Paris Travel Tips from Lindsey Tramuta, Parisian Journalist

Having lived in Paris for more than a decade, ailurophile Lindsey Tramuta is well-versed in the ins and outs of the city and chronicles her Parisian life on her blog. She is a writer for Condé Nast Traveler, Bon Appétit, and The New York Times. Lindsey talks about why you should skip Chartier, where to get the best pastries in Paris, and about the museum you can’t miss.

Photo: Joann Pai

What do you feel defines Parisian cuisine?

Parisian cuisine today isn’t hemmed in by Escoffier, heritage or ethnocentrism but rather an openness to outside influences and cultures. The food scene has never been so refreshingly diverse.

What is the one local dish you feel travellers can’t leave Paris without trying?

As a pastry fanatic, I’m keen to cite a handful of exquisite desserts or treats. The chocolate and pistachio escargot from Du Pain et Des Idées, the Lily Valley from Carl Marletti, the ricotta cheesecake with seasonal fruit from Acide which is also available at Fou de Pâtisserie, the Ispahan croissant from Pierre Hermé, sablés from Bontemps Pâtisserie. As you can see, it’s impossible to narrow the selection to just one speciality!

Bontemps Pâtisserie. Photo: Lindsey Tramuta

What about your favourite restaurants?

Many of them are concentrated on the east side of town – Tannat, Le 52, Anahi, Le Richer, Café Méricourt, La Fontaine de Belleville. But I do have a few favourites elsewhere – Kitchen Ter(re) on the left bank and Balagan near the Tuileries Gardens to name a couple.

Café Méricourt. Photo: Lindsey Tramuta

Kitchen Ter(re). Photo: Lindsey Tramuta

Name one Parisian dining etiquette most travellers miss

Making a concerted effort to speak French, at least greeting restaurant staff in French. It isn’t all that difficult to show them you’re trying your best.

What is one travel tip you would give to travellers heading to Paris?

Go beyond the obvious. My book dives into so many other neighbourhoods that are worth exploring.

Name one best kept secret of Paris

The Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature. It’s in all the guidebooks and yet it never seems to earn the attention it deserves. It’s unusual, for one – it’s the hunting and nature museum. On top of that, it feels like a cabinet of animal curiosities. It’s fascinating!

What do you feel are the most common misconceptions about Paris?

There are two – that it’s a city that never changes and that Parisians are unfriendly. I’ve had plenty of chilly service in London and New York!

Photo: Lindsey Tramuta

Name some tourist traps travellers should avoid in Paris

Please please please stay away from Chartier off the Grands Boulevards. Go to Bouillon Pigalle instead. Chartier has terrible quality food, comically poor service, but because it’s an institution, it still gets traction.

What’s your favourite day trip to take from the city?

I love going to Chantilly for the day, walking around the gardens and visiting the Château.

What should travellers bring home with them from Paris?

Something French! The new gourmet food hall from Printemps department store, called Printemps Du Goût, offers a selection of 100% French products so you can be sure to take home something, whether it’s caramelised hazelnuts from the south of France or a small jar of regional honey, truly unique.

WHERE TO EAT IN PARIS

Du Pain et Des Idées

Where: 34 Rue Yves Toudic, 75010 Paris, France

For: Chocolate and pistachio escargots

Acide Macaron

Where: 24 Rue des Moines, 75017 Paris, France

For: Ricotta cheesecakes with seasonal fruit

Carl Marletti

Where: 51 Rue Censier, 75005 Paris, France

For: The Lily Valley cake

Pierre Hermé

Where: 72 Rue Bonaparte, 75006 Paris, France (and others)

For: Ispahan croissants

Bontemps Pâtisserie

Where: 57 Rue de Bretagne, 75003 Paris, France

For: Sablés

Tannat

Where: 119 Avenue Parmentier, 75011 Paris, France

For: French fusion food

Le 52

Where: 52 Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis, 75010 Paris, France

For: Tradtional french food

Anahi

Where: 49 Rue Volta, 75003 Paris, France

For: Argentinian food

Le Richer

Where: 2 Rue Richer, 75009 Paris, France

For: Bistro food

Café Méricourt

Where: 22 Rue de la Folie Méricourt, 75011 Paris, France

For: Brunch

La Fontaine de Belleville

Where: 31-33 Rue Juliette Dodu, 75010 Paris, France

For: Breakfast

Kitchen Ter(re)

Where: 26 Boulevard Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris, France

