The first time I tried Prosciutto di Parma, I took it straight out of the fridge. I peeled off a cold, stiff slice and thought, “This is it? Tastes like jerky.” Then a friend told me: let it warm up for 15 minutes. I tried again, and something magical happened. The fat turned translucent. The …
The first time I tried “real” Japanese ramen, I had no idea what I was doing. I walked into a tiny shop in Tokyo, stared at a ticket machine for five minutes, and finally just pressed a random button. A bowl showed up. I ate it. It was good. But honestly? I had no clue …
A friend invited me to yum cha, and I thought we were just going for tea. You know, a pot of hot tea, maybe a cookie on the side. Then we sat down at the restaurant, and the carts started coming out. Steamer baskets piled high with all kinds of things I couldn’t name. By …
Lobster with pasta in a butter sauce? Sounded heavy. Sounded expensive. Sounded like something I’d order only if someone else was paying. But it was a special occasion. So I went for it. The plate arrived. A whole lobster, split open, nestled on a bed of fettuccine. The sauce was pale gold, glistening, coating every …
The first time I saw khachapuri, I thought it looked like a bread boat filled with cheese. A canoe of dough, swimming in melted cheese, with a pat of butter on top. It looked ridiculous. And I wanted it immediately. I ordered one. A friend warned me: “It’s rich. Don’t eat it by yourself.” I …