Daily Pampering: The quintessential Upper West Side brunch

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I try to get to Compass by 11:30, when the restaurant opens. Brunch on the Upper West Side can get crowded quickly, and I enjoy that brief moment when the meal is its most peaceful. This Manhattan neighborhood is popular among brunchers and offers no shortage of choices. Yet, the most interesting by far can be found at Compass, on W. 70th Street, just west of Amsterdam Avenue. Be sure to make a reservation, because you won’t be the only person in the neighborhood to have this idea.

The brunch menu is not expensive: you’ll enjoy an incredible meal for $28. So, why feature it in the Daily Pampering column, which is committed to the decadent? Well, you don’t have to spend a fortune to live the life luxurious, and any local or visitor to Manhattan would be nuts not to sit for a meal here.

The Compass brunch menu is short on choice but not on variety. The first course to be presented to you includes salmon, bread, pastry and sausage. Bite-sized portions of all are presented for the table, obviating the need for difficult decisions. The flavors are incredibly well balanced, and the presentation is meticulous. Dessert is served the same way – small portions of everything. You won’t need to worry about leaving the table with the concern that you missed something delightful.You do have to select an entrée, and it’s a painful experience. You may be able to narrow it down to three or so that turn you on, but finding your way to one is brutal. If you live in the city, you can just go back a few times. I don’t envy tourists, however who don’t have easy access to this restaurant. On my most recent visit (last weekend), I ate the Lobster BLT, the first time I’ve tried it, and I’m glad I did. There are no good choices on the menu – they’re all beyond that.

The service at Compass is flawless. The staff is quiet, efficient and attentive. Dishes are brought at ideal temperatures, and water and coffee flow before you need to ask. I’d suggest a waiter, but that’s unnecessary – they are all fantastic.

You need a dose of pampering? Head out to Compass for a meal. This is among the most enjoyable culinary experiences in Manhattan, the price is downright shocking. Compass has a full menu for dinner, as well, which is not to be missed.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

A snapshot of Hong Kong’s bipolar food culture

by Grant Martin on

More than any other city in Southeast Asia, Hong Kong is a city of contrasts. Traditional Cantonese culture pushes hard against the raging, modern scene, strong scents of the recent British rule are encroached upon by the dominant, Chinese presence, people eat dim sum, seafood, sushi, Mexican, Burger King.

In no place is this contrast more obvious than in the gastronomic scene. Cracking open the Superfuture guide to the city is like opening a Pandora’s box of food delight, with rooftop bars, five star restaurants and haute cuisine leaping forth from every page of the document. Restaurants like The Pawn Shop dish up a dizzying array of delicious western and local food in a setting that’s worth the visit alone, while bars like Wooloomooloo offer a solid steak to accompany a heart-stopping view over Hong Kong Island.

Flip to the other side of the coin and one can find the same spectrum of food in a gritty, salacious setting. Steps from the night markets near Nathan Road, a tented, corner hovel houses two dozen tables circled by a smattering of dirty, uneven chairs. The bathroom, a hole behind a curtain in the back room, is separated from the kitchen by a grease covered piece of corrugated sheet metal and as you pull at the legs on your fresh pepper crab the cockroaches scurry under the corroded circuit breakers next to your table.In the open streets, late night food is a part of the everyday culture, folding tables set up on the streets where efficient, curt waitresses drop off a bucket of dumplings and Stella girls take your order for 22’s of light beer.

Without a doubt, the food and drink is good in either setting. Produce is clean, seafood is beyond fresh and the Chinese have perfected the art of professional eating. In Hong Kong we simply find that the spectrum of options is wider than that in other cities in the far east; in one setting, the true, high end gastronomic can eat foie gras and caviar until the sun comes up, while in another the budget traveler can eat street food and dollar dim sum until his belly fill with happiness.

One should expect nothing less in the spectacular kaleidoscope that we call Hong Kong. Pick up the Lonely Planet World Food Guide (and maybe a roll of Tums) to get your adventure started.

Restuarants may be closed during holidays – International travel tip

by Gadling Staff on

When traveling in Europe over major holidays, you may find the restaurants closed for dinner. Most hotels, even smaller pension-style places, will take pity on you, however, and let you use their kitchen or help you heat up food.

On a recent trip in Annecy, France, we bought delicious pre-made dishes from a gourmet traiteur (deli) and the hotel manager happily heated them for us. We set out a nice table in the hotel bar, shared a glass of champagne with another traveling couple, and the hotel staff brought us slices of Christmas cake for dessert: a wonderful Christmas dinner!

Why we love Hong Kong

by Grant Martin on



Hong Kong is one of those few places in the world that just never gets old. A city rapidly expanding upward and outward, it’s one of the largest cities in southeast Asia, with a thriving cultural scene, solid infrastructure, robust public transportation system and top notch eats. One can spend days in the halls of the Chungking Mansions, stalls in night markets or back alleys of Nathan Road and still not absorb a sliver of culture.

And that’s why we love it. Each time we come back to Hong Kong there’s another facet of history or culture to explore, from the raucous horse racing mob in Happy Valley to the ultimate frisbee community in Tai Hang Tung to the Dragon’s Back day hike a stone’s throw away from the city. It’s like visiting a new, amazing destination every single time.

So as part of this year’s Chinese New Year celebrations, we went back. No, this wasn’t part of a press trip, a marketing bonanza or a sponsored event — Hong Kong has that sort of personality that automatically draws visitors back, like a good home cooked meal or a soft, down-filled comforter. Its memories stay with you in a way like no other place, growing stronger and finer with time, pulling you back, deeper into its bosom.

Over the course of this week we’ll be telling a few stories from our time in the Pearl of the Orient, from an ode to their public transportation to a look inside of the tradition of Chinese New Year. We hope that you stick around and enjoy the journey.

Feel free to follow along here or check back every day for updates.

Kung Hei Fat Choy!

Souvenirs from the snack stand – Souvenir tip

by Gadling Staff on

Tourist attractions are peppered with refreshment stands where visitors quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger. These stands also present a wonderful opportunity to grab cheap souvenirs.

The majority of tourist attractions offer their goods in reusable cups and containers. These reusable cups and containers can be purchased in most cases for a nominal cost above the cost of the item you’re already purchasing.

Souvenirs like this are great for kids (and for adults). You can buy a frozen drink in a reusable cup, or cotton candy in a reusable bucket, and you have an instant, affordable memento of your trip. Every time you use that cup in the future, you’ll think about the great trip you had!