For: Set menus

Balagan

Where: 9 Rue d’Alger, 75001 Paris, France

For: Shakshuka

Bouillon Pigalle

Where: 22 Boulevard de Clichy, 75018 Paris, France

For: French food

WHERE TO GO IN PARIS

Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature

Where: 62 Rue des Archives, 75003 Paris, France

For: Museums

Printemps Du Goût

Where: 21-25 Cours de Vincennes, 75020 Paris, France

For: Local French products

Oahu Travel Tips from Katherine Lou, Blogger of Wander Hour

Conversations with Locals

Cali girl Katherine Lou is the blogger of Wander Hour, and has called Hawaii home since five years ago. Katherine divulges where to go for poke, Oahu’s snorkelling spots, and why you should not miss out on Oahu’s Chinatown.

Photo: Wander Hour

What do you feel defines Hawaiian cuisine?

Native Hawaiian cuisine differs from local cuisine in Hawaii. Therefore, I feel there are many things that define the cuisine of Hawaii. When I think of native Hawaiian food, I think of kalua (pig) and poi (taro) amongst many other things. The type of food that you find in a traditional luau is more in tune with Hawaiian cuisine. Even better, family parties here serve some of the best native Hawaiian food and they put so much love in their dishes!

When I think of local food, which is entirely different from the native cuisine, I think of the melting pot of different cultures that contribute to it. There are strong Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, etc. influences in the local cuisine here. Overall, both native and local food are delicious. Most places are big in using local ingredients, so very often, the food is fresh – especially the fish!

What is the one local dish you feel travellers can’t leave Oahu without trying?

You cannot leave Hawaii without eating fresh poke, shave ice, and haupia (coconut pudding)!

What about your favourite restaurants?

My current favourites would be Maguro for their spicy ahi poke, Marukame for their fresh udon, ARVO for their cute coffee and aesthetics, and Helena’s for the Hawaiian food. At Helena’s, I love their pipikaula which is a type of dried beef and their haupia. For shave ice, I love Waiola.

Waiola Shave Ice. Photo: Wander Hour

Name some tourist traps travellers should avoid in Oahu

There aren’t many to speak of, but don’t spend your entire week in Waikiki. It has its charms but venture out! There’s so much more to see!

What is the one activity travellers should do in Oahu?

When you go to Honolulu (in Oahu), put aside some time to hike the many trails!

Photo: Wander Hour

What about the best spot to catch the sunset?

The best place to catch the sunset in Hawaii would be from the North Shore, which is about an hour’s drive from Honolulu. If you’re in Honolulu though, Ala Moana Beach Park might be a good place!

Where are some of your favourite snorkelling spots?

When the water is calm during the summers, Shark’s Cove in North Shore is a good place to snorkel! Hanauma Bay is also good! Always be aware of your safety even if it’s summer. A lot of visitors and locals underestimate the power of Mother Nature! That said, I wouldn’t recommend snorkelling at North Shore around winter time. During winter, the North Shore gets some of the biggest waves and lots of surfing competitions happen around this time.

Photo: Wander Hour

Name one best kept secret of Oahu

The best kept secret would be Chinatown! Tourists normally don’t head to Chinatown in Honolulu but you can find some of the best restaurants there like Maguro which is my favourite place for poke, The Pig & The Lady, Livestock Tavern, and Lucky Belly. There are also cute boutiques, bars, and coffee shops in Chinatown!

Lobster roll at Livestock Tavern. Photo: Wander Hour

Lucky Belly. Photo: Wander Hour

Describe the perfect day trip

If you’re staying on the island, a perfect day trip would be driving east from Honolulu and around the island, and stopping at one of the many beaches. Continue towards North Shore and stop by the shrimp trucks such as Giovanni’s, then head back down to Honolulu.

If you’re feeling real adventurous, hop on a plane to Maui! Just a short 40 minute flight to Kahului from Honolulu, you can rent a car and drive around the island. My favourite stops would be Ululani’s for their shave ice. Drive up to Haleakala which is out of this world – it literally looks like Mars! If you leave early enough, check out the waterfalls on the Road to Hana. The whole drive can take about 6 hours back and forth depending on how many stops you make!

Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck. Photo: Wander Hour

WHERE TO EAT IN HONOLULU

Maguro Brothers Hawaii

Where: 421 Lewers St, Honolulu, HI 96815, USA

For: Poke bowls

Waiola Shave Ice

Where:2135 Waiola St, Honolulu, HI 96826, USA

For: Shave ice

Helena’s Hawaiian Food

Where: 1240 N School St, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA

For: Hawaiian food

Marukame Udon

Where: 2310 Kuhio Ave #124, Honolulu, HI 96815, USA

For: Udon

ARVO

Where: 675 Auahi St, Honolulu, HI 96825, USA

For: Coffee

The Pig & The Lady

Where: 83 N King St, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA

For: Vietnamese food

Livestock Tavern

Where: 49 N Hotel St, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA

For: Lobster rolls and burgers

Lucky Belly

Where: 50 N Hotel St, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA

For: Ramen and dumplings

Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck

Where: 66-472 Kamehameha Hwy, Haleiwa, HI 96712, USA

For: Shrimps

WHERE TO GO IN HONOLULU

North Shore

Where: North Shore, Waialua, Honolulu, HI, USA

For: Sunsets

Ala Moana Beach Park

Where: 1201 Ala Moana Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96814, USA

For: Sunsets

Shark’s Cove

Where: Pupukea, Oahu, Honolulu, HI 96712, USA

For: Snorkelling

Hanauma Bay

Where: 100 Hanauma Bay Drive, ueber Kalanianaole Highway, Oahu, Honolulu, HI 96825-2005, USA

For: Snorkelling

Food & Travel Guide to Tuscany, Italy – What to See, Eat & Do

Italy

It’s a clear day in Tuscany as warm sunlight blankets a stretch of chartreuse green. Italian cypresses line the roads, curving through hilly grasslands to unending vineyards, solitary hilltop towns, and saffron-coloured farmlands. At the brink of twilight, a nonna is calling out to her family for dinner as she brings out the feast.

Tuscany is the crown jewel of the Italian tourism scene, and many have swamped the accessible cities where the tourist buses go. Yet, there is an understated beauty that still lurks in uncharted territories that surprises at every bend of the road.

THE WINERIES

Many associate Tuscany to its thriving wineries – after all, the undulating countryside of well-manicured greens are a result of vineyards and wineries that have been around since the 8th century. Drinkers and non-drinkers alike wine trip through this hilly region in search of the Tuscan reds. Castello della Paneretta stands tall in the Chianti region, where you can take a tour through the castle grounds. A wine tasting there includes pairing the wines with bread, cheeses and cold cuts.

Drive through the cypress-lined path to Poggio Antico for their Brunello di Montalcino wines. If you can spare a meal in the country, head to the winery’s restaurant to feast on Tuscan flavours and uninterrupted views.

For the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, head to Azienda Agricola Poliziano. You will be taken through the vineyards and cellars before the wine tasting.

THE TOWNS

Pecks of old-world towns dot the hilltops – a stop at any one of these is a must, to get acquainted with the Tuscan vibe. Many speak of glorious towns like Siena, Pisa and Lucca, but it’s the unsung hero towns that give you a peek into the people’s everyday lives. A long way down south of Florence is Pienza, home to pecorino cheese. Pienza has some of the best views of the Val d’Orcia due to its high vantage point. A visit to any of the cheesemongers there will get you stocking up on a plethora of cheeses (truffle cheese, pistachio cheese, and what have you). Just a few kilometres east and west of Pienza are the towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino for impromptu wine tastings at bars and more stunning views.

Hands down, the best way to stumble into an obscure town is to drive aimlessly, not caring where you end up in. That is the spirit of exploring Tuscany – to let it surprise you.

THE FOOD

When it comes to Tuscan food, it has got to be meats, cheeses, olive oil, and plenty of good wine. Tuscany is one of the few regions in Italy where you can find Chianina cattle. This fabled beef is what makes a mouthwatering piece of Florentine steak. Ragus (meat based sauce) are what Tuscans pride themselves on. Ground meats are stewed for hours with tomatoes, celeries and carrots, and served spooned over homemade pappardelle sprinkled with freshly grated parmesan cheese. For more on what to eat here, check out the eating guide.

ROOMS

The expanse of the Tuscan countryside means that there is plenty of room for country houses, which were erected during the days of old. Over time, these copious dwellings have been converted into swanky bed and breakfasts for travellers. On top of being a winery, Castello della Paneretta has a villa that can house ten to eleven people next to acres of sprawling vineyards. Never mind the sheer size of the villa or the glistening swimming pool, it’s the ambrosial meals cooked by the hosts that guests rave about. If you want to take home a recipe or two, you can always go for the cooking class.

For those who love the city and everything abuzz, Le Tre Nonne in Florence is an affordable accommodation with antique rooms and a hearty Florentine host who’s more than happy to share with you every nook and cranny of the artistic city.