My love for Japan is real. The food, the culture, the architecture and design...everything just comes together so beautifully. On this particular trip around the globe, we only had time to visit Kyoto and Osaka.

Kyoto captivated me as it had on our first visit. The teppanyaki at Mizuki at the Ritz-Carlton, arranged by our friend at the Ritz, was incredible. The salad was beautiful. The lobster, prepared live on the spot, was some of the freshest and tastiest I've ever had.And the steak...Japanese beef is an a league of its own, and our chef at Mizuki prepared it to perfection. We had some great farm to table food, and enjoyed a trip to Nishiki Market. I love stocking up on spices there, and enjoying the fresh produce (especially the strawberries). We also had to stop for some delectable grilled prawns. Of course, there was the obligatory ramen stop.

My first visit to Osaka was a revelation. I love Tokyo, but Osaka is now my favorite large Japanese city. The lights of Dotonbori were something you have to see up close to fully appreciate. The castle is gorgeous. However, Osaka is really about the food, particularly the fantastic beef (although I also had some top notch sushi). 

Only in Southern Japan can you get delicious Kobe beef as street food... a return visit to Osaka cannot come soon enough.

Shanghai is now one of my absolute favorite cities. It captivates the senses in every way imaginable. We stayed at the historic Fairmont Peace Hotel, which was a great base with serious views. Their legendary jazz club is an old-school must visit. Shanghai is a unique mix of old and new...ancient temples and dizzying skyscrapers, modern fashion and classic handicrafts.

The food was as mind-blowing as I expected. Huanghe food street had some of the best dishes in the city. Sizzling prawns was one of my favorite. 

Another culinary highlight was Shouning Lu, or Crawfish Street. Yes, Crawfish Street. It is literally filled with restaurants selling boiled crawfish. I felt like I was back in Louisiana. It was a lively area, and the crawfish was delicious.

Taikang Road was worth a visit for shops and restaurants, including some amazing fruit-infused tea. I picked up some great artisan pieces. 

My only complaint about Shanghai is that five days wasn't enough to truly explore this special place. It's definitely on my list of places I need to revisit in the near future.

As I write this post months after our visit, I am realizing that I can't wait to visit Korea again. The sights, food, and people were really unforgettable.

We started in Seoul, which was as energetic and fun as I expected. The food was beyond...so much better than the Korean food in Los Angeles, which is saying a lot (I thought it was incredible until I had the food in Korea). My favorites included Korean sashimi (different than Japanese sushi but equally good), sea snail soup, and dumplings (Myeondong was the best). Obviously, the barbecue was amazing. Chadljib, suggested by a friend, had the best sirloin and brisket. The seafood in general was all fresh and very tasty. At the fish markets, you can pick out what you like, then go to restaurants inside the market that will cook your purchases to order. The most adventurous thing we tried was live octopus...as in still moving on the plate when we ate it. One we got over it and figured out how to grab the pieces as they moved, it was actually delicious. Of course, everything was washed down with lots of rice wine and Korean beer. The street food was great as well...fried bread filled with warm honey was my personal favorite. The tea houses of Insadong were another highlight.  

Seoul has a lot to offer culturally. We were lucky enough to be there for the close of the Lantern Festival, a beautiful celebration in honor of Buddha's birthday. The shopping is fantastic, at every end of the spectrum. I found a lot of cheap and chic pieces that I'm still wearing.

After Seoul, we traveled to the peaceful seaside town of Sockcho. The laid back vibe definitely agreed with me. Sockcho has an incredible public market with fresh seafood. The fresh grilled fish at 88 Restaurant was no-frills deliciousness. We stayed at minimalistically beautiful Casa Del Aya, owned by a talented friend of a friend who became a new friend. 

From Sockcho, we headed to the ancient city of Gyeongju, which unexpectedly turned out to be another food lovers haven. Thank You Chicken had the best fried chicken...and a friendly group of businessmen paid for our meal. There was yummy sausage from a tiny place run out of the front of a guy's apartment. There were cute bakeries with fig bread and coffee. I enjoyed eating in Gyeongju as much as I did seeing the ancient temples.

Next was Busan, a bustling beach city. Jeju Island followed. A highlight there was Korean style seafood hot pot...definitely a game changer. The markets on the island were amazing, with stalls cooking a variety of delectable dishes. 

I've got to get back to Korea soon, if only to eat. Until then, thank goodness I have Ktown!