Til we meet again, my dear Tuscany.

Bustling with art, culture and history, Florence is the perfect city to take food tourism to new heights. I came prepared, i.e. a printout, with numerous recommendations from foodie friends, bloggers and locals on where to best venture out to feed my hungry soul.

After absorbing the sights of Michelangelo's David at the Accademia Gallery, walking on the cobbled footpath onto the Piazza della Signoria and finding myself in the middle of multiple jewelry shops on Ponte Vecchio, I rested my weary legs in time for the lunch opening of the Michelin rated Ora D'Aria. This also meant that I was the first customer of the day and was immediately seated without a reservation in front of their open kitchen.

Tip for traveling gastronomes: I've learned over the years that eating at Michelin-star restaurants is cheaper and easier to get into during their lunch vs. dinner service. Reserve an hour or so on your itinerary for a long lunch then dine at casual hotspots at night.   
  
Serving contemporary tapas, Ora's meticulous preparation shines through on their Rivoluzione, surprise tasting menu, starting off with a poached tomato topped with burrata and caviar. At the end of the meal, I received an interesting dessert platter.   

Light and creamy but bursting with flavors.

Trio of bread. The spelt bread in the middle was my favorite.

My server had to bring this fried scallop back to the kitchen since I told them earlier on that I don't eat red meat. The second dish didn't look as appetizing without the prosciutto on top though.

Ora's vegetarian, tomato-based risotto. Delicate and savory.

Seared fish with a kick of salty capers.

Guess what's for dessert?

Frothed milk with chunks of caramel and cheese. Reminded me of a kiddie snack I used to love.

With only a glass sliding door that separated the dining area and kitchen, I was also entertained on what the prep cooks were doing. The immaculately clean and organized kitchen was the highlight of my experience. The emblazoned Ora D'Aria name on the steel table can't be missed.  

Spanking clean kitchen.

As I walked out of the restaurant energized from the flavorful tapas at Ora D'Aria, raindrops touched my face while my mind wandered what's in store for dinner.

To be continued...

Painting of all 5 villages.

Simple, yet the most delicious no-frills pasta I've had in Italy.

Piping hot calamari all to myself :)

Flavorful pistachio

I wonder how they carved out this human shape.

Soft and melt-in-my-mouth mushroom and cheese focaccia. Why does focaccia in the US doesn't taste like this?

The Mediterranean sea so blue.

2. Vernazza - The crowded, rugged terrain of Vernazza fitted the irregular chips found in my milk-based straciatella gelato. The 2 hour hiking path to/from Vernazza and Monterosso will wound up anyone's appetite.

Straciatella gelato in Vernazza.

Even with many boats docked, many still took a dip in the water.

A view of Vernazza.

3. Corniglia - I didn't hike the Vernazza/Monterosso trail since I wore the wrong footwear that day. However, I decided to climb up the 300+ steps to reach the next village, Corniglia. In this more quaint town filled with small churches, I found the best basilico gelato ever!

So what's special about Cinque Terre's basil? According to Liguriaguide.com, "the Cinque Terre Basil together with the tiny hothouse Genovese basil are the two best known and sought after Riviera’s basil varieties. It is widely agreed that the Greeks are responsible for bringing the basil herb to Italy from Persia. Its botanical name, Ocimum basilicum, derives from the classical Greek meaning "swift" and "kingly" suggesting that basil germinates and grows quickly and is of noble or refined character." Noble, indeed.

The mountainous village of Corniglia.

Best basilico gelato ever! Very refreshing and light.

4. Manarola - My next stop was at the village of Manarola. To an ignorant tourist (i.e. yours truly), I couldn't tell the difference between Manarola and Vernazza apart from the fact that in Vernazza, it was more crowded and the menu prices were more expensive. I settled for a limone gelato, knowing that Cinque Terre takes their lemon festival seriously and a hike in the National Park will take you through some lemon trees. Alas, I found my limone gelato too sour for my taste, but I read that's how the locals like their lemon. Really, really sour.

Buzzling Manarola.

Shopping for some souvenirs. Limonetto, anyone?

Cinque Terre makes their own wine too. Love how the locals are self-sufficient.

Grappa for aperitivo.

A very sour limone gelato.

A not so sour view of Manarola. Can't complain.

A 5 pm, I decided to make my first meal/late lunch at Manarola. Although the linguine vongole was quite dry, I got my taste of different salty anchiovies from deep fried to raw. Yum :)

A platter of anchiovies.

