(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

Even though I shied away from some of the more adventurous options (guinea pig, to name just one), the food in Peru was definitely the highlight of the first part of my travel year.  Here are some of the highlights from the second part…

9.  Tibetan Momo in Luxembourg

I never expected to find Tibetan food in expensive Luxembourg City, let alone such enjoyable and tasty Tibetan food.  It wasn’t necessary to have an appetizer but how could I turn down Bhutanese Cheese Soup?  It was delicious and, with the equally unnecessary yak butter and salt tea, it set the tone for the rest of the meal.  The sauce for the dumplings was properly (but not overpoweringly) smoky and spicy and the dumplings themselves were stuffed with goodness.  This was definitely one of the best “expat” Asian meals I’ve ever had.

10.  Thai food at a Chinese Restaurant in Zuidlaren (the Netherlands)

My wife and I had a very enjoyable Thai meal with my cousin (and her significant other) in this small town just south of Groningen.  I was skeptical of how well a “Chinese” restaurant would do Thai food, but as you can see the presentation (and taste) was excellent.

11.  Rijsttafel in Haarlem (the Netherlands)

Other than my wife’s dish and rice portion (at far left in the photo), everything in this photo was part of my rijsttafel.  Lots of coconut and chili – and it looked even better in real life, as this photo suffers from the restaurant’s dim lighting.  This colonial legacy is my favourite “Dutch” food:  if you like spicy Asian food, you should definitely give rijsttafel a try!

12.  Bigos in Krakow, Poland

I had far more expensive meals in Eastern Europe (see below) but this was probably my favourite.  I bought it from the Polish equivalent of a chip truck and ate it at a picnic table from a plastic bowl with a plastic fork…but what a tasty stew! It contained all kinds of meat, sausage and cabbage in a very tangy sauce:  given the significant Polish diaspora, I don’t think it will be long before I try bigos again!

13.  Goose breast with caramelized apple and bliny (Budapest, Hungary)

By far my most expensive meal in Eastern Europe was this “last-night-in-Hungary” splurge.  I am somewhat distrustful of haute cuisine, but I have to admit that having dessert in my main course was delicious.

14.  Casado carne en salsa at Sabor Tico in Monteverde, Costa Rica

Some people criticize the lack of variety in Costa Rican food, as rice and beans are present for every meal (yes, including breakfast).  However, when it is well done, it is extremely satisfying.  This tender meat dish reminded me of Hungarian Goulash with some Latin-American accents.

15.  Cheese-stuffed plantain with honey and caramel (Monteverde, Costa Rica)

Little did I know that this last-minute dessert at an almost-deserted hotel restaurant in Monteverde would end up being my favourite dessert of the year.  The plantain was perfect and the slightly salty cheese was a perfect counterpoint to the very sweet honey and caramel sauce.

16.  Pollo en mole at El Tucan, Ottawa

I found this humble family restaurant in the gritty Ottawa neighbourhood of Vanier…and what a find it was!  I have never thought about El Salvador as a travel destination, so I really didn’t know what to expect.  Much of the food seemed like a cross between Mexican and Costa Rican cuisine; the pollo en mole was my favourite (yes, I went more than once).   Once again, dissimilar flavours (chocolate and chili, in this case) combine in an extremely effective way.

17.  Moroccan Cuisine at the Bedouin in Cambridge

While my main course was a decently-prepared tajine, the highlight here was the ethereal appetizer you seen pictured above.  Ground warm chicken and all kinds of savoury spices inside, with a cinnamon-and-sugar dusted pastry on the outside, it really could have been the main course by itself.  If the stuffed plantain was the best dessert, then this was definitely the best appetizer of the year.  The atmosphere was cozy too:  the restaurant appears in the photo at the top of this post.

As you can see, there were many food highlights this year.  Stay tuned for some cultural and experiential highlights!