By Christina Newberry

On Isla Mujeres, a small island off the coast of Cancun, there are a surprising number of top-notch restaurants. Foodies can dig into homemade pasta, impossibly fresh ceviche, inventive fusion fare, and, of course, mouth-watering Mexican standards cooked with love by grandmothers and church ladies, at taco stands and in the town square.

But the best dinner in town is not in a restaurant as such. Instead, it’s hidden away in a quiet courtyard, where Lolo Lorena, a Belgian national who’s lived on the island so long she’s considered a local, hosts guests for sumptuous five-course feasts at a shared table in the supper-club style that’s sweeping major cities.

On this tiny island, you don’t have to know a secret handshake or have an “in” to get a seat at this most coveted table – though you do have to book in advance (by November, Valentine’s Day is sold out). You just have to give Lolo a call.

What makes Lolo’s table special is the feeling that one is not a customer, but a guest. Chatting through a three-hour meal with up to 15 strangers in Lolo’s courtyard decked with fairy lights, exotic plants, and treasured items from her travels around the world is a way to make quick island friends.

The night I find myself at Lolo’s, there are 13 of us at the table: six Canadians, five Americans, and two Brits. What we all have in common is a love of Isla Mujeres, and a sense of excitement about the food we are about to consume. With two options for each course, no one is disappointed. Lolo has even created a special menu for me, a vegetarian. After weeks of Mexican rice and black beans, I am treated to rich flavors in a custom green bean, tomato, potato appetizer, three exquisite gnocchi (served with a tiny fork), tart and spicy Thai salad, and vegetable terrine, while others feast on lobster tail and crab legs, or decadent moussaka. For dessert, an embarrassment of riches: sorbet, candied nuts, an apple tart, meringue with cream and, for each of us, a delicate lollipop, made of a hard-candy-coated fresh grape.

As each course emerges from Lolo’s tiny kitchen, the conversation stops for a moment as the group oohs and ahhs in unison. Then, as each person takes a first tiny bite, the looks of shared pleasure cross the table, everyone smiles, and we dig in.

If you go: Lolo Lorena’s courtyard supper table is located on Rueda Medina on Isla Mujeres. It can be a bit tricky to find from the downtown tourist area, but you’ll need to contact Lolo to book your reservation, and she can give you detailed directions. You can reach Lolo by e-mail at lololorena@hotmail.com, and find her online at lololorena.com. Five-course meals are $30USD-$40USD per person (yes, really, for five courses!). To-die-for mojitos are $5, and you can bring your own wine.

By Christina Newberry

When you're travelling, especially if you're in a place where you don't speak the language very well, it can be difficult to find "authentic" places to eat – spots where you might actually see a local (and pay local prices). But on a recent trip to Mexico, I discovered an easy way to get a taste of cheap, local fare – check out the town square.

In the evenings, the town square in Isla Mujeres is a local gathering place. Framed by the local church, a basketball court, and the supermarket, it's the hub of activity, especially on Saturday evenings. Once dusk falls, the vendors emerge, selling food of every variety – some made right on the spot, and some carefully transported from home kitchens. We decided we had to make a meal of their creations.

After whetting our appetites with fresh-made tacos and Mexican-style corn on the cob, we approached a cart where a couple was hard at work. The woman was working dough with her hands and cooking it in oil while her husband, in a carnival-barker voice, called patrons over to have a look. We approached, and asked the man in our limited Spanish what his wife was making.

He answered in English: "Cheese and banana." This sounded like a decidedly un-Mexican dish, and a peculiar combination. Plus, we saw no sign of any bananas on or near the cart. I asked again, just to confirm that I'd heard correctly: "Cheese and banana?"

