Staying and Dining in a Milan Farmhouse

With my 3-day itinerary in Milan focusing solely on the Expo, and that the Expo's theme is on food and culture, I just thought it's appropriate that I stayed in a place which was somewhat related along that line. Un Posto a Milano, which literally means "a place in Milan", was housed in a 17th Century farmhouse which has now been converted into a combination of hostel, bar and restaurant, community space and urban farm, which sounded just perfect for me as a weekend accommodation choice. 

Quick Thought on Expo Milano

Recently at his daily column on Apple Daily, a local Chinese newspaper, a lifestyle writer lamented the time "wasted" at the Expo Milano, questioning the purpose of the fair when all the knowledge can now be found online these days, saying that the Expo is "boring" and just like another "agricultural exhibition". Poor him, and I wonder whether he has given up on traveling altogether since the world can also be seen with a few clicks on Google Map as well. I couldn't help but rolling my eyes when I read the column.

Exploring Local Markets (Part 2: Paris and Milan)

(Continued from the previous post)

Shopping in Paris. Okay, I know what you are thinking. Yes we did spent some quality time at Galleries Lafayette and Printemps, fighting shoulder to shoulder with fellow Asian shoppers parading through the department stores with their bags and luggage during the sale season, but what I wanted to say was another kind of shopping - buying cookware and food.

Another Evening in Milan; Another Pop-up Restaurant

It's already quite late when I finished the Italian Pavilion at the Milan Expo after an hour-long wait outside, so I thought it's time for dinner before heading back to town. Totally exhausted by all the walking and sweating under the sun, I was looking for somewhere comfortable that I could sit down and enjoy a quiet meal. Inside the Expo site, there are actually quite a number of restaurants offering something fancier than food hall-type of food, and I looked no further than Peck a Palazzo Italia located above the main exhibition of the Italian pavilion at the site known as Palazzo Italia.

Starstruck on July 4 - Massimo Bottura Dinner at Expo Milano

I was still a little bit over moon as I repeatedly reflect upon my dinner last week in Milan prepared by Chef Massimo Bottura and his team at the Expo Milano 2015, savoring every moment of what could be one of the most remarkable meals I have ever tasted.

My two and a half week journey across two continents came around at a rather unexpected circumstance with very hasty itinerary planning. I wasn't even planning to do any serious meals during my 4 days in my last stop of Milan, thinking I would just check out whatever they got at the Expo site and do a walk-in. Then a couple of weeks before the trip began, I learned about a special dinner being organized by the USA Pavilion featuring Chef Massimo in celebration of the Independence Day. Not only it coincidentally fell on the very Saturday that I was in town, ticket for the event was still available this late in the game, something highly unusual for such an occasion and publicity given the chef's fame. So all of a sudden, that dinner became the most anticipated activity on my itinerary.

Milano Supper at Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia

We had our first "proper" meal of the trip at Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia in a quiet suburb neighborhood in western part of Milan. When I was planning for the trip I was a bit put off by its remote location, but the restaurant being only one of the two Michelin 2-starred restaurants in town (the other being Cracco in downtown) and a Relais & Chateaux newcomer, I was curious to try.

When Food Meets Fashion in Milan

La Rinascente, the upscale department store next to Milan's Piazza Duomo, was running a marketing campaign of "When Food Meets Fashion" at the time of our visit, with live cooking demonstration and tasting booths set up amongst racks of latest fashion, and free-flowing champagne served while customers having a menicure at the cosmetic desks; even the store front window - made famous as the now legendary Giorgio Armani who once worked as a window-dresser here - was lined with giant Moet & Chandon bottles as part of the campaign.

Open-Air Market in Milan

Scrolling in the local markets has always been our favorite thing to do whilst travelling to a foreign country. You can't find a better spot to feel the pulse and dynamics of the town then taking a look at where locals shop for food and other daily necessities, plus I am always curious of what kind of food they buy and eat.