International Food Scene

Tokyo’s Latest Dessert Craze

Mochi creams, some of the most luscious sweets to hit dessert-obsessed Tokyo, are made with steamed mochi rice formed into balls that hide whipped cream plus other fillings like caramel pudding, banana, chocolate, green tea and red sweet potato.

Movie and Museum Meals

Cuisine and culture are moving closer together. At Newseum in Washington, DC, Wolfgang Puck offers iconic dishes like grilled pizza at The Source. In Athens, Georgia, at The National, Hugh Acheson’s savory tapas are served in the same building that houses art-movie theater Ciné. And this fall, Charles Phan and Loretta Keller will prepare pan-Californian dishes at San Francisco’s newly renovated Academy of Sciences.

New Zealand Wine News

Hawke’s Bay, the world-class wine region on New Zealand’s North Island, has a fabulous new hotel. The Farm at Cape Kidnappers is a beautiful 24-room lodge that overlooks the Pacific; chef Dale Gartland serves lamb braised in Pinotage from nearby Te Awa Winery (capekidnappers.com).

Shanghai’s New Star Chef

Top Singaporean chef Justin Quek has launched a mini empire in Shanghai, opening three restaurants in just eight months. At his swank Le Platane, Quek serves a French-inspired version of xiaolongbao (soup dumplings), filling them with foie gras and truffles; his classical French training also comes through in his signature chargrilled côte de boeuf (justinquek.com).

The Greenbrier Goes Modern

As part of its recent $50 million renovation, this historic West Virginia resort radically transformed its 1940s Dorothy Draper-designed Old White Lounge into Hemisphere, which features chef Michael Voltaggio’s globally flavored, playfully modern food, like malted langoustine with beer foam (greenbrier.com).

Frankfurt Classics

Gerbermühle, Frankfurt’s hot new destination, has an illustrious past: It’s where Goethe met his great love, Marianne. Now reopened as a boutique hotel with a beer garden, it’s drawing a chic crowd with classics like sour-milk cheese with caraway seeds (gerbermuehle.de).

Kansas’ New Food Scene

College town Lawrence, Kansas, doesn’t have Berkeley, California’s food cred, but that’s changing. Robert Krause (formerly of Gary Danko in San Francisco), who used to run an illegal restaurant in his Lawrence home, has reopened legally, with stunning dishes like scallops with fire-roasted tomato.

Pebble Beach Food & Wine (March 27–30)

At this celeb-studded tasting event, stars like Michael Mina and Jacqes Pépin will cook alongside 200 wine producers, including cult names Harlan Estate and Kosta Browne (pebblebeachfoodandwine.com).

Posh Poutine

Chefs in the U.S. have adopted this beloved Quebecois junk food, a delectable combination of French fries, gravy and fresh cheese curds. At Inn LW12 in Manhattan, poutine is dressed up with braised beef, Stilton and red wine sauce. At San Francisco’s Salt House, it’s made with a short-rib gravy and local cheddar curds.