Istanbul

Kofte at the Pudding Shop, a lively place not far from the touristy, but well-located Sultanahmet neighborhood. The food, while not at all sophisticated was cheap and satisfying, and the mix of people frequenting the place made it a lot of fun. FYI - this used to be the HQ of stoner hippies on their way to Nepal, etc, and nowadays draws wi-fi warriors...

Buttermilk pancakes with raspberry coulis and cinnamon whipped cream at the Four Seasons Sultanahmet. Top.

Exclusive! Le Fooding 2009 guide!

I was lucky enough to be the first to purchase the new Le Fooding 2009 guide on sale exclusively this morning at Colette.

When I arrived, I braved a huge crowd of people waiting in front of the boutique who turned out to be there to purchase a hot new pair of trainers..... I was the only one there for the guide (which had to be asked for, and was hidden away in a storage room....)

The 218 page guide is certain to turn heads, as it is printed in exactly the same format, on the same paper, and with the same typeface as the cutting edge MONOCLE magazine.......

The selection of restaurants is very similar to the past eight years, with additions of all the restaurants you'd find on the fooding website or Figaroscope since, such as :Le 21, Guilo Guilo, La Bigarrade, Max y Jérémy, Itinéraires, Grannie, Le Cul de Poule, Supernature, NapoliParis, Urbane, Zoé Bouillon, Cha Cha, Pizza Chic, Les Parisiennes, Mama Shelter, Quedubon,La Bulle, Les Petites Sorcières, ETC, Miroir, La Table d'Eugène, Sobane, Le Floors, La Pizzetta, Coco & Co,