Not the best linguine vongole but still looking good.

5. Riomagiorre - As the sun was setting at Riomagiorre, I needed a pick-me-up. Therefore, coffee and Cinque Terre with raisins gelato gave me the energy boost that I needed for my second dinner of the day and for making peace with the world as I watched a gal kayaking into the sunset.

Raisins and coffee gelato makes a good pick-me-up.

Kayaking into the sunset.

I felt fulfilled after completing a (not so) daunting gelato eating challenge. But it was time for dinner number 2. I met up with my bschool friend, Joyce, for an outdoor seafood dinner back at Monterroso.

Even their wines are on the sour side. Pairs well with the salty fish.

Shrimp cocktail with real shrimps and caviar on top.

Joyce and our seafood spaghetti al Cartoccio (baked in foil).

Salty baked fish.

Leaving with you with a beautifully plated tiramisu. It tastes as good as it looks!

As the hours went by quickly chatting about good old times, I realized that it has been a long, fruitful journey from my days living in Europe as a student and coming back years later to, literally, see (some of) my classmates now matured. And then there's the rest of the pack still trying to figure out what we want to do when we grow up. One thing I know for sure- traveling has and will always be my solace.

Til the next (mis)adventure, folks!

After 6 years of not setting foot in Rotterdam, a place I call as my fourth home, I came to the realization that this small city is now becoming a culinary destination. You see, when I moved there in 2008, I shamelessly lost 10 pounds in a span of 12 months - partly because of the hectic MBA schedule but mostly because of the famous Dutch, bland palette. No pun intended. Herring or cheese in a sandwich for lunch is not my cup of tea. My life saving meals consisted of Indonesian food, i.e. rice with flavorful meats, if I can go out to a proper Indo restaurant, Turkish chicken sandwiches, or Vietnamese spring rolls.   

Lo and Behold
The revitalized Rotterdam Central Station, where I used to literally tumble down the staircase carrying huge suitcases but now have escalators on every platform, and the opening of the Market Hall in 2014 have changed the landscape of the town. The grand Markthal showcases not only the best European delicacies, spices and sweets and a residential space but also exquisite Dutch architecture that Rotterdam is known for. It is a stones throw away from where I used to live and the famous yellow cube houses. What's there to not like?

Only in the Netherlands.

You can spend an hour alone just taking photos inside and outside of this building.

Flowers abound on the walls.

Time to go on a food hunt.

The cheese stall is now indoor instead of the outdoor farmer's market.

I'm a sucker for free tasting.

The fruit stall.

A display of mushrooms.

The meat stall.

Didn't know that the Dutch are fond of donuts.

Like the look and feel of this stall.

Having an indoor market is an advantage in this city wherein the rain is not your friend.

The Market Hall.

Could have used many cups of hot chocolate burning the midnight oil.

The cumin cheese is a must buy!

Waffles!!

There's gelato too!

My favorite red pepper stuffed with cream cheese.

Everything one needs is inside the Markthal. There is an Albert Heijn grocery and even a Jamie Oliver restaurant.

The innovative cube houses.

A Special Gastronomic Treat
Since I only had limited time in Rotterdam and was not able to visit the highly anticipated FG Food Labs, which also opened its doors in 2014, my main pick in the capital, Amsterdam, is Restaurant De Kas. Situated inside an awe inspiring glasshouse with a mini nursery in the middle of Frankendael Park, De Kas is a must visit for any gastronome. I feasted on their lunch 3-course tapas with the freshest ingredients, most of which came from their own greenhouse and nursery.

This is a popular spot not only for dining but also for pre-nup photos. Saw a couple getting their pictures taken with their wedding attire.

Love the airy, modern theme at De Kas.

Beetroot and huge olives for appetizers

Love it when I'm one of the first customers. I saw it filled up in a matter of minutes!

Light and simple- berch fish with fennel oil, spinach and potato.

Mushrooms with mustard sauce. The old lettuce leaf with its brownish ends should not have been served.

A unique take to a savory pancake with squash.

You can then take a stroll in the park to burn off calories.

More photo ops at this location.

A playground. Can you see the swan on top of that tower?

Clicking on more photos.

Bicycles parked neatly outside of De Kas. That's the Netherlands, for you.

As for Me
I'm still trying to regain those 10 pounds back with no success. One thing I know for sure though is that if someone asks me "How was it living in Rotterdam?," I will no longer complain that the food and weather sucked. During my visit this month, I was greeted with a revitalized foodie scene and abnormal sunny weather.