Let’s start with Japan and some of my favorite meals I had! Literally endless food that just blows my mind, WAY beyond just the typical “Japanese food”. Watch or Listen to the full podcast to hear even more stories about my trip!

7-Eleven

I know I’m a broken record by this point, but 7-Eleven and the rest of the Japanese Convinence stores are a must when you visit! Literally on every corner, I ended up there for breakfast, midday snacks, dinners when I was too tired for a full restaurant, and dessert! Of course the egg salad sando is my favorite thing ever, but truly everything is so good! Fried chicken, onigiri, coffee, sweets, and way more! WATCH HERE

Tony’s Pizza, Tokyo

Tucked away in the kichijoji neighborhood in Tokyo is Tonys Pizza and the almost 90 year old owner Fujiwara Kamekichi ! After traveling to the US in the 60s and working at a Tonys pizza in Brooklyn, Fujiwara opened his own Tonys Pizza, where he put his own magical spin on the pizza he had in nyc. He uses a mix of yeast and oshon flour which is usually found in ramen, and a three cheese blend of dutch edam, mozzarella from germany, and a danish maribo, giving the pizza a super chew, where the cheese and dough basically become one. WATCH HERE

Okonomiyaki Sakaba O, Osaka

Okonomiyaki is one of my favorite Japanese dishes! Its a a light batter over cabbage in a pancake shape, and then you can go crazy with the other ingredients! I got shrimp and pork, and this was also topped with okonomiyaki sauce, kewpie, scallions, and bonito. Just a really hearty, healthy, beyond delicious meal! Had this with a cold beer, and left with the biggest smile on my face! WATCH HERE

Back St Coffee, Osaka

Was I not going to get the biggest egg salad sando ever? This bad boy is made with a dozen eggs, and 7cm of shokupan! What I loved the most was that even though this dish is kind of silly, like everything in Japan, the same amount of care was put into this as everything! It took 20 mins just to toast the bread perfectly as he kept taking it out to scrap off the burnt parts…then toasted in butter in a pan, and then adding even more butter on top before one more toast! WATCH HERE

Monk, Kyoto

Monk is one of the hardest reservations in the world, and I was lucky enough to grab one at this hyper local veggie/pizza omakase restaurant! Not only is the food absolutley incredible, but the experience built by chef Yoshihiro Imai is one of a kind! Blown away by how special it was, they even make their own liquor! And couldnt believe it was only $100!

Savoy, Tokyo

Back at Savoy, one of the best Tokyo style pizza spots in Japan, and this time it was to try their pacific bluefin tuna pizza, aka the tuna melt pizza of my dreams! WATCH HERE 

Yakiniku Kappo Note, Toyko

Went big for my final meal in Japan, and had this incredible A5 wagyu omakase experience! Incredible flavors, and presentation, definitley worth the splurge of $315 plus drinks.

I think the eating experience in Seoul, Korea is the best in the whole world! So much is built around sharing and having a good time, and even though it was a little more difficult as a solo traveler, the vibes made it all right!

Wolhwa Sikdang

This was the perfect first meal in Korea! KBBQ is just unmatched and this was super unique! I got the this piece of pork, samgyeopsal, that is actually aged in bees wax! Just super tender absoltuely full of flavor! And with a cold beer, I was in heaven!

Artist Bakery

Salt bread has become a favorite in Seoul, and one of the best spots to get them is Artist Bakery which has a huge array of these sort of brioche, sort of croissant treats which you can get in both sweet and savory varieties.

One Star Old Fashioned Burger

This spot was a trip! It was almost like stepping into a time machine and going to a fast food burger spot in the 1980s! But beyond the aesthetic, they had an incredible char grilled burger, and some of the biggest onion rings I’ve ever seen!

Mil Toast

People line up every single morning for breakfast here! Their menu is super focused on their french toast and steamed bread! I got this really cool corn, yes, an actual grilled piece of corn, corn bread, but the steamed bread was my favorite! You pick two options to eat, and they are all stuffed with different things. I got sweet potato, and chestnuts.

Embassy of Korean Sausage

My god did I love this sizzling songtan budae jigae, aka army stew! There was an ungodly amount of meat in here in this bubbling super flavorful stew, and to top i with some american cheese! Unreal!

FILM

I didnt end up having Wifi on my flight home from Korea, so I watched ALOT, including Bad Boys: Ride or Die! I dont even know if I have seen any of the previous three films, but I might have to go back and watch after seeing this one! WHAT A MOVIE! So much really fun action, some of the craziest camera shots in a any film ever, a fun story, and I really appreciated the aspects of men that are often not seen in films like this. They deal with mental health, male friendships, getting older, family, and more, in a really healthy and refreshing way. Plus Will Smith is just a god damn movie star, oozing charisma in a way that we see less and less of.