On our final morning, before the drive to Palm Cove, we had effectively run out of home breakfast options. Given we were flying to Lizard Island the next morning, it wasn't necessary to get more muesli and milk. A quick local search found the Turtle Rock Cafe, with its outdoor/covered seating areas, and even a pool table and table tennis table that would have been a nice way to waste a few evening hours had we discovered it earlier.

- Vegetarian Brekky Roll (hash brown, avo, haloumi, tomato chutney, aioili sauce) $13.5
- Pie

On a warm day (which is probably most days) up at Cape Tribulation in the Daintree, there's a few options. Obviously there's the ocean, but inland there are the swimming holes at Emmagen Creek and Mason's Swimming Hole.

Emmagen Creek is well rated, and we tried to get there with our very small hired Suzuki Swift. Although the start was promising, it turns into an offload. A short partway through, we were passed in the opposite direction by a huge number of utes. One of them stopped and told us our plans to continue on that road weren't reasonable (or stupid even). Given the slow speed we were going and the huge holes ahead, we smartly turned around.

Surprisingly (or maybe not to some people), we went to nearby Mason's instead. After an actually delicious lunch, the swimming hole was very pleasant too. Not busy, warm enough, reasonable entry spots into the water, and some fish swimming around too. Very nice.

- Emu burger - a low fat, distinctly drier type of beef mince, with a slight game flavour;
- Crocodile burger (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, seafood sauce) $24 - like a moist, chunky chicken mince;
- Black sapote smoothie - texture like creamy avocado, with a chocolate taste. Unique and delicious.

Lots of crunchy fries accompanied in typical Queensland fashion. Overall I thought this was a delicious meal and would happily go back for food, being one of the fewer places that serves game meat, and also a nice pleasant swim.

The tropics of Queensland mean you can sample the fruit that I normally associate with South-East Asia but in Australia. Although having said that, finding tropical fruit itself to buy and eat fresh was very challenging and few places sold it, which was a shame.

At least this place has some nice options for local gelato flavours.

The signature cup is a bargain at 4 scoops/flavours for $7.5.

Wattleseed tasted similar to almond/hazelnut. Jackfruit had an overripe sweetness to it. Coconut was only mild but with a more distinct aftertaste. Passionfruit was ok and a bit tangy. Overall creamy gelato.

Soursop lemonade sorbet more watery.

Would go back for the generally good quality and interesting flavours.

- Courty Seafood Plate (grilled barramundi, green lip mussels, QLD scallops, coconut prawns, lemon pepper calamari, chilled smoked salmon, oysters, whole prawns, chips & dipping sauces) $55.

I have to admit it was quite an underwhelming meal. Tiger prawns were good and oysters sweet. Scallops were overcooked, shriveled, tiny and tasteless. Fish was a slim cut and well overcooked. Coconut prawns fried until too dark. Great chips as everywhere in Queensland. Slaw standard.

Wouldn't come back. Or at least wouldn't order it again.

After arriving in Cairns airport and picking up our rental vehicle, the first stop was a drive to Palm Cove. It was a very windy afternoon and the lovely beach was offset somewhat by blustery winds and sand. But like all good beach areas, there has to be a fish and chippery.

They have a simple menu but one that allows fish (battered, grilled or crumbed) and a small selection of fresh local fish to pick from.

The first time was a classic battered barramundi $20. The fish had good flavour and did not have a strong fishy sense. The chips were really excellent - something I soon discovered to be a constant in Queensland. Super salad (kale, broccolini, mint, avocado, quinoa, pepitas, sunflower seeds, Spanish onion, tahini dressing) $14 was nice and balanced. Kaffir lime aioli $2.5 wasn't that necessary but a bit of balance.

The second time a week later, I decided to try the meal deal Lucky Box (battered fish, lime pepper calamari, crumbed prawn cutlets, chips) $33. I wanted to try crumbed fish as something different to battered and they were happy to accommodate. There was a huge amount of coral trout (4 pieces) although I think they were fried a bit long given the colour. It didn't taste burnt at least though. In hindsight it was too much crumb fried in one box, and so battered would have been better to stick to. And given the first visit, battered is better there overall.

