You Probably Need This Copper Japanese Grater

This post originally appeared on January 7, 2019, in Add to Cart — the weekly newsletter for people who love shopping (almost) as much as they love eating. Subscribe now.

Where do you want to eat in 2020?

This past year, Austin was high up on my “must travel to eat” list (I’ve been dying to try true Austin migas tacos ever since I learned what they were), as was Taipei (Eater’s big travel guide had me craving scallion pancakes in a way I never thought I would) and Los Angeles (confession: I literally had never been until this year). I miraculously made it to all three cities in the past 12 months, and the food did not disappoint — ringing in your birthday at Republique is definitely the way to do it.

Traveling and eating are deeply intertwined, something diehard eaters have always known but more and more people are coming to embrace. Today Eater published our Where to Eat in 2020 list, spotlighting 19 cities across six continents with food scenes worth checking out, specifically this year. On the list (and now on mine) are Akko, Israel’s ancient northern port city, and Marrakech, where I want to try — then buy — spices to bring home into my own kitchen. Because along with traveling and eating naturally goes shopping: Just this week I returned from Vietnam, where I ate my fill then filled my suitcase, bringing home delicate rice paper, Phu Quoc peppercorns, and long cooking chopsticks. I won’t be able to fully recreate the amