Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu | Akasaka, Tokyo, Japan

If you’ve seen the movie Kill Bill, then you’ll see similarities in this restaurant. Apparently, it was the inspiration and model for the “House of Blue Leaves” restaurant in the film. I have my friend Kimberlina to thank for this last minute recommendation. It somehow came up in conversation shortly before our trip to Japan and I quickly made a reservation on their website. Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu is very popular with tourists and it was quite obvious when we showed up for our reservation. We were in Tokyo during the Rugby Worldcup so the place was full of Australians in town to support their team. Usually, Markus and I try to avoid the more touristy restaurants and sites, but there was something about Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu that we couldn’t resist.

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from the food and that the real draw would be the ambiance. I’m happy to say that I was very pleased with the meal. Markus and I both ordered two different courses one at 3,500 yen and 5,500 yen (about $35 and $55). We enjoyed an assortment of dishes ranging from yakitori, sashimi, tempura and soba noodles. It was a nice mix of food and I felt like a good value for the price. The more expensive set came with miso glazed cod and tempura shrimp and those were two of my favorite things we ate. I’m glad we decided to go, because I really enjoyed our meal and time at the restaurant.

Izakaya Toyo | Osaka, Japan

If you’ve seen the Netflix show Street Food, then the man in the middle should look very familiar. In the Osaka episode, they focused on Izakaya Toyo and it’s unique owner and chef Toyo. Just from that one episode, I knew that we had to go no matter what. Our schedule for Osaka was pretty jam packed, but I somehow fit into our first day. We took a bus and a train from Kawaguchiko that was about a 3-4 hour journey. After we checked into our hotel it was around 3:00 pm. We hoped that since it was an off time, there wouldn’t be too many people. We were wrong, there was a line of about 15-20 people and we waited for 40 mins, but it was worth it.

The seafood was so fresh and delicious and Toyo is exactly how he was in his episode. He was loud and boisterous and so sweet. He brought out the torch multiple times and everyone clamored over to get video and photos. I didn’t bother because I could always see it up close and personal on Netflix. They were unfortunately out of uni the day we went, but everything else was really delicious and the perfect afternoon snack. After our meal, we walked away and I was a little sad that we didn’t get a pic of Toyo. We ended up going back because Markus forgot to get video footage. When we got back, he was standing in front and we were able to snap a quick selfie. He was so tiny and cute and said thank you to us for visiting. I’m so glad we were able to fit a visit into our schedule and it was definitely a highlight of our time in Osaka.

Astoux et Brun and Other Spots | Cannes, France

Cannes, is well-known for its yearly film festival, so it's definitely a touristy spot. I was a little bit worried about this.  Since it was closer to the end of the summer, I thought it would be a great time to visit. It was a lot smaller than I thought it would be, but this worked to our advantage. We ended up walking everywhere and parked the rental for the entire duration of our stay. For this part of our trip, Markus and I had two objectives, eat and tan. As soon as we arrived at our hotel, we quickly changed into our suits and headed to the rooftop pool to relax. It was so lovely and we spent a couple hours up there and met a nice couple from Canada. After baking in the sun, we worked up an appetite and headed out for some delicious food.

Since we were near the ocean, we knew we wanted to eat seafood. I found the highly-rated and popular restaurant Astoux et Brun. The food was really good and very fresh. All of France is pretty pricey when it comes to food, but I didn't think the prices were too high, especially for the atmosphere, quality and service. For our meal, we ordered half a dozen oysters, moules frites and whitefish in a white wine sauce. To wash it all down, we ordered a nice bottle of white wine and enjoyed our meal outside. Before dinner, we passed by a gelato shop that shaped the cones into flowers. I saw similar desserts all over social media, so I knew I wanted that for dessert. I got pistachio and vanilla and it was the perfect combination for a hot and humid night.  Overall, it was the perfect relaxing day I wanted and had been waiting for. 

Le Train Bleu | Paris, France

Le Train Bleu is a stunningly beautiful restaurant that was built for the Exposition Universelle in 1900. It's located in the Gare de Lyon station and is a full service restaurant. Le Train Bleu is an incredible restaurant that takes you back to another time period. The restaurant is covered in elaborate and ornate decorations and 41 original paintings from popular artists from that time period. Markus and I kept talking about what it must've been like to travel by train and stop in for a meal. It must've been a stunner in it's heyday. 

When I saw photos of the restaurant, I knew that I wanted this to be where we spent our last night in Paris. We couldn't have chosen a more magical and perfect place. I knew the minute we walked in that it would be a meal and experience unlike any other I've had before. We ordered the foie gras, liver mousse, veal cutlet, roasted leg of lamb, blue cheese potato gratin and ended with the rum baba, which came with a whole bottle of rum. You know I liked that part! Our meal was so decadent and really delicious. My favorites were the foie gras and the blue cheese potato gratin. If you know me, you know I love pate, liver mousse and foie, so that was a no brainer. The real surprise was the gratin because I don't normally go for potatoes, but these were a game changer. We kept ordering and eating even though I was stuffed. I think it was because I didn't want to leave. It also helped that the servers were hilarious and kept telling funny jokes. Overall, our experience at Le Train Bleu was unforgettable and I'm pleased that it was where we spent our last evening in the City of Lights. 

Saved By The Max | Chicago, Illinois

Even though I was born in the 80s, I'm truly a 90s kid at heart. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the 80s, but most of the things I remember are from the 90s. Like any kid who grew up in the 90s, I was obsessed with Saved by the Bell. When we heard that there was going to be a pop-up of The Max, we snatched up tickets so we wouldn't miss out. 

Markus, Josh and I decided to dress in 90s clothes to really get a feel for the atmosphere. Saved by the Max is a really great throwback and really brings back the nostalgia of the 90s. I was squealing the whole time and obsessed with everything. Poor Markus and Josh had to deal with me freaking out about every little thing. I will say that the food wasn't that great. The names of the dishes were really creative, but nothing stood out and kinda made us all sick the next day. Eek, sorry, but that's not why you go to a place like Saved by the Max. It's all about the atmosphere and all the memories it brings up. For a 90s lover like me, that's worth it.