as a Blue Zone.

The tranquil @haimurubushi_resorts, a vast property of rolling hills, sandy shores, and a lake where water buffalo like to sunbathe, provided some much-needed R&R. Loved the open-air hot spring bath, the view from my beachside villa (slide 1), and the amazing star-gazing experience. Thanks to its location and absence of light pollution, Kohama offers a glimpse of rarely seen stars and constellations.

The culinary offerings - a dinner based on Japanese ferments, negitoro-don for breakfast, and yakiniku with local wagyu - were delightful, washed down with champagne and a very special edition of @suntorywhisky_hibiki. Less

Frankly speaking, collaborations can be hit or miss. But when they work, they really work.

I sensed a culinary kinship between @luca.fantin and @amaurybouhours of @lemeuricealainducasse, two chefs whose styles synch so well yet maintain their distinctiveness. Amaury’s punchy, bold dishes provided a deft counterpoint to the subtle finesse of Luca’s cuisine. A bright dish of raw scallops, broccoletti, and vegetable mole with citrus had muscle and verve, followed by diced tuna and beetroot in a scarlet sauce ringed with smoky pimenton oil.

Ravioli filled with fava beans in pecorino broth with housemade lard was a show stopper, while the asparagus-topped risotto flavored with sansai mountain vegetables and hamaguri clams displayed the green exuberance of spring.

There was lightly smoked akamutsu with saffron potato cream and a deeply flavorful pescatora sauce, then Amaury’s brilliant grilled veal, marinated in spices and white miso for two days and served with charred baby gem and green olives in mint sauce. The beautiful dessert of rhubarb and licorice with ginger crumble by @ariitea_rossigno provided a bracingly refreshing finish.

Pairings with @domperignonofficial 2013, Rose, 2008, and P2 2004 made this event extra special.

3 amazing chefs, 4 incredible wines, 1 unforgettable afternoon at @bulgarilucafantintokyo. Less

“Dim sum for breakfast is a tradition in Panama,” @jorge.chanis told me when we first met.

I smiled politely, unsuccessfully disguising my disbelief. Which is how I found myself at @palaciolungfung, the venerable institution that helped bring dim sum into the mainstream in Panama City more than 50 years ago. As we gorged on hargow and siumai, charsiu bao and cheung fun, Lung Fung scion @ericleec explained how his grandfather immigrated to Panama from the Canton region in China. It’s part of a larger story that goes back to the 1800s and sheds light on why Chinese influences are inextricably woven into the cuisine of Panama, alongside Afro-Caribbean traditions.

It was a fascinating discussion about diasporas and what identity means to people in a relatively young, multicultural nation.

Thanks to @isaacvillaverde @armandopebre @andreapinzonb for your insights and @tononrafa for being my hand model. Less

Panama! So full of surprises. A small but globally significant country, Panama has been a cultural crossroads for hundreds of years, well before the completion of its famous canal in 1914.

Panama’s multicultural history is reflected in its modern cuisine, which draws upon influences that span from China to the Caribbean. It’s vibrant and exciting culinary terrain, ripe for discovery.

I got my first taste at @cantinadeltigre. Chef @fulviococinero’s career started with a flan, when he was growing up in the mountains of Chiriqui, playing guitar and hanging out with his grandad, learning how to cook. And, man, can he cook! Kanpachi ceviche, bright with herbs and laced with tomato-tangy umami; banana leaf-wrapped fish bathed in coconut sauce and served with pickles and patacones. And the collagen-rich saus, a beloved dish with Afro-Antillean roots made with pork trotters doused in a vinegary marinade with onions and spices. Less

#tb to my recent island-hopping experience in Okinawa 🏝️After a glorious stay at @halekulani_okinawa, I whisked over to Ishigaki and then sailed to Kohama, the remote island famed for its long-lived population and status as a Blue Zone.

The tranquil @haimurubushi_resorts, a vast property of rolling hills, sandy shores, and a lake where water buffalo like to sunbathe, provided some much-needed R&R. Loved the open-air hot spring bath, the view from my beachside villa (slide 1), and the amazing star-gazing experience. Thanks to its location and absence of light pollution, Kohama offers a glimpse of rarely seen stars and constellations.

The culinary offerings - a dinner based on Japanese ferments, negitoro-don for breakfast, and yakiniku with local wagyu - were delightful, washed down with champagne and a very special edition of @suntorywhisky_hibiki. Less