For years, I was frustrated with how difficult and tedious it was to research restaurants when I was planning trips. Sure, Yelp has become the go-to site/app for recommendations in the States. But go abroad and it’s a completely different story. Other countries have their own kinds of Yelp that many of us probably don’t even know about. Throw in language barriers and you’ve got yourself a real headache.
I wanted to create a site that would have all of the dining information you would want and need when planning a trip. To achieve this, the journalist in me wanted to go directly to the source. Even for vacations within the States, I was honestly getting tired of reading reviews written by people whom I didn’t know and whose judgment I felt I ultimately couldn’t trust. So who better to ask about the best local places to eat and drink in any given city than the renowned chefs and food experts who live and work there?
My hope for you, the reader, is that you come away from these interviews and feature articles with not only some great dining recommendations for your next visit, but also a greater understanding of the food and drink landscape in these fabulous cities. Eats Abroad debuted in September 2014 with interviews for Vancouver, Canada and then Chicago, Illinois. It now features dining recommendations for cities in six countries, and we plan on continuing to bulk up our content in locations across both the Pacific and the Atlantic.
From the bottom of my belly, thank you for visiting Eats Abroad in its early stages. I hope you have as much fun exploring this site as I have creating it!
Keep on eating,
Alyssa Kim
P.S. A big “thank you” to all of the chefs in Vancouver whom I contacted and who happily answered my many questions. I didn’t even have a website to show at the time, but you enthusiastically accepted my interview request and in return, provided amazing insider suggestions that I know will only enhance anyone’s experience in your beautiful city. I cannot thank you enough for helping me start this site.
About Alyssa:
Alyssa has been a journalist for 10 years, working most recently as a video journalist/producer at The New York Times. Previously, she worked on various shows for The Travel Channel, PBS, NBC, MSNBC and ABC. Raised in central Massachusetts, she’s a proud graduate of Northwestern and Columbia universities and has had the privilege of calling Seattle, New York City, Chicago, London, and Washington, D.C. “home” over the past decade. She’s now back in her beloved Massachusetts, residing in Somerville, just outside of Boston.
Banner image: Mocha from Thomas Haas, Vancouver, BC
