I powered through many bites of idli, various chutneys, wonderfully spiced potatoes, and other flavors I would have missed out on otherwise because I was sick. There, in a corporate-y and drab part of the city, I dragged myself downstairs to the buffet one morning and rallied through the stomach pain because, well, I wanted to try the food. In Kochi we bailed on our budget hotel in a great location to find somewhere a bit more comfortable for me to lie in bed all day not eating at all the restaurants I had mapped out. I spent much of it curled in the fetal position in intense pain. But as it turned out, I was weeks from needing small intestine surgery (thanks, Crohn’s disease), and my body had other plans for my vacation. In 2017 my husband and I were psyched to visit Kerala, India. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a DIY element, and topping bars are fun in every country. Each morning I looked forward to creating a bowl of rice porridge with various accouterments (scallions), condiments (fish sauce), and fresh herbs (cilantro). There are three fond food memories I have of Hoi An from when I visited Vietnam during my honeymoon six years ago: excellent steamed ginger-scallion clams eaten during a moped tour, banh mi from the place that Anthony Bourdain made famous, and my daily bowl of cháo from our hotel’s breakfast buffet. You can try new flavors for the first time (so many amazing cheeses in Europe that aren’t exported to the U.S.) and develop an appreciation of various food traditions (soup for breakfast), all amid the familiarity of blue-flamed sternos and freshly squeezed juice. I love it all: the silver chafing dishes, the artfully plated pats of butter, the fancy tongs that aren’t particularly effective at picking up food but at least look nice, the omelet station with a very friendly cook, the array of fresh fruit, the hunt for the crispiest bacon in the tray, the smoked salmon roses, the various mini-muffin offerings, the crispy-gone-soggy potatoes, the mishmash of items that might not technically “go together” on one plate yet somehow do.Ī good hotel breakfast is a powerful tool for getting to know a region, especially internationally-and one I hope doesn’t vanish due to the lasting effects of the pandemic. ![]() ![]() But the meal I’m always most excited for as I plan my trip? The hotel breakfast buffet. Google Maps with corresponding Google Doc itineraries. ![]() Whenever I have the opportunity to travel, there’s a 99% chance I’ve done formidable research on where to eat.
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