L' Oliveraie Restaurant: Marseille, France

Visiting France is all about the food. We have all heard about french technique and how good french food is, but have you ever eaten this mythical french food that everyone is raving about? It stands to reason that if you want good french food, a good place to start is in France. The minute we got to Marseille I could understand why it was famous. It's breathtaking. However, I had a mission to eat, and there was no room for failure.

Walking around the port we unsuspecting found an incredibly beautiful little restaurant, that forced us to stop. To be honest I wasn't sure of the name at first but looking at the menu I was certain there was a good time to be had there, plus the set menu came with wine. You couldn't go wrong with that.

My parents aren't exactly the biggest fans of European food. However the food here was undeniably good. There were not subtle flavors. Everything was bold to the point of feeling like an assault on your tastebuds. However, by that time the dish is done and you are wishing for more. Almost, like a culinary Stockholm Syndrome. The best part of eating here was that I felt as though the ingredients were good, but that wasn't the reason the food was amazing. It was in fact the cooking. Someone in that kitchen knew what they were doing. They were looking to take hostages. They wanted to make love in your mouth. Developing flavor is no easy task, however at L' Oliveraie it seemed like effortless art.

This experience was enlightening because it made me truly understand the notoriety of French Food. Good ingredients but better technique. It is how you use those ingredients to carry the products to the next level, to make a cuisine.

If you want to visit this incredibly underrated restaurant while in Marseille, check out there TripAdvisor page. And let me know where you would like to travel just to eat the food, in the comments below.

Achieving A Caribbean Cuisine Michelin Star With Chef Howard

Why doesn't Caribbean cuisine have a Michelin Star? Caribbean food is delicious and comparable to any other international cuisine. However, we haven't been able to obtain that coveted Michelin Star. Chef Jason Howard has decided to rectify this problem. The Barbadian born Chef is a Master of Modern Caribbean Cuisine and has proven with his immaculate plates, that Caribbean food can be invigorating without losing any of its flavor.

A quick scroll through his Instagram, and your mouth will water. Chef Howard's plating is impeccable. With a true talent for color, he creates fascinating visuals which elevates the food into  works of art. By reading the descriptions to these wonderful creations, it is obvious that highlighting seafood and common Caribbean ingredients is of the utmost importance.

As lovely as this all sounds, you have a part to play. Chef Jason Howard may have the skills and the vision but its our job to ensure this dream becomes a reality. He has started a gofundme campaign to help fund this endeavor and it is our responsibility to make this happen. This restaurant will be an incredible accomplishment for the Caribbean, showing Caribbean talent at the highest level. Please support this ambitious undertaking here. Even if you can't give financially, share to raise awareness. Chef Howard's ambition needs to be a fulfilled.

Chefette

Chefette is the local fast-food chain in Barbados. They serve everything from burgers and fries to rotis and their upscale section BBQ-Barn even has pork chops and macaroni pie. So we are clear, I love Chefette. There's nothing quite like a Broasted Chicken Bubbie Sandwich on a warm Sunday afternoon on Accra. Its actually one of the things I miss most when traveling. Don't be confused by there signature Broasted Chicken, it is fried chicken just cooked under a pressure fryer. The difference is subtle, but so damn good. Its the definition of crisp on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Now if you visit Barbados and don't go to Chefette, you haven't really visited Barbados. It can only be found here so don't even try to cheat. Their trademark yellow and purple are iconic here and could never be copied with the same success. There are 15 branches spread out around the island so it shouldn't be hard to find one, and when you go, trust me you won't regret it. If you want Bajan Street Cred get the Broasted  Chicken Breast Sandwich, 6 piece Nuggets and Chips with a Mauby. Extra points if you call it a Chicken Bubbie Sandwich. But if theres a special get the Wing Dings. 6 Dings, Chips and a Coke... and the Sauce. Always use the sauce. It makes the meal, its like if hot-sauce and ketchup had a perfect baby.

In conclusion, if you are every hungry in Barbados just go up to a taxi driver and say, "Take me to Chefette" and all will be right with the world. If you want to look them up online, go to www.chefette.com. Find the closest location to you, give them a call and order everything on the menu.

Wally's Smokehouse

Driving around Trinidad my cousin pointed out a smoke house that he wanted to try. A man with impeccable taste for meats, I was instantly intrigued. We passed it at first but on our way back, tired and rather starved we made one of the best decisions I've made in a long time. Stopping at Wally's Smokehouse.

There's a few meats on the menu that I didn't expect like lamb but I guess in Trinidad, lamb is more common than you would expect. But I got the impression these guys knew what they were doing so I went along for the ride. We got chicken, ribs and lamb. A fairly good selection, I'd say. The minute I saw my chicken I knew this was going to be a proper treat. The chicken was cooked perfectly, the skin had a crisp to be in awe of, while the meat wasn't dry at all. I've got to say, my questioning lamb on the menu was a bad call. The lamb were ideally seasoned and impeccably cooked. Delicious.

When I finished my feast of food. We had a chance to talk with the man himself, Wally. Talking to him you knew he cared about what he was doing and everything was a food choice. He chatted about the potatoes he preferred for the fries, how his meat guy cut the lamb too small and how he may know one of my uncles. Only in the Caribbean can you just go for lunch at a random place and realize they know your family. Great Food. Great People. What more can you ask for?

Drift Sushi By Scott Ames

Scott Ames is one of the celebrity chefs in Barbados. He's at every culinary event cooking up a storm and working the crowd. Bento Box at Drift is his standing sushi event usually two Thursdays out of every month.

The sushi is usually a selection of four different rolls: California/Tuna Jalapeño/Salmon Maki/Special Roll. All accompanied by Wakame/Sashimi/Spicy Crab Tofu/Som Tum Salad. It's a lovely plate of sushi goodness that you can always count on to be delectable. I had the Lionfish Maki and it was just what I needed. Lionfish is becoming a delicacy in Barbados and I'm really enjoying the creative ways chefs have been using it. The roll was the perfect combination of exotic yet familiar.

The best thing about Drift Sushi Night is that its just in time to get the weekend started without having to make a huge obligation. Its the perfect opportunity to begin relaxing for the weekend without staying out too late while getting a impeccable plate of food. Especially if you have a packed weekend, its the ideal, casual engagement to meet up with friends during the week.

For more info on their Sushi Nights, go to their Facebook Page and enjoy.

Som Tum Salad/Sashimi on a Bed of Wakame/Spicy Crab Tofu/Lionfish Maki