Guadalajara

Introducing Guadalajara: Through the Eyes of Our Local Team

Editor’s Note: To properly introduce Guadalajara, CB’s newest location, we turned to Eliza Osher, the local guide who helped design our culinary walk there. Born and raised in Los Angeles, where she studied pastry and breadmaking at Le Cordon Bleu, Eliza first came to Mexico to work at a boutique hotel on the Pacific coast of Jalisco state in 2005 and has been living in the country since. She moved to Guadalajara in 2006 after meeting her husband, an artist who grew up in the city. Deeply involved in the city’s arts scene, Eliza works as a language coach and also runs a lending library that she opened in 2015.

Tokyo

The Essentials: Where We Eat in Tokyo, Japan

Images of neon-lit bar streets, serene temples, and clouds of cherry blossoms have long enticed travelers to Japan. But the last couple of years have seen the country’s popularity rise to unseen heights, with a record 37 million foreign tourists visiting in 2024. While last month we launched in Osaka (a culinary powerhouse in its own right) and have published dispatches from Kyoto, we’ve been writing about the food scene in Tokyo for a decade, watching the city evolve with each passing year. We know that, for all its allure, Tokyo can feel overwhelming to navigate, especially when it comes to food. Countless izakayas, sushi bars, noodle joints, and cafes are tucked into every corner – where do you even begin?

Osaka

First Stop: Bjorn Heiberg’s Osaka

Let me first say that Japan hit me very hard when I first arrived because I did not speak the language. I was not a pork eater at the time (I grew up on a farm and pigs were my pets, not dinner) but after my first two weeks in Japan all I was eating was basically breaded pork chops, because that's the only thing I knew how to order in Japanese. You eat or you starve. And when it gets to that point, it's just being able to order that’s the first barrier.

Seoul

Scenes from Our New Seoul Tour: A Photo Essay

Seoul, a city that thrives on reinvention, is a masterclass in culinary adaptation. It bombards the senses the moment you arrive – vibrant neon signs, a crescendo of street sounds, and enticing aromas wafting up from countless food stalls. This is a city where tradition and modernity collide, where ancient culinary techniques are reimagined for a new generation, and where global influences are seamlessly integrated into something indistinguishably local. On this day-into-evening culinary walk, we taste our way through the backstreets of Seoul’s bustling Dongdaemun and Jongno neighborhoods. From Chinese dumplings to trendy baked goods, we explore how this capital city has taken inspiration from around the world. We'll encounter the spirit of sharing and tradition, evident in the communal pots of dakhanmari and the generous platters of bossam.

Bangkok

Scenes from Our New Bangkok Tour: A Photo Essay

One of the most ubiquitous foreign cuisines in the US and abroad, the scope of Thai food served outside the country is largely limited to dishes from Bangkok and central Thailand. But many diners consider these dishes wholly Thai without being aware of the various influences that created them. In fact, “Thai food” is a misnomer; the country’s food takes the form of regional cuisines from north to south. On our culinary walk of Bangkok, we explore Ko Ratanakosin, the artificial island that’s the birthplace of Thailand.

Istanbul

The Essentials: Where We Eat in Istanbul, Turkey

Finding the best restaurants in Istanbul can be a daunting task – every block feels like it’s littered with kebab shops, bakeries, and diners with attractive steam table displays. But a fair warning to you, dear reader: The döner is most-often dry and poor quality, the baked goods are mass-produced and lackluster, and those steam tables are full of reworked leftovers hidden in bechamel or tomato sauce. The fact that these restaurants are more-often-than-not full might seem at odds with the Turkish standard for quality, which is extremely high. But, well, there’s a sucker born every minute, and those steam tables seem to have a particularly strong gravitational pull on the average Istanbul tourist. Like anywhere else in the world, locals have their go-to spots. But in Istanbul, these are more than neighborhood haunts with cheap drinks and friendly service.

Seoul

Introducing Seoul: Through the Eyes of Our Team

Culinary Backstreets co-founder Ansel Mullins visited Seoul this past summer as part of a research trip for our newest food tours. What he encountered was a literal feast for the senses, from the tang of pickled banchan to the smoky barbecue grills to the crunch of raw crab, Here, Ansel shares some of his favorite food memories and a bit of what we can expect from our new coverage in Seoul. What makes Seoul an exciting and compelling destination for Culinary Backstreets? The sheer variety of dining opportunities in Seoul make it a paradise for curious eaters. Consider Michelin-starred speakeasy-type ten-seaters to rowdy tent bars serving fried eels, market stalls serving world-famous savory pancakes to the latest fad in donuts, throw in barbecue, dumpling joints, an abundance of fresh oysters, and knock-your-socks-off fried chicken and you’re barely scratching the surface of this venerable chow town.