Haleiwa

Whenever I’m in Santa Monica and am craving steak, I’ll head over to Boa. The steak is fantastic and the service is impeccable. The escargot and the ahi tuna are must haves for appetizers and the mac & cheese is recommended as accompaniment to the entrees. Love the swanky decor and the fact that sometimes you might have a chance meeting with someone famous…

Home of the Red Devils! That’s the only reason to visit the grounds where Eric Cantona & Ryan Giggs used to play on :) Plus, the bonus would be a chance to catch a glimpse of Christiano Ronaldo or Rooney.

I love the vibe at Camden! It’s such a cool, eclectic and alternative place. The market is a great place for cheap deals such as travel souvenirs and cool unusual stuff. It’s a little like Amsterdam too where certain contrabands are freely traded and the regulars can look like anything from your ordinary Londoner to KISS-like! Would love to go back and stay longer, definitely an “off the beaten path” location.

I read Anne’s diary when I was in high school so the thought of visiting the house was not far fetched. The flow of the exhibit was very well laid out and I believe their history in the building was well presented. It was a very fitting tribute, albeit very sad and somewhat depressing. Cameras are not allowed in the building (and you don’t really want to take any pictures either) so you may want to store them away as you get in. The Franks and their friends made the best they could while trapped in the building but it was really hard for me to imagine anyone living life that way. History never fails to teach us about the cruelties in this world so that we will not repeat them.

I love the V&A since it’s all about culture, nothing too heavy for the ones that are easily bored with history. There’s plenty of items from various world cultures from architecture (tiles), hand crafts (ceramic, jewelry), fashion (clothes from different cultures & periods) to weapons (samurai swords) for the dudes! It’s definitely worth checking out.

The Spice Market across from the Gansevoort Hotel is amazing! Almost everything on the menu is fabulous. The culinary focus is on the complex flavors of South East Asia. The flavor fusion is done right with the subtleties in the spice notes blending beautifully. A must visit if you’re near the Meat Packing District in NYC.