The man nodded vigorously: "Si, cheese and banana." Well, we figured, we might as well give it a try. For 10 pesos (about US$1), how could we go wrong? We gave the man our coins, and he handed over one of the hot, doughy creations. I took a bite. There was cheese, yes, but definitely no banana. Puzzled, but loving whatever it was we were eating, we gobbled up our gooey treat. As I took the last bite, I finally realized what it was, and what the vendor had really been saying: Not cheese and banana, but cheese empanada!

We rounded out that night's enormous meal with sweet Mexican bread and deep-fried bananas with cream. It wasn't exactly a health-conscious meal, but it was local, delicious, and cheap – the grand total for two: $6. Rubbing our bellies contentedly, we walked home along the seawall. The next night, of course, we went back to the square – this time for churros and homemade flan.

If you try it:
Most street food items (from tacos, to flan, to those tasty empanadas) go for 10 to 20 pesos, depending on the size of the serving and how many tourists frequent the area (more tourists = higher prices). The servings look small, but they’re filling. If you want to try more than a few items, plan to share.

Photo Credits: "Real Deal Taco Stand" by JBlaze B; "Making Empanadas" by Chiot's Run; "Empanada" by bunnicula. All via Flickr (Creative Commons).

The gastropub phenomenon has inspired very mixed feelings amongst Brits. Some think it has reinvigorated pub culture and dining, whilst others believe it has stripped traditional boozers of their unique character.

One recent restoration that has been lovingly undertaken is that of The Orange on London's Pimlico Road. A year ago The Orange was a bit of a dark old flea pit; granted, it was atmospheric, but it was beloved of old timers who would sit embracing a pint for hours on end. Now it heaves with Chelsea's smart young things and you have to book in advance to guarantee a table in one of the bright and airy dining rooms.

The food at The Orange is simple and delicious. The wood fired pizzas are fantastically thin and crispy with delicious toppings such as spiced salami with artichokes and mushrooms, and torn chicken with pancetta, sage and pecorino. Salads are generous and come bursting with scrumptious ingredients. There is also a good selection of mains such as rib-eye steak, slow cooked shoulder of pork and herb crusted salmon.

Part of the restoration at The Orange included adding four simple and chic boutique bedrooms. Rates start at £155 + VAT per night, but that doesn't include breakfast. If you get well and truly stuck in of an evening it's good to know that you don't necessarily have to schlep home!

The Orange
37 Pimlico Road, London, SW1W 8NE; Tel: +44 207 881 9844; Web: www.theorange.co.uk; Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday 8am to 11.30pm; Friday & Saturday 8am to Midnight; Sunday 8am to 10.30pm.

Photo Credits: Exterior shot by Emma Torry; Food shot via www.theorange.co.uk.

By Helena Iveson

Ah, Venice. The city which has enough romance and magic to entrance even the most hard bitten of tourists, travel fiends who've been around the block more times than you've had hot dinners. But while mind-blowing beauty is on every calle corner, tourists whom are entranced by anything served up at the city's notoriously bad and pricey restaurants are rarer than a cheerful gondolier.

Then Il Ridotto opened on the lively Campo SS. Filippo, and Venice-bound gourmets now have a dining destination that is as much an attraction as the churches and grand squares. If you're organised enough to book way ahead at this intimate and stylish restaurant run by Gianni Bonaccorsi (there are just 6 tables), you'll enjoy Venetian art on your plate.

The chef personally welcomes you to his pared-back refuge from the crowds and visits each table to explain the menu which changes daily, depending on what he found at the city's Rialto Market. After an amuse-bouche of a perfectly plump prawn on a bed of truffled mashed potato, the first course arrived without any fuss, and when we tasted the fabulously rich homemade tagliolini with a surprisingly light Fassone beef ragu, the fireworks began. The secondo (which incidentally is the same size as the first so pace yourself) was squid stuffed with scampi and prawns in a clam sauce and was as colourful as a Venetian carnival mask.

