sazy rock's top 10 tastes of 2015

The tuna auction in Tokyo, Japan.

I have spent most of 2015 traveling to eat in Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia, Thailand, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), and in 20 states in the United States. In fact, after this post goes live, I will be off to Israel and Jordan. Although a few bites have been disappointing, for the most part, it has been a very delicious year (and I suspect will continue to be delicious during the remaining two weeks of 2015).

A memorable lobster dish from Azurmendi in Bilbao, Spain from 2014.
Yes, I still think fondly of this dish to this day.

I've been fortunate to eat an array of food from so many different parts of the world - some I have written about (click on the name and city of the restaurant to get the link to the post) and some I have not. Although I could easily list more than the 10 below, I had to force myself to be disciplined. My list could also change tomorrow. 

top sights to visit in the baltics to see remnants of the ussr

As a child of the 80s, I remember more than Aquanet, Jelly shoes and acid-washed jeans. I also distinctly remember the fall of the USSR. You know, that giant of a country that once had a cold war with the US. If, like me, you hold some kind of weird fascination for the former USSR, you're probably aware that the Baltics (Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia) were made part of the USSR.

Although many traces of the USSR have been scrubbed as much as possible in the Baltics, some people have been trying to preserve some sites to provide a painful but useful reminder to not repeat mistakes of the past.

These sites are a perfect reminder of that painful period in the Baltics.

traveling the baltics with ecolines

How easy is it to travel around the Baltics? Very.

A comfortable journey.

Obviously, one can fly between the main hubs (e.g., Vilnius to Tallinn). Although that is a quicker way to travel, a cheaper but still comfortable way to go is via bus. Ecolines is a company that provides seamless travel in the Baltics region. 

restaurant review: moon in tallinn, estonia

Moon.

Once again, my buddy, Mel, had recommended a restaurant and he sent me to a place called, Moon. Located outside the old town in a residential area, it was a nice walk to see what was outside the old city walls. 

The Scene

Of all the restaurants I've visited, Moon had the most local diners I have ever seen during my stay in Tallinn. It was also the most lively. When I first arrived, there were already several diners there. Throughout the course of my meal, every single table became filled with people. People also came and went to pick up food.

Inside Moon when I first walked in.

restaurant review: ö in tallinn, estonia

Outside Ö.

Restaurant Ö, pronounced ou with lips pursed, apparently means "night" because the "O" has 2 dots. I suspect it's also called Ö because they only have dinner service. 

Anyway, I went to Ö while visiting Tallinn during a much needed holiday because my interwebs research revealed that this place served good food. My pal, Mel, a former resident and still frequent visitor of Tallinn also recommended the place. With a personal and Internet recommendation, I was more than happy to check it out.

restaurant review: leib in tallinn, estonia

Leib.

My interwebs research of good places to dine in Tallinn brought me to Leib. I heard many good things about the food and the chef so I thought it would be a good place to check out.

Below are my thoughts.

The Scene 

Located adjacent to a Scottish garden -- there were busts of Sean Connery and Robert Burns in the garden -- I suspect the place would have been a perfect place to dine during warm days and nights. Alas, I was there in the dead of winter and all I got was an icy, wet and muddy garden.

travel zen on friday: tallinn, estonia

The sign on the wall appears to say it all for travelers like me.

restaurant review: neh in tallinn, estonia

Neh.

During a recent solo trip to beautiful Tallinn, I researched a whole bunch of places to check out while there. Many of the sites on the interwebs spoke highly of Neh, which, one of the servers told me, means "yes" in Muhu Island, the place where its parent restaurant is located. A friend, Mel, also highly recommended it. 

So, after a long day of checking out the Kadriorg district, I decided to dine in the Rotterman district where Neh was located.

restaurant review: mekk in tallinn, estonia

Mekk.

I was very excited to check out the dining scene in Tallinn. I've heard plenty of good stuff. I heard comparisons to Scandinavian cuisine due to its proximity and history with those countries. That may be true -- I have yet to visit Scandinavia -- but I thought Estonian cuisine definitely had similarities to those of its Baltic states neighbors -- i.e., lots of rye bread and Baltic seafood.

My first taste of Estonian cuisine came in the form of the food served at Mekk, which, I was told, was short for the Estonian language equivalent of Modern Estonian Cuisine. Located in the outskirts of the old town near Freedom Square, it was easy to find and get to. Below are my thoughts.