In the last decade there has been an explosion of food-based travel. As our palates became more sophisticated and we are much more aware of food sources, the produce of the seasons and the importance of food sustainability, exploring world cuisines became the primary focus of many overseas adventures.

This year I started learning Japanese. It’s something I have wanted to do for years, and for a long time I worried I would never be able to get a grasp on it. I’m happy to say that I picked up quite a lot during the first term.

Travel addiction is a terrible thing. Withdrawals from it are just as bad as with any other addiction. I feel it right now to my very core. Of late, I have had to calm down and get used to spending all of my time at home base, with no travel plans in the coming months. Of course, this has been essential, unavoidable…and rather unbearable.

How this dish has escaped Italian restaurant menus all over the world astounds me. In Perth, Western Australia, at neighbourhood pizzeria Amore Mio, classic Sardinian food is proudly celebrated.

I’ve been following the food scene in Taipei quite carefully this past year and have been intrigued by the local specialties and the seasonal produce only found on the island.

We live in an age where fast pace is the norm. Blink and you’ll miss it, is the urgent moniker of today. This especially applies to Marketing. Technology and our limited attention spans are both a marketers dream and their enemy.

The reduction in dessert orders due to health concerns and meal expense is obvious in the fickle world of dining out. But get a few bevvies under diners’ belts and no-one cares about any of that anymore. We’re having too good a time to stop there! Enter the smart restauranteur.

This may well be my favourite expression of gratitude. If you travel to Japan, you will hear it repeatedly. For it is uniquely Japanese. 

I had a thought this week as I pondered which new restaurant to visit next. I have a list as long as my arm, in many cities around the world, and it’s increasingly difficult to keep up with the volume of new openings and then finding the time to experience them all.

Every now and then, a restaurant falls off my radar and when I finally get around to a visit, I kick myself for waiting so long. Sydney’s Bentley Restaurant & Bar is one of these.

The element of surprise is always welcome in my travels. It can be found in many experiences and is one of the things that makes travel so alluring and addictive.

I am very sceptical of the special. Are these really thought up by restaurants on the day of availability, the recipe carefully considered, the ingredients bought, eventually to become the chef’s pride and joy, the new limited creation?

Since I began this journal, my eyes and ears have been open to trends and habits that have become commonplace in the wide world of hospitality. My curiosity is constantly piqued, and there have been some common threads appearing that have fooled many people for years.

It’s fascinating to watch the latest trends in the ever exploding hotel scene. As more and more hotels squeeze into the emerging category between mid-range and luxury, but still fall into a five-star model, there are many tricks up a brands sleeve to lure a new and curious market.

When you fly up in the pointy end, airlines have a lot to answer for when they don’t deliver to expectations. Passengers who shell out significant funds for an indulgent experience know the drill.

In this buzzy, pitch-perfect Sydney pizzeria run by Executive Chef Luke Powell lies a dish that will surprise and delight pizza lovers.

It’s rare that I’m taken by complete surprise by my choice of accommodation. Certainly, many times I have been disappointed, where my abode has not lived up to its reputation, but rarely has it been the other extreme - so vastly better than I expected. Boy, it sure has on this latest trip to Tasmania. 

OK, I’m going out on a bit of a limb here. I have forever been a little perplexed about the complex issue of pairing wines with dessert. Just when I think I’ve got it right, I’m stumped by another complete mismatch that throws it all up in the air again.

Recently I’ve been thinking about some of the quirkiest aspects of flying. If you fly regularly on the same carrier it’s surprising how quickly these oddities stay in your mind and drive you a little bit around the bend.