For dessert, the deliciousness of the chocolate tart with its oozing soft centre kept us digging in, even though we were as stuffed as the squid, and after that it was a pleasure to sit back at our table by the window and sit, Murano glass in hand, and have an unobstructed view of the kitchen at work. It was just Bonaccorsi and a younger apprentice, and there was no Gordon Ramsey-style theatrics, but instead a calmness and creativity at play that set the tone for the rest of the restaurant. Our bill for two was €100 with half a bottle of wine: for Venice and for this quality, that was a bargain.

Il Ridotto
4509 Castello, Campo SS Fillippo, Venice, Italy 30122; Tel: +39 041 520 8280; Web: www.ilridotto.com.

Photo Credits: Venetian Gondolas via iStockPhoto.com, Il Ridotto via www.ilridotto.com.

By Helena Iveson

"This is the Roman way, don't worry," Italian chef Daniela del Balzo said cheerfully, as she reversed her Fiat 500 the wrong way up a one-way street. Not that she could really see out of the window anyway, as the boot was full of delicious goodies that we were taking back to her stylish apartment in a ritzy area on Aventine Hill near the Colosseum to cook for lunch.

Daniela's irreverent charm made the time we spent with her, learning to buy and cook as real Romans do, the highlight of a recent trip to Rome. We'd just spent an hour in Testaccio Market, where generations of Italians have gone to shop since it opened in the 1800s, sniffing, tasting and elbowing the weak out the way to get the freshest and most perfect food possible.

The neighbourhood is a working-class stronghold known as Rome's stomach – it is here that you would have once found the city's slaughterhouses, but they've been closed down and transformed into chi-chi art galleries and apartments as the area undergoes galloping gentrification. Daniela explained that she'd recently taken celebrity chef Gary Rhodes around the market and he'd been poking and prodding the produce just like any good Roman housewife.

The market's 50 or so stalls include the freshest glistening fish on display at a fishmongers that proudly displays a picture of Italian legend Marcello Mastroianni, the stall holder's cousin; picture-perfect fruit and vegetables such as shredded chicory and ready-trimmed artichokes that looked as though they were dug out the ground that morning; plus one of the best selections of cheese, ham and meat that you will find in all of Italy.

After lugging our bags into Daniela's apartment, over espresso and biscotti and with Italian opera on in the background, she talked us through the menu which included both local and Neapolitan dishes from her hometown.

While Daniela poured us a generous glass of prosecco, we made some snacks to get us in the mood: bruschetta and prunes wrapped in bacon, a rich courgette frittata and slices of Bresaola topped with ricotta cheese and arugula. Daniela encouraged us to taste, seasoning and pouring on extra-virgin olive oil at will, which had been made from groves at her family's holiday home in Abruzzo. Then we started on our pasta course of fettuccine with artichokes and pasta with Broccolo Romano. The thought of the last dish did make my heart sink as the vegetable was described as a combination of broccoli and cauliflower which aren't exactly must-orders for me, but once it was braised with anchovies and made creamy with pecorino, I could have licked the bowl.

Our main course was Involtini alla Romana, strips of veal rolled up with prosciutto and celery and braised in a white wine and marjoram sauce. Oh, and tiramisu to finish, followed by more coffee, biscotti and chocolates. Or at least I think that's where we finished, as Daniela generously topped up our wine whenever we weren't looking.

After we bade farewell, with heartfelt kisses and thanks and promises to come again, we walked - or rather staggered - down Aventine Hill armed with our recipes, feeling like we didn't need to eat again until we next returned to Rome.

Testaccio Market is open everyday bar Sunday from 6.30am – 2pm.
For more details of Daniela's Cookery School contact Context Travel (www.contexttravel.com).

For fab Portuguese food in Macau - and a whiff of former times in this small S.A.R - look no further than the institution that is Restaurante Fernando.

The eponymous owner has been serving up home-style cooking at his rustic, low-key restaurant for over 15 years. Not only is the food well worth coming for, but Fernado's location - in a corner of sleepy Coloane island - will give you a taste of a completely different Macau from the whirl of construction and bright lights on the Cotai Strip.