San Francisco has changed a lot since my last visit in 2011. Or maybe I have. Or both.

2011 was staying near the Ferry building, going to Fisherman's Wharf and riding bikes along to the Golden Gate Bridge. 2021 was staying near Union Square, surrounded by homelessness, drug addicts, and people peeing/pooing in plain sight on the street. How it has all turned.

Anyway, from a food point of view I was delighted to find an Uzbek place on Google mapsnear the hostel. And visiting Russia turned on my palate to Uzbek food (https://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/depo-moscow-and-batman-and-uzbeks-moscow-06-2019, https://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/uchkuduk-st-petersburg-06-2019).

There were so many items I wanted to try; lamb, rice and noodles in all their forms. But alas there is only limited stomach space and nowhere to store leftovers.

- Beef somsa (crunchy bun stuffed with lamb, onion, spices) USD6
- Manti (central Asia style dumpling, ground beef, flour, onions, spices) USD18
- Sofi osh (lamb, carrots, onion, rice, raisins, chickpeas, garlic, cumin, black pepper) USD15

Not better than what I had in Russia, but very good nonetheless.

I started to discover the beauty of West African food when living in London (mainly from Nigeria or Ghania). When the opportunity arises to eat it again, I will jump at it. 

Kabba's Kitchen specialises in Senegalese food, which I think was a first for me.

- Thiebou Yapp (lamb and rice topped with onion sauce and vegetables) USD12.5 - delicious and spicy;
- Fataya meat pies (3 deep fried empanada filled with beef and spices) USD 6.95.

A burger after a nearby walk up toward some falls.

- Grilled Veggie & Portobello (swiss, balsamic tomato, squash, basil pesto mayo, whole wheat roll) USD14.5
- High on Fire (Angus beef, fire mayo, candied jalapenos, pepperjack, bacon) USD16.25

We were making the long drive from Yellowstowe to Portland and decided it was best to breakup the journey with a stopover. It was our final night during our several week journey starting from Nashville, south to New Orleans, across to San Diego, then up through the national parks. Finally 10000km would take us to Portland.

We weren't craving any particular food that night, and surely Boise wasn't known for anything particular either. Something that was unique (and walking distance from our Airbnb room) was a burger place that specialises in fries. Or should I say a fries place that also has burgers?

I don't know anywhere that lets you pick your spud (yam, sweet, purple, red, gold, russet) and also lets you choose your cut (regular, curly, homestyle, shoestring). There's also a huge sauce and seasoning station for self-service too.

Burgers-wise we ordered one The Classic (crisp lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickles, smoked special sauce) and The Heat (crisp lettuce, blueberry compote, habaneros, spicy ketchup). I can't remember if we got both beef, or if I tried my hand at bison again. Either way the burgers were nice, The Heat had a heaty sweet creativity to it, and the fries were great.

Would definitely go back (although it's hard to know when I'd be in Boise again...)

It might sound morbid but after seeing all these bison around Yellowstone, including a relatively angry one that was probably way too close to the walking circuit on the way to Hayden Valley, I wanted to try a bison steak. It isn't everyday you come across that opportunity, and could be the last in my foreseeable lifetime.

There were a few places in West Yellowstone with this on the menu, and for no real reason I settled on Old Town Cafe.

Although there were people waiting outside, we only did for a short time. Maybe it's one of the benefits of being tourists and only having 2 of us.

- Bison top sirloin 8oz USD29 - ordered it rare but was served medium rare. Identical to beef with no additional flavour. Not very tender. It came with mash with gravy, beans in sweet tomato, a biscuit.
- Rainbow Trout USD23.95 - a bit overcooked but ok. Potato was chalky and plain. Green beans soft beyond texture. Bread with butter. 
- Salad with garlic croutons. Nice beef vegetable barley soup. Alcoholic 5% Montana huckleberry lemonade was nice also.

Overall a bit disappointing, maybe because the cooking wasn't that good, but also because I had recently had an excellent steak enroute to Zion (https://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/balcony-one-virgin-07-2021).

