New York: Momofuku Bo Ssam

This is the mighty Bo Ssam, a whole pork butt (shoulder), available by online reservation, at the wonderful Momofuku Bo Ssam in New York City's Lower East Side. It claims to feed up to 10 people but really we could have probably fed about 5 more. Extremely tender and flavorful. The raw oysters added a nice touch, wrapped with the lettuce leaves and the various sauces. The appetizers and sides were both creative and terrific- an apple kimchi. My favorite - the fried brussel sprouts with fish sauce.

Many of the recipes are included in David Chang's new cookbook, as well as those of the Noodle Bar, Ko and Milk Bar.

New York: Momofuku Fried Chicken

If you want to eat at Momofuku Noodle Bar this is the way to go- scoring a fried chicken reservation online is the only way to get a reservation. Supposedly feeds up to 8, but we could have brought a few more people easily. The downside is the place gets packed with people willing to wait an hour or more and end up staring at our huge mound of chicken hungrily. The best was the triple fried Korean-style chicken (on the left). The huge Southern style white meat pieces liberally coated in Old Bay seasoning were frankly just OK.

Buenos Aires: La Brigada

This is the real deal- a wonderfully down to earth and extremely popular parilla. Go for the huge slabs of Argentinean beef and amazing collection of soccer memorabilia from around the world. Nicely situated in the colorful neighborhood of San Telmo where you will want to walk off your ample meal by visiting the covered market full of antiques and tchotkes across the street and the many colorful boutiques.

Washington DC: Ben's Chili Bowl

Don't order the regular dog- go for the chili smoke, a much better sausage. The chili is nothing to write home about, but the ambience is genuine. Order a slice of the cake by the register to complement your heart-stopping meal.

Damascus, Syria: A snack in the Old City

a basic Hummus with meat washed down with a coke- delicious!

Istanbul's Spice Market

Sure it can be touristy, but worth the stroll just to capture the sights and sounds. Ramadam it seems is a particularly busy time for locals to stock up on plentiful sweets and other gifties.

Eating Our Way Through Beirut

It's Ramadan time and this is the mezze at Karam, a very popular local upscale restaurant in the newly reconstructed downtown Beirut. We were lucky to get a table - the place was festive and hopping, and the food absolutely delicious.