DiningBuzz! - Travel for Destination Restaurants

Has anyone taken a trip for a destination restaurant such as El Bulli? I usually take vacations around cultural activities/interests, but always seek out the local cuisine. Just curious if anyone has taken trips exclusively to visit a restaurant and if so, which one.

Not exclusively for a certain restaurant (except when Renoir, my favorite restaurant in Vegas, was closing, so I took a trip from the east coast).

But restaurants are a significant criterion for me in choosing an itinerary. E.g., in the last couple of years Guy Savoy in Las Vegas (not that one needs any single reason to go to Las Vegas); Jardins de Sens in Montpelier, France; D.O.M in Sao Paulo (a real disappointment); and Paradise Dynasty in Singapore (for the xiao long bao, though I have had better elsewhere). Of course these are all desirable destinations, and, as much as I love eating and trying new places of all types, I can't see traveling somewhere that otherwise carries little appeal, just for a restaurant.

I´ve taken a couple of trips to Paris just for a meal at Michel Rostang and Guy Savoy. That was when I lived in Portugal.

"exclusively" is a tough word - it's different to say "food was the only thing I did on this trip" than it is to say "if not for the food, I would not have made this trip". I don't think I could ever say the former, although the latter is almost always true. Even when I once flew a TATL to London for lunch (Leong's Legend) and immediately flew back, I met a friend for lunch, and I could use the EQMs.

Certainly most of my vacations focus on food. For example my recent trip to HK was built around eating at Caprice and Lung King Heen, and my travel party wound up taking down around 11 Michelin stars in 5 days... but I don't think that really fits your categorization.

Yes. One trip last year with a friend DCA-TPA on Saturday afternoon, returning Sunday at noon to have dinner at Bern's Steakhouse.

Upgrades cleared both ways too! Great trip solely to have steaks and wine! ^

Paradise Dynasty in Singapore (for the xiao long bao, though I have had better elsewhere).

People (well, me...) want to know where else.:D

I've considered a PVG trip just for xiao long bao.

While the trip evolved into a longer vistit to the Alsace, the impetus for that particular trip was the opportunity to dine at l'Auberge de l'ill.

Has anyone taken a trip for a destination restaurant such as El Bulli? I usually take vacations around cultural activities/interests, but always seek out the local cuisine. Just curious if anyone has taken trips exclusively to visit a restaurant and if so, which one.

I will rephrase the initial question and remove the word exclusively (although it appears a few FTers have made some exclusive trips for food).

What trips have you taken largely centered around dining at a certain restaurant or to enjoy food of particular city/country?

Certainly most of my vacations focus on food. For example my recent trip to HK was built around eating at Caprice and Lung King Heen, and my travel party wound up taking down around 11 Michelin stars in 5 days... but I don't think that really fits your categorization.

Impressive!

People (well, me...) want to know where else.:D

I've considered a PVG trip just for xiao long bao.

I listed a few in another thread (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/diningbuzz/1099720-what-some-best-foods-you-ever-ate-2.html#post17029328). My favorite are Joe's Shanghai in New York; either of the flagship locations (Pell Street in Manhattan or Queens Chinatown) are the best. Also Din Tai Fung, which is a chain that recently opened in Los Angeles; I have been to the Singapore location but no others. The ones at Joe's are probably catered to the U.S. palate -- extra large, juicy, and fatty -- which is why they're so good.

Paradise Dynasty has eight flavors, my favorite being original, spicy Szechwan, foie gras, and black truffle. I was just there two days ago, en route to spicy curry in Kota Kinabalu. Mmm.

I went to Shanghai thrice to scour the fine-dining establishments, dingy back streets, and everything in between, though was not successful in finding any xiao long bao that I would recommend over these locations. (Ditto for Beijing, Guangzhou, and several other cities in China.)

I haven't given up, though. Perhaps a local could point us in the right direction?

What trips have you taken largely centered . . . to enjoy food of particular city/country?

When you phrase it this way, the answer is, almost all of my trips. Especially Malaysia, India, China, Thailand, and elsewhere in Asia, as well as France and Germany (I have been very pleasantly surprised at some of the modern food options in the latter), as well as major cities like London and New York that offer the best of everything.

we have taken a number of trips to france for the purpose of eating and seeing the michelin green guide sites. the michelin maps(those paper thingies) highlight the towns with 2* restaurants. we would choose an area of france and drive from site to site, then eat in a 2* equivalent. we would usually spend 2 weeks driving from place to place.

My sister and I went on a largely food (and wine) centred trip to France which included the following:

Paul Bocuse***
Pierre Orsi (disappointing)*
Moulin de Mougins*
Le Louis XV (I know, in Monaco, but it is a Ducasse)**
Beurehiesel***
Au Crocodile***
Pierre Gagnaire***
La Mere Brazier*
Le Cinq**
Lasserre**
Jamin*
Taillevent***
L'Angle du Faubourg*
Le Bristol**

plus Phillipe Rochat*** in Crissier

I have included the Michelin ratings at the time of our trip (to the best of my memory)

My sister and I went on a largely food (and wine) centred trip to France which included the following:

Paul Bocuse***
Pierre Orsi (disappointing)*
Moulin de Mougins*
Le Louis XV (I know, in Monaco, but it is a Ducasse)**
Beurehiesel***
Au Crocodile***
Pierre Gagnaire***
La Mere Brazier*
Le Cinq**
Lasserre**
Jamin*
Taillevent***
L'Angle du Faubourg*
Le Bristol**

plus Phillipe Rochat*** in Crissier

I have included the Michelin ratings at the time of our trip (to the best of my memory)

Which was your favorite?

I didn't do the trip exclusively for the dining, but I once did 5 Michelin Stars in a single day:

Lunch at the Hostelrie du Cerf in Marlenheim, followed by dinner at L'Auberge de L'Ille in Illhausern.

I think I gained about 12 pounds.

I'll jump in a car to visit a restaurant..

can't say I would jump on a plane just to eat a restaurant for one meal and fly back..

My sister and I went on a largely food (and wine) centred trip to France which included the following:

Paul Bocuse***
Pierre Orsi (disappointing)*
Moulin de Mougins*
Le Louis XV (I know, in Monaco, but it is a Ducasse)**
Beurehiesel***
Au Crocodile***
Pierre Gagnaire***
La Mere Brazier*
Le Cinq**
Lasserre**
Jamin*
Taillevent***
L'Angle du Faubourg*
Le Bristol**

plus Phillipe Rochat*** in Crissier

I have included the Michelin ratings at the time of our trip (to the best of my memory)

And you survived. I'm impressed. How's your liver?

went to philly few weeks ago just to eat at Pats and Tony Lukes

went to philly few weeks ago just to eat at Pats and Tony Lukes

Is Geno's still open since the owner passed away about 10 days ago?

on FT? tons of people. if you have more miles than you can spend on F class, why not?

And you survived. I'm impressed. How's your liver?

Can't do it anymore -- too hard on the wallet and the internal organs.... next trip to France it is one Michelin-starred place and the rest are simpler café's and bistro/brasserie's.

Liver seems to have recovered!! ;)