Culinary Backstreets

Osaka -- Editor’s Note: In the latest installment of our recurring First Stop feature, we asked knife manufacturer and specialist Bjorn Heiberg to share the first bite he goes for when he gets back home to Osaka. Born in Canada and raised in Denmark, Heiberg has been living for the last 32 years in Osaka, where he runs Tower Knives. Open since 2011, his shop offers a curated selection of knives crafted by skilled Japanese artisans. Along with the Osaka location, Heiberg also has a store in Tokyo. Read more

Istanbul -- Finding the best restaurants in Istanbul can be a daunting task – every block feels like it’s littered with kebab shops, bakeries, and diners with attractive steam table displays. But a fair warning to you, dear reader: The döner is most-often dry and poor quality, the baked goods are mass-produced and lackluster, and those steam tables are full of reworked leftovers hidden in bechamel or tomato sauce. Read more

Seoul -- Culinary Backstreets co-founder Ansel Mullins visited Seoul this past summer as part of a research trip for our newest food tours. What he encountered was a literal feast for the senses, from the tang of pickled banchan to the smoky barbecue grills to the crunch of raw crab, Here, Ansel shares some of his favorite food memories and a bit of what we can expect from our new coverage in Seoul. Read more