Fernando's laid-back attitude extends to its reservation policy: you can't book. If you're planning a visit over the weekend or on a public holiday arrive before 12:30pm or you'll have to wait in a long queue of hungry diners; Fernando's is unrelentingly popular.

If you end up having to wait, it's worth it, as the food is excellent. Grilled garlicky gambas, succulent roast chicken, juicy tomato salad, delicious clams, bread that homesick Europeans will go weak at the knees over, and so the list goes on. Prices are very reasonable, expect to pay about HKD 200 per person for more food than you can manage and a stream of beer, wine and sangria.

If miraculously you do save some space, Lord Stow's Bakery - another Macanese institution - is just around the corner in Coloane Main Square. The bakery's Portuguese-style egg tarts have a cult following that stretches way beyond Coloane's shores.

Restaurante Fernando, Praia de Hac Sa No. 9, Coloane, Macau; Tel: +853 2888 2264.

Lord Stow's Bakery, 1 Rua da Tassara, Coloane Town Square, Macau; Tel: +853 2888 2534; www.lordstow.com.

Check us out over at WanderFood Wednesday.

By Helena Iveson

Is there a more food-obsessed city than Kuala Lumpur? Malaysia's ethnic blend of Chinese, Malay and Indian has made Kuala Lumpur Asia's capital city of gluttony. "We are truly a food-mad country," says Honey Ahmad, co-founder of local food blog Fried Chillies. "Eating is what unites us. When we talk about food, it transcends race and religion and breaks down barriers."

Fasting for a few days before arrival might be a good idea as something else that unites locals is a love of carbs, from Indian roti bread to Malaysian favourite Hokkien mee noodles. But dining out in Kuala Lumpur, whether it be at the street-side stalls which line the city or in one of the many air-conditioned malls, is the city's greatest pleasure and staggeringly inexpensive.

Your first stop in KL should be night market Jalan Alor, near Bukit Bintang, the neon-lit nightlife centre. The street used to be a red light district but is now a family-friendly destination where spice and sauce comes from flaming woks.

Take a wander through the stalls and feast on the sight of hungry diners perched on rickety stools, waiting for their char siew barbequed pork or steaming plates of chilli fried squid to arrive amongst the clatter of woks.

Stalls to look out for include Jalan Alor Nasi Lamak Stall at the road's junction with Changkat Bukit Bintang. Carnivores will devour the meltingly rich beef rendang, where the meat is stewed in thick coconut milk for a day. Locals eat it with sambal kerang – a chilli and cockles paste – on the side. If you have room for more meat, don't miss out on the fabulous Wong Ah Wah chicken stall at the end of the road – just look out for the queue of fans waiting for their wings.

Where: Jalan Alor, Off Jalan Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Photo Credits: beef rendang - ready to simmer by smashz, NL - dishes by babe_kl via Flickr (Creative Commons).

By Helena Iveson

One of the best things about Beijing is the mouth-watering food, but recreating delicious dishes like steamed ribs with fermented soybeans and dry stir-fried green beans at home can be difficult – unless that is, you went to a Hutong Cuisine cooking class during your visit.

Professional cook Chun Yi, who speaks perfect English, holds informal and fun classes everyday from her home, where she teaches a selection of her favourite dishes from the Sichuan province, home to some of China's spiciest and most memorable dishes.

Don't worry if the nearest you've been to cooking Chinese food is cracking open a fortune cookie, as Chun Yi starts with the basics. First thing in the morning there's an optional market tour where she will talk you through the myriad of different vegetables available in China, covering everything from choosing cai xin or cai sum for blanched vegetable dishes, to what the different types of soy bean pastes are used for.

Once you've returned to her courtyard home, just off one of Beijing's trendiest hutong alleys, the aprons go on and the knives come out. Classes are kept to a maximum of six people, each of whom has their own cooking space around a big table. It's a good job there's plenty of room as Chun Yi teaches you how to wield a fearsome looking cleaver.

