I am very excited about the next few posts on Italy, as I will be taking you with me to Sicily. You see, I was born in Milan (in the north of Italy), but my family comes from the beautiful island of Sicily and being away from Italy made me realise how much I owe…
Da Bucatino – Rome
I am very happy about today’s post, as I will be reviewing one of my all-time favourite restaurants. It’s not a famous or a starred restaurant, but it serves amazing food. Whenever I travel, I don’t care about fancy places, what I look for in a restaurant is genuine local food. I like places where…
Da Enzo al 29 – Rome
During our recent trip to Rome, we had 3 amazing dinners. I have already shared with you my review of Nonna Betta, a popular restaurant in the heart of the Roman Ghetto that serves amazing kosher and traditional local food. Today, I would like to take you to Trastevere, another area of Rome famous for…
Nonna Betta – Rome
During our recent holiday in Italy, we spent 3 days in Rome. Rome is famous, even among Italians, for its food. It is considered delicious, hearty and the essence of comfort food. And I couldn’t agree more. Needless to say, food was one of the highlights of our short stay and today I will share…
Rome Guide – Italy
Today I will share with you my Rome Guide. Writing a guide about Rome in one single blog post is probably impossible, as there are way too many amazing places to see and things to do, so I will give you some tips and ideas on what to pick, if you only have a…
Milan Guide – Italy
If you have been reading Manu’s Menu for a while, you will probably know that I was born and raised in Milan (or Milano as we say), in Northern Italy. I have always loved my home town, since I was a kid. Every time we used to go on holiday somewhere, I couldn’t wait to…
Venice Guide – Italy
During our recent trip to Italy, we also visited Venice. As the girls had never been there, we thought it would be nice to show them around the most romantic city in the world!
Haru Cooking Class Kyoto – Japan Guide
One of the things I had on my “must-do” list for our Japan holiday was a cooking class. I have always been intrigued about learning other countries’ cuisines and Japanese food is one of my favourites. As we were spending 6 nights in Kyoto, I thought it would be the perfect place to try…
Nishiki Market – Japan Guide
When visiting Kyoto, you must stop by Nishiki Market, a narrow, five block long shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops and restaurants. It has a pleasant and busy atmosphere that is perfect for those who want to explore the variety of culinary delights that Kyoto is famous for!
Tsukiji Market – Japan Guide
When in Tokyo, you cannot miss a visit of Tsukiji Market, a huge wholesale market best known as one of the world’s largest fish markets, handling over 2,000 tons of marine products per day! It is definitely a popular tourist attraction and the market is always very busy.
Japan Guide – Geisha
During our recent holiday in Japan, we got a glimpse of Japanese culture. One of the most interesting aspects of it is the world of geisha. Geisha are professional entertainers who attend guests during meals and other occasions. They are trained in various traditional Japanese arts, such as dance and music. I thought of…
Tokyo – Shinjuku Guide
Today I will take you all around Tokyo, for my series of little guides on the Japanese cities we have visited. I have already shared with you tips on Asakusa and Ueno + Yanaka + Akihabara, so today I will show you around Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Ginza and Marunouchi with this little Shinjuku guide….
Tokyo – Ueno Guide
During our recent trip to Japan, we spent quite a few days in Tokyo. In fact, we started our holiday from Tokyo (at that time we stayed in Asakusa) and we finished it off in Tokyo as well. From there we flew to Italy and we were back a month later, as we stopped…
Takayama Guide – Japan
Takayama was the next city we visited during our Japanese trip. This was one of the most anticipated parts of our itinerary. We had heard a lot about the Takayama Festival, held in spring and autumn. The Spring Festival takes place every year on the 14th and 15th of April and we really wanted…
Chicken Karaage
Chicken Karaage is a classic Japanese fried chicken dish. It’s so popular in Japan that you can find it in all izakaya, depachika, supermarkets and street food stalls. In fact, we had quite a bit of Karaage during our Japanese holiday. One of my most vivid memories of our trip is eating Karaage under the…
Kanazawa Guide – Japan
Kanazawa was the city we visited after Kyoto. I was so sad of leaving Kyoto that I was convinced I would not like Kanazawa. It’s hard to come right after Kyoto. Instead, I am happy to say that Kanazawa is actually very beautiful! It’s not a huge city, yet there are plenty of interesting…
Kyoto Guide – Japan
The other day, I was reading the news when a photo stole my attention. It was the image of a geisha standing on a red bridge and holding a paper umbrella. I immediately knew the picture was taken in Kyoto. In fact, the article stated that Kyoto was recently crowned the most beautiful city in…
Nara and Fushimi Inari Guide – Japan
During our trip to Japan, we stayed 6 nights in Kyoto. We really needed some time to unwind and we didn’t want to move around too much, so we mainly stayed in town. The only time we did venture outside was during our day trip to Nara. Today I will share with you a brief…
Koyasan Guide – Japan
As I have always been very interested in experiencing the traditional side of Japan, Koyasan was high on my list of “must-visit” places. I was very intrigued by other travellers’ stories about it and I really wanted to see it for myself. Koyasan is a little town on top of a mountain, filled with…
Osaka Guide – Japan
Ah! Osaka! I must admit, I had never thought much about it. I don’t know why… probably because I have always been more attracted to the traditional side of Japan and I thought Tokyo would be enough to experience modernity. We were so uninterested that we had even skipped it all together in the first…
Hiroshima Guide – Japan
During our recent trip to Japan, we also visited Hiroshima. The majority of you may not know that I have a Political Science degree, with a major in International History… I love history and I was particularly interested in visiting a place that has become the symbol of the atrocities that wars can cause…
Miyajima Guide – Japan
Miyajima was the second place we visited during our recent trip to Japan. We loved it so much that I thought of writing a little “Miyajima Guide” to invite you to include it in your next itinerary! It is absolutely worth it. Miyajima is a small island in front of Hiroshima (an absolute must visit…
Tokyo – Asakusa guide
During our recent trip to Japan, we spent a few days in Tokyo. It is a huge city and each area has its own characteristics… they are almost separate towns that make up a huge metropolis. Asakusa is completely different to Shibuya or Ginza for example. Even though each place is fascinating, we particularly…
