Hi friends! We’re slowly wrapping up 2023 and I’ve spent the last few days reflecting on the year and all the meals that made it so special. This was a big year of travel and my palette benefitted greatly. Normally, I have 10 meals on this list but I just couldn’t get it down to that. I know it’s long but I find great joy looking back on these lists. Spanning 7 countries, 7 countries, and too many cities to count, here is the annual list of the 12 meals that changed my life in 2023!
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Lunch at Grandma’s, Kwahu, Ghana
I started 2023 in Ghana after a long period way. I hadn’t been back since middle school and it was so nice to see extended family, catch up with family friends, and feel a sense of nostalgia visiting places that were part of my old life. Every meal was incredible and the one that struck an emotional chord was visiting my father’s childhood home in Kwahu, a town about three hours north of Accra! My paternal grandmother still lives there and it was the first time seeing her in almost a decade. We walked around the compound, her showing off all the improvements she’s made to the farm and chicken coop. When lunch came around, we all gathered in the kitchen and I meekly attempted to help with pounding fufu.
Fufu is one of Ghana’s dishes and is made by pounding boiled yam, plantain, or cassava until it is thick and gloopy. We then paired it with light soup, a thick tomato-based broth filled with the meat du jour. I went for chicken while other people went for goat. There’s no other place I would want to eat fufu and that meal took me back to post-church Easter lunch and Christmas dinner. I hope to make this lunch an annual thing.
Grilled Fish at Choza, Roma, Mexico City
If a friend is coming to Mexico City, Choza is the first place I’m taking them. Located on the rooftop of a beautiful blue building in Roma, this restaurant/listening bar serves food that celebrates Mexican produce with a homage to Thai flavours. At the helm is Tyler Henry, chef extraordinaire who has worked in great restaurants in NYC and Orleans. The drinks menu is simple and perfect with a solid curation of wines and a frozen daiquiri that changes frequently.
In my opinion, you require a crew to enjoy the fried fish platter. A lightly battered fried fish is doused in this tangy, spicy sauce and sits on a bed of banana leaves with lettuce leaves, steamy rice, and a divine green sauce. There’s nothing more beautiful than ripping through the scales, grabbing some fish meat, and making some delicious lettuce wraps. I had this 5 times this year and it will most certainly be back on this list in 2024.
Jenni’s Quesadilla, Roma, Mexico City
If you want to see good chaos at hand, visit a street taco stand at peak lunchtime. Lines do not necessarily impart order and yet everyone gets fed and no one manages to drop their food while eating shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers. Jenni’s Quesadillas might be the poster child of experiencing this chaos. With no address and a stand that sits on the corner of Colima and Merida, this institution has been slinging the best quesadillas that are well-loved by chefs, workers, and ambitious tourists.
I just went to Jenni’s for the first time a few weeks ago and my life will never be the same. The second that the cheesy, tangy, green mole quesadilla hit my mouth, I became a changed woman. Also, there is something beautiful about witnessing Jenni in action commanding the plancha with grace and prowess. Wonder if she will let me stage for a day.
Emily’s Bachelorette Dinner, St. Simon’s Island, Georgia
Finally in the era of my life where wedding weekends and the surrounding festivities are a thing. One of my best mates from college had her bachelorette party on St. Simon’s Island and I was the self-appointed chef of the weekend. Few things in life bring me joy than cooking and relaxing for a big group and I felt like my girlfriends could enjoy their weekend.
We had homemade jam, bruschetta, and improvised cocktails but the most special dinner was a perfect summer plate filled with Thomas Keller’s Oven Roasted Zucchini, Ina Garten’s Summer Pasta Salad, a spicy grilled corn recipe my friend Esther riffed on, and some huli huli chicken for some Hawaiian vibes. We ended the night with some warm peach cobbler and it was just a glorious meal after spending the day lazying away at the beach.
Hainan Burrata at Reyna, Paris, France
In the last few years, Paris has been going through a reckoning on what foods are considered Parisian. It’s not just baguettes, steak frites, and chocolate chaude but immigrant cultures are making their mark and deliciously shifting the culinary narrative.
When putting together the itinerary for a three-week road trip through Europe, many friends recommended Reyna, a wonderful restaurant in the 11th arrondissement serving up Filipino and South Asian cuisine with a French twist. It was my boyfriend's and my first dinner in Paris together, the staff was exceptionally kind and even sent some dishes to our table. The dish that made our jaws drop the most was the Hainan burrata, a ball of cheese sitting in kecap manis, the Indonesian sweet soy sauce topped with chili crisp and a sweet heat chili oil. What a marriage of creaminess, umami, and sweet heat. I want to find a way to remake at home but I feel like it just won’t hit the same. Just praying that it’s still on their menu when I make it back to Paris.
Wine and Cheese Tour in Bordeaux, France
It wouldn’t be a vacation if I didn’t spend an afternoon listening to a tour guide wax poetic on the culinary history and culture. We had one day in Bordeaux and knew that we had to get a good lesson on the famous wines and cheeses from the region. After an exciting visit to the Cité du Vin, the innovative wine museum, we crossed the river and did a walking tour with Bordeaux Bites, a local food tour company.
Our tour guide Alexandre walked through the streets taking us to boulangeries older than America, cheesemongers and butchers who are bringing new techniques to old traditions, and the most wonderful patisserie for the best caneles. Did you know caneles were invented by nuns who wanted to use leftover egg yolks after wine producers used up the egg whites? Alexandre led us to this cellar where we sampled all the treats we collected on our wine. I had goat cheese so fresh you could taste the grass they ate, the country paté so good you felt like you were transported to a farmhouse table, all paired with incredible wines from around the region. I left with such a deep appreciation for the craft of cheese and learned so much that has made grocery shopping so much fun!