Once you've mastered knife skills, the real fun begins and after four hours you'll have cooked three different dishes and, if you're anything like me, will have eaten everything with gusto. Well, you've been slaving in the kitchen for a few hours – you deserve it, right?

Cooking classes cost 180RMB per person for 4 hours and every day there is a different menu. Check Chun Yi’s website for details, www.hutongcuisine.com.

For more posts about Beijing, click here.

Photos by Helena Iveson.

A great recommendation for lovers of all things spicy in Hong Kong; Chilli Fagara on Graham Street.

A hotbed for fiery Szechuan-style food, diners can pick from a "numbing", "burning" or "neutral" menu. Make sure you try their house specials: baby squid, pork slices, lamb shank, chilli jumbo prawns, chilli crab (unbelievably good) and mandarin fish. The braised aubergine and minced pork wraps are fantastic too.

To keep prices down (this place is not expensive anyway) you can bring your own bottle and pay corkage.

A fun place to take over with a group of friends or to come with just a few. The restaurant is small with room for about 20 covers, so make sure you book in advance.

The restaurant is very low-key, you could blink and miss it on Graham Street. There's no sign outside so look for the place with dried chillies around the door and a cosy, red interior.

Chilli Fagara: Shop E, G/F, 51A Graham Street, Central, Hong Kong. Tel: +852 2893 3330; www.chillifagara.com.

Photo: Red chilli by wetwater via Flickr (Creative Commons)

Everyone has a Paris that they fantasise about. Some dream of dining in candlelit bistros, others hanker after markets heaving with cheeses and warm baguettes, perhaps you imagine getting lost in a maze of old streets, stumbling upon delicious patisseries and hidden courtyards.

The sad truth is that whatever your particular Paris fantasy is, it's hard to find in reality. The City of Lights is a big and busy capital: tourists swarm, noses in guidebooks, from The Louvre to the Musée d'Orsay to the Eiffel Tower to the Champs Elysees to Montmartre. Getting off the beaten track is no mean feat. Many of the city's rarest treats are almost impossible to find, eluding even the most avid of guidebook writers behind unassuming doors.

So, what if for €175, less than the cost of a pair of Parisian Louboutins, you could find your fantasy? Richard Nahem, a native New Yorker, has been living in Paris for three years with one mission: to show people the city he loves and the one that tourists seldom see. From the moment he made the move to France he was inundated with requests from friends and acquaintances to show people the "real" Paris and now he's made a business of it, Eye Prefer Paris Tours, which dovetails with the places that he features on his blog Eye Prefer Paris.

Richard's tours cater to a maximum of 6ish people so you're guaranteed a personalised experience. Based on clients' interests tours take a specific theme – e.g. shopping, markets and gourmet food, architecture and culture. Standard tours (€175) last three hours, those looking for more can extend to a full day, three days or a week if needs be.

Most tours centre on the Marais district, Richard's home and area of expertise, which spreads across the third and fourth arrondissements. Le Marais is one of Paris's most impressive areas, packed with 16th and 17th century private mansions, secret courtyards, neighbourhood restaurants, outstanding patisseries and traditional ateliers. Unless you know where they are however they all too easy to miss, chances are you'll be swallowed up instead by the tourists who flock to the district's famous gay bars and kosher restaurants.

Richard describes the perfect three hours in Paris as exploring the Place des Vosges (the oldest square in the city, dating back to 1605); stopping for a coffee and a pastry at one of the best patisseries in town; visiting a chocolate shop where you can buy all the chocolate sculptures you could ever dream of; uncovering a secret garden where wild roses grow unchecked; soaking up impressive 16th and 17th century architecture and exploring former private mansions.