When all of Yellowstone was booked up and there were limited options nearby, Jared's was still there. The reviews are mixed and the available mini did look tiny. And it was. A single room with a double bed, kettle and little wall TV squished in a way you had to arrange your bags tactically or keep some in the car. But it was comfortable and functional enough for a few days. They also have a shop and this excellent 80s-90s retro games room to keep yourself well entertained.

The restaurant is convenient, but let's be honest. It's not a restaurant. I think the teenager who took our order and the one (same one?) who cooked our food probably hadn't done it before. It was very basic. Food is food sometimes.

I would actually stay here again. I mean, ideally somewhere closer to Yellowstone is better but this is fine and not too far away and much cheaper (and available). But make sure to get food in West Yellowstone instead.

After "checking in" (ie. thinking about how dire it looked but accepting this was it), we went to the Colter Bay main village area to the pay showers (actually a lot better than I anticipated) and then the limited food options which was pizza down the end of the road.

After a short wait for the 18" monster pizza, we drove a short distance to watch the sunset over Jackson Lake, finding a table on the stone beach area. The pizza - average but acceptable. The overall experience - not too bad at all.

After a remarkable morning of hiking the Angel's Landing and The Narrows gorge at Zion NP, a return stopover for icecream on the way back was necessary.

There's 3 icecream places all next to/opposite each other. I can't say which is best, but this seemed the most specialty and "gourmet" of them. Although now I realise it isn't their own - they are stocking/selling Farr Better icecream from Utah.

Huckleberry was a first for me - sweet and a bit tart. And look at the backdrop with which to enjoy it.

For our anniversary we spent the day wandering around some of the lower paths of Bryce Canyon. A few of the major ones were closed due to heavy rain and collapsed areas. There were stories of a few walkers who got stuck down there. Luckily the weather had improved somewhat in the ensuing days for us, and so after wandering through the pillars in amazement, the toughest part was the long slow uphill slog back.

All in a days walking though to prepare for the night meal. For an anniversary, there aren't many occasion restaurants and this highly rated one required a 25min drive all the way around Bryce Canyon, through the tiny town of Tropic, and to what is probably the back end of the canyon.

The restaurant is in a lovely stone house with beautiful photos inside showing the canyon in the best light.

- Grilled Halibut (burnt onion puree, calamari, brown butter fish sauce vinaigrette) USD36;
- Dungeness Crab Mac & Cheese (dungeness crab, cavatappi, chives, old bay bread crumbs) USD26 - this was an exciting dish on the menu however there just wasn't enough crab and was standard in the end.

For reasons that I don't understand, the waitress was pretty sullen. Just to us of course, to other people she would ask how the meal was etc., but she seemed happy to avoid any unnecessities with us.

Overall a disappointing experience.

After witnessing the stunning landscapes of Death Valley along with 48C heat (not to despair, it was 52C the week before), there weren't really many food options in the area. Even though we stayed at Stovepipe Wells, there wasn't a food option there other than the general store (I see now on Google they now have Toll Road restaurant which has remarkable ratings (4.8)), and so after considering instant food, decided instead to head toward the Saloon.

It's part of the "town" complete with accommodation, usually some other restaurants (closed due to Covid/quietness) and some tourist shops. The Saloon itself had some nice character with a lot of wild west memorabilia and some animal heads/skulls. What was also head-busting was the prices - assumably a mark-up given there's no other options than to hunt your own desert food.

Luckily we weren't too hungry or would have shelled out USD58 for the ribs. Instead we ended up with the Borax Team Chili in a bread bowl USD16 and Kale salad (Tuscan kale, roasted brussel sprouts, goat cheese, dried cranberries, red onion, pepitas tossed in a house made maple mustard vinaigrette) USD15. Adequate, expensive and a little small for the price but they are listed as entrees I guess.

Hopefully no need to eat there again!

One of the great South-East Asian breakfasts is pho in Vietnam. It isn't common to have a boiling hot bowl of noodles for breakfast in the western world, but living near a bunch of Vietnamese pho restaurants in Abbotsford means we can do it occasionally too (like for New Year's Day first meal of the year 2022).