Dinner and Breakfast at Villa Magnan, Biarritz, France
I’ve been admiring Villa Magnan for a few years on the gram and was so excited to finally visit. We were so lucky to get a reservation at De Puta Madre, the property’s restaurant. The tasting menu was an ode to summer with fresh, briny oysters, and tomatoes sitting in this romesco-like sauce, and a chicken dish with a delicious jus, mint leaves, and pine nuts. The blue cheese and quince jam that ended dinner was one of the most remarkable combos.
I bumped into the owner Anne while walking around and we soon had a conversation that lasted longer after the restaurant had closed. She was kind to invite the bf and me back the next day for breakfast and gave us a tour. The hotel used to be a summer house for Spanish royalty but had been abandoned for 80 years until the Israel family discovered it after a trip to Biarritz from Paris. You see Anne’s interior design expertise in every single room and she had a story about every piece of furniture. Can’t wait to come back and stay at the hotel for a week or two!
Lunch at La Hermanadad de Pescadores, Hondarribia, Spain
After saying goodbye to Biarritz and taking a train down to Hendaye, we negotiated with a Moroccan cab driver who drove us to Hondarribia, a lovely town that welcomes you to Spanish Basque Country.
Feeling like we won a leg of The Amazing Race, we stopped for lunch at La Hermanadad de Pescadores, a beautiful seafood restaurant located in a building that’s been around since 1361.
The fishermen used to store their nets here. We arrived just as lunch was about to wrap and the siesta was about to begin. Sussana, our lovely waitress, saw us with our luggage and quickly escorted us to a table on the sunny side. We let her lead and she came with croquettes to kick off the meal, a skate covered in the most generous amounts of olive oil and garlic. To cool off and cap our meal, we had this cucumber melon granita gazpacho deal with a little scoop of cream in the middle.
Cheesecake at La Viña in San Sebastian, Spain
You come to San Sebastian for the pintxos, the flowing cider and tinto de verano but you must stay for the Basque cheesecake, especially the one for La Viña. Friend of the newsletter Mason Hereford (who also runs New Orleans joint Turkey and the Wolf) couldn’t stress enough how important it was to end our night with a slice of this iconic dessert.
The exterior is perfectly burnt offering this cheesy caramelly goodness and the interior is runny in a delightful way. It’s not as sweet as other cheesecakes so you can eat a whole slice and not feel that post-dessert slump. My boyfriend and I loved it so much that we went back twice and even got to-go slices to savour on our road trip!
Medieveal Festival in Obidos, Portugal
We expected to stay in Obidos for an afternoon, stopping for a quick lunch and a decent walk to get a sense of the town. How lucky we were to arrive during the opening of the town’s most famous festival. For 10 days in late July, the quaint town hosts a Medieval festival and everyone in town gets on board with costumes galore and more. There was jousting, a band of performers, a king’s court, and a royal wedding complete with a procession.
We’re so glad we didn't stop for lunch because we really got to appreciate the food stalls. We started off with a round of mead and beer as we surveyed which spots to visit. We ended up getting this rice dish and a juicy, roasted chicken thigh. I know it’s so simple but eating it surrounded by the fanfare made me feel like an extra on a family-friendly version of Game of Thrones. We also ended up getting this foamy meringuey dessert but I’m not sure how historically accurate it was. Still good!
They didn’t even accept euros so we had to go switch them for some local coins. Come on economy. My only regret is not renting a costume and really getting into the bit! There’s always next year!
Lunch at Ponto Final, Almada, Portugal
I will never win the lottery but I have the best luck when it comes to restaurants. Everyone told us Ponto Final would be an impossible reservation to get or if we were to walk in, we could spend hours waiting. Yet, the restaurant gods found favour because, after 30 minutes and sweet talking to the maitre d’, we got to sit in the most coveted yellow chairs.
Our waiter was so generous, recommended the best white wine, and was patient as we strategized our lunch. Feeling like we hadn’t eaten a vegetable in days, we dug into the simple salad. What a perfect pregame for the prawn dish, bathing in garlicky olive oil with oranges and lemons ready to be squeezed. I have never had seafood that tasty and felt a teardrop as I was peeling them to get the juicy bits. The cod fritters changed my life, the grilled white fish was a perfect pairing with the rich and decadent feijoada, a comforting dish of beans, rice, sausage, and some other good protein I can’t identify. My heart and stomach were full to the brim and yet I walked out of there light as a feather.
Lunch at Ballymaloe Cookery School, Cork, Ireland
The team at Kerrygold invited me on my first press trip to Ireland this year and it was such a memorable experience. Every day was a gastronome’s dream and we got a chance to meet some of the people who power Ireland’s renowned culinary industry.
It’s been my dream to attend Ballymaloe’s cookery school for the last few years and what an honour it was to spend a day on the campus. Rachel Allen, one of Ireland’s most celebrated chefs, gave us a cooking demonstration showcasing classic recipes and produce from the farm. In 3 hours, Rachel and her lovely sous chef Pat made a glazed loin of bacon, piperonata, scallion champ, and a baked plaice with chanterelles and garlic berries. Just when we thought we had it all, the meal ended with a carrageen moss pudding with a summer berry compote. What a bright meal on a day that was quite cloudy.
Cheers to a wonderful year and thank you for supporting my work! Your readership, comments, and messages spark so much joy! Here’s to 2024 and more memorable meals to make the days brighter!
Eat well and be well!
Your Friend in Food, Abena