Meet Shanea
I may not be a professional writer, but I consider myself a professional eater ... on the recommendation of friends and family I've started this blog. I love to eat, read about food, travel, shop, take in the arts, and explore new places. Focusing mostly on Toronto, my home base, Miami, my second home and New York and Italy where I travel to the most, while also featuring other places I'm fortunate enough to visit, I'll share with you my most savoury tidbits along the way. I hope you can take something away with you, a restaurant to try, fantastic shopping experience, great hotel to stay in or something to do next time you visit a new locale.Happy dining,
Shanea
Shanea Rakowski
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Out and About ...
January 24, 2020
Embassy Restaurant in Siem Reap
Cambodia is a great way to discover elevated Cambodian gastronomy. I was actually quite impressed and surprised by the high quality and sophistication of the cuisine.
January 22, 2020
The Front Room in Bangkok serves a new level of inspiring cuisine. The chef's cooking is very intricate, full of different flavours and textures. We immensely enjoyed our journey from beginning to end.
January 20, 2020
Madame Hien Restaurant is by one of Hanoi’s most celebrated chefs, Didier Corlou, offering elegant versions of traditional Hanoi street food. One of Hanoi's best options.
January 17, 2020
Jo Jo is Chef Jean George Vongerichten’s first New York restaurant, opened in 1991. I love the new menu and had trouble making my selections as everything sounded so good. This is a gem worth rediscovering.
January 15, 2020
VEA Restaurant in Hong Kong is on Asia’s 50 best list as well as having one Michelin star. They tick off every box, decor, outstanding service and noteworthy food and wines. Every dish is intricately prepared, with a symphony of flavours.
January 14, 2020
Osaka is a Japanese/Peruvian Nikkei restaurant group with a location recently opened in Miami. The entire menu sounds delicious, all in all it was a delightful meal, and a new unique and cultural dining experience for Miami.
January 10, 2020
Paste Restaurant in Bangkok is located next door to the Intercontinental Hotel. I found the food tasted commercialized and lacking in flavours.
January 4, 2020
Still during soft opening, I enjoyed a wonderful dinner at the new Miami location of Kosushi Restaurant, the first international endeavour for the brand. I found the food priced well, compared to other similar restaurants and every plate was picture perfect.
January 3, 2020
I found the food at Le Du average at best. There are so many fine dining experiences in Bangkok and I felt I wasted an evening here. The presentations and execution of the dishes were also unmemorable and uninspiring.
January 2, 2020
The Fulton in New York is Chef Jean Georges' sea-to-table focused restaurant in a one-of-a-kind waterfront setting, serving a wide selection of fresh and delicious wild-caught and locally-harvested East Coast seafood.
December 30, 2019
The Chopsticks in Ho Chi Minh City offers many traditional dishes in a modern, clean and comfortable environment. Whether you choose a tasting menu or a la carte, you will be treated too authentic Vietnamese food with fresh flavours, quality ingredients and an innovative menu.
December 27, 2019
Nahm Restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand serves flavorful, fresh, and spicy dishes infused with a cornucopia of succulent, aromatic and concentrated flavours. The cuisine is sophisticated, robust and upscale, without being gimmicky.
December 22, 2019
Navé Restaurant in Coconut Grove, Florida serves an excellent array of homemade pastas and a beautiful selection of the highest quality seafood.
December 16, 2019
The Jim and Neesie Restaurant in Miami features eclectic American cooking with a modern twist on global influences, and they are not afraid to cook with bold flavours! Bravo on a tasty first impression.
December 12, 2019
For many, myself included, a tour of Promontory Winery in Napa California is an opportunity to taste wines you would never have the chance to taste before. A real treat for enthusiasts or architecture junkies.
December 6, 2019
Boia De Restaurant in Miami is punctuated by beautiful presentations, an excellent ingredient-driven menu, and warm friendly service. The place might be tiny but they are working at a higher level than most.
December 1, 2019
Billy Durney's Hometown Barbecue Miami location is finger-licking good. They have definitely mastered the art of crowd-pleasing BBQ! Enthusiastically recommended!
November 29, 2019
Chef Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc in Napa, CA is a great place to walk to if you are staying in Yountville, especially if you are craving some family-style comfort food! Recommend!
November 19, 2019
At The Restaurant at Meadowood in Napa, we were taken on a culinary journey. Even if the dishes seemed modest the ingredients were unforgettable delicacies. Each bite brought a new appreciation for the perfect preparation and flavour pairings of each dish.
November 18, 2019
At the Charter Oak Restaurant in Napa, California almost everything they serve, they grow. It's a great way to immerse yourself in the bounty of the region, and to dine with a family or group of friends. Enthusiastically recommend!
November 12, 2019
Although a tiny spot, El Tenedor Restaurant and Wine Bar in Toronto is big in serving creative and delicious, palate-pleasing food.
November 10, 2019
I had been anticipating the opening of ēst Restaurant in Toronto for months. The chef is from one of my most highly recommended restaurants in Canada. The menu is progressive and focused on locally-sourced ingredients.
November 5, 2019
SolBar in Calistoga, California is a quiet, romantic and attractive restaurant, with a wonderful dining experience ripe with the flavours of summer.
October 23, 2019
At Miami's L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon you will enjoy style, service and exceptional food, with locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, along with an extensive wine list, with good choices of wines by the glass, and a creative cocktail list.
October 8, 2019
Miami's new Ember Restaurant by culinary director Brad Kilgore serves rich delicious American comfort food cooked largely on the wood fire grill.