After trying Naga Cafe Khmer Street Food noodles the day before, being able to visit PPNS for breakfast at 8am before the drive to Death Valley was very welcome. We definitely weren't the only people with this in mind and it was surprising to see the place so full for a Tuesday.

Cheap prices also with Mo's Special Noodle Soup (ground pork, sliced pork, beef balls) and Rice porridge both large servings for USD8.95. Cha quai USD1.25 and nom sa-kieu (meat bread) USD2.25 rounded out the meal. The food was all warming, hearty, flavoursome and delicious. Once again the noodle soup's pork base was prominent, in comparison to the herb/spice/beef version of pho.

Perfect before for preparing to drive into the hot desert.

I've had a bit of Taiwanese food in London (mainly delicious noodles and flattened fried chicken) and in Taiwan too (although it was less memorable after lots of food in China). My cousin recommended we meet at this place for something modern, popular, ethnic and also catering well to his vegan partner.

In the warm humidity of LA in July, we sat outside with tables setup along the pavement which was pleasant as the sun slowly set.

- Egg rolls (cabbage, onions, carrots) USD6;
- Cucumbers (red chili, soy sauce, sesame oil) USD7;
- Mapo tofu (Sichuan spices, dry chili, mushrooms, tofu) USD18 - average with too weak flavour considering how strong this dish should be;
- Chinese BBQ pork (pork shank, coleslaw, bao, Chinese mustard, hoisin) USD38 - excellent caramelised pork although salad quite average;
- General Tso's Cauliflower (jalapenos, sesame seeds) USD16;
- Vegan Fatty Noodles (rolled chow fun, beansprouts, garlic chives, ginger, sesame) USD16 - thick noodles like rice cakes;
- Taro icecream (house sesame balls, coconut cream, coconut flakes, lime zest) USD14.

A nice meal with a lot of other options for next time.

I haven't had a lot of Khmer food, even during my short visit to Cambodia in 2007 I can't quite remember what I ate (other than a deepfried tarantula).

We'd had a good amount of Vietnamese food around Houston but it was good to see some lesser popular Asian cuisines to break up the food trip.

Phnom Penh Noodle House Special (slice pork, ground pork, liver, pork meat balls, chicken, crispy duck, shrimp) USD11 and Shrimp Noodle Soup USD8 garnished with fried garlic, cilantro, scallions. A clear warming delicious soup, with a simpler flavour than pho but no less delicious with it's pork base, rather than beef.

During the long drive from Austin (via San Antonio) to El Paso, we needed to stop for fuel and a bit of dinner. Van Horn was as random a tiny town as any, and was more indicated by when I found an adequate fuel stop.

An open gravel carparking area in front of a little house was Mom's Kitchen, run by a Mexican American older couple.

Red cheese enchiladas, rice and beans USD9.49 and a burrito were tasty and straight forward. Look at that cheese!

A Mexican breakfast in Austin.

Tacos and tamal plate.

Looking for some food trucks for lunch was actually harder than expected - probably a combo of it being 3pm and many places not yet reopened perhaps? This food truck area only really had two of the stalls open, and the most interesting was a hot dog stand. They also happened to have a special appearance by Wunderoots who explained they were doing a free promo for their vegan hot dogs, essentially a large boiled carrot cut to a hot dog shape.

It was healthy, tasty and free. A fine option if you're vegan, although I suspect the original sausage would have been more flavoursome.

After the incredible lunch at Terry Black's, and a couple of drinks listening to a bit of country swing at The Continental Club along Congress Avenue, the hot weather meant for a nice gelato stop. 

There were a few options in the area and kids seemed to be queuing at a corner shop one, but Paradiso off the main road and with a better rating and a more mature looking option was for me.

Coconut and pistachio (small cone USD6) were both good and a nice way to wind down the evening.

After failing to secure some of Franklin's famous brisket by their need to pre-order for takeaway (they weren't allowing eat-in diners) and a minimum 3lb (American) size of meat, I had to look to others. After the disappointment of missing brisket at La Barbecue, we made our way to Loro for dinner, which is Franklin's meats with an Asian spin.