TravelLeisureSoutheastAsia-April2018

editor’s note (^) | APRIL 2018
@ C K u c w a y
[email protected]
10 APRIL 2018 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM
o you ever wonder what’s around the next corner when you’re
traveling? If you don’t, you probably should. Taking that extra
step, more often that not, uncovers something unexpected and
worthwhile, anything from a great little coffee shop to a grand
vista stretching in the opposite direction, not to mention a moment in time
that you’ll remember years later. Surprise should be a key ingredient in all
our travels, whether in our hometown or on the other side of the world.
Throughout this month’s issue, we arm ourselves with an added dose of
curiosity and revel in the unexpected.
In Hong Kong, for example, we head away from Central to Sai Ying Pun
(“Go West,” page 26) for a glimpse of that chic, ever-changing
neighborhood. Today, microbrews or avo on toast blend with the more
traditional XO sauce makers and herbalists these streets have been known
for in the past.
If Japan is part of your travel plans—and it should be—by all means
visit Tokyo, Kyoto and Hokkaido, but do not miss out on the chance for a
food tour of Fukuoka. We’ve got the perfect guide (“Soul Food,” page 28) to
this southern city where local staples are mixing well with innovative
international tastes, but you’ll also overhear some old Japanese expressions
that help to make sense of it all. Though we remain a little confounded by
the tale’s Zen monk, but for more on him, read on.
Initially, Tony Perrottet’s take on Bhutan
(“High Spirits,” page 74) was anything but
Zen. I thought he was the first person ever
not to be wowed by the Himalayan nation.
During the journey, his notions of the
country and his own travel preferences were
altered, and Perrottet came away impressed
in ways he could not have imagined at first.
That’s a result all our trips should have.
From my travels
Everyone knows that Bangkok
is a food-lover’s paradise and
not just for the variety of Thai
cuisine. Still, I was a bit
skeptical when it came to
visiting a restaurant that
blends Korean, Japanese,
French, American, Mexican
and Peruvian flavors on its
menu. But Akira Back at the
Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park
(bangkokmarriottmarquis
queenspark.com), the newest
outpost from the Korean-
American chef whose Seoul
degustation restaurant just
earned him his first Michelin
star, masters this global
mixing. For an inkling of what
to expect here, think tuna
pizza—it’s not what you’d
probably predict—Wagyu
bulgogi tacos and Jeju domi, a
Korean sashimi dish infused
with orange.
FROM LEFT: IRFAN SAMARTDEE; COURTESY OF THE MARRIOTT MARQUIS QUEEN’S PARK; CHRISTOPHER KU
CWAY