Food lovers can look forward to Paris's Bastille food market (the city's biggest), gourmet food shops and the inside scoop on where to eat. Die-hard shoppers will feel lightheaded at the prospect of speciality shops, exclusive to Paris, where you can pick up organic cosmetics, stashes of handcrafted jewellery, piles of pashminas and Parisian couture. Culture vultures can sate themselves on Richard's expert knowledge of the history behind the city's streets, buildings and gardens.

As Richard puts it, "I'm here to fulfil peoples' Paris fantasy" - everyone dreams about Paris and whether your version includes ateliers and authentic restaurants or palaces and patisseries, Richard's goal is to find you exactly what you've been looking for.

For more information on Richard's tours and to contact him please visit Eye Prefer Paris Tours.

There's plenty of chow in the Big Mango and it's cheap, delicious and super fresh. Here's a handful of recently discovered gems.

DECK BY THE RIVER, ARUN RESIDENCE

What? Great food on a luscious wooden deck above the Choapraya River. Deck by the River overlooks the mighty Wat Arun so you can soak up some culture whilst you wolf down your lunch. What could be better? Choose from a Thai or a Western menu. Delicious spring rolls, tom kha gai and salads. 1000 baht ($30) for lunch for two.

Where? 36-38 Soi Pratoo Nok Yoong, Maharat Road; +66 2221 9158.

LE LYS

What? Simple, filling, good Thai food washed down with cold Singha beer (no wines available). Sit on tables around a grassy courtyard amidst posters of the 2007 French rugby team and St. Tropez. One guidebook says it feels more like a dinner party here than a restaurant, and it's easy to see why, Ly Lys is a very laidback, friendly place.

We gorged on spicy carrot salad, aubergine and shrimp salad, green curry and red curry, plus plenty of Singha for 845 baht ($26).

Where? 104 Soi 7, Th Narathiwat Ratchanakharin; +66 2287 1898.

EAT ME

What? Slick and sexy, this "art restaurant" is both hip and delicious. Enjoy great Australian / Pacific Rim food on an outdoor terrace cooled by overhead fans, or sit inside underneath work by Bangkok artists.

Wet your whistle with a cocktail then dive straight into the starters; we chose mountain bread nachos with salsa and lentil and sesame soup. No rest for the wicked, next up was a feta, lentil, green been, tomato and paprika salad and salmon steak with capers, broad beans and lemon zest pulp.

All this and a good wine list. 2,700 baht ($83) for two people, two courses, plus wine.

Where? 1/6 Soi Pipat 2, a small street off of Convent Rd. just south of Silom Rd; +66 2238 0931.

BED SUPPERCLUB

What? Super stylish space-esq party pod. A favourite amongst well-healed expats with surprisingly good food. 1,750 baht ($54) buys you a three course set menu and entertainment galore.

Tomato and coriander soup was chased in by a waitress dressed as a rat (it being Chinese New Year). Then came a duck salad accompanied my Monsieur and Madame Massage who, for 200 baht, pummel your pressure points and ease away your aches. A quick rubdown was followed by sirloin steak then a mango, ginger and pomegranate sorbet. One treasure hunt later and in came a chocolate brownie with ice-cream and raspberries. The meal was rounded off by dragon dancers and acrobats performing vertigo-inducing feats to celebrate the year of the rat.

Non-stop entertainment plus supine supping and, if you’re feeling really energetic, an adjoining club pumping out house music.

Where? 26 Soi 11, Th Sukhuvmit

THE BLUE ELEPHANT COOKING SCHOOL

What? Where better to master the art of Thai cuisine than in the country’s crazy capital? ½ day or whole day courses with menus that change daily. Visit a market, watch fish have their heads ripped off and meet water beetles that smell of mangoes, go back to the school and get stuck in. Four courses, four classes, four chances to cook it yourself. When it’s all over you go downstairs and feast on the fruits of your labour.

Where? 233 Th Sathon Tai; +66 2673 9353; ½ day classes cost 3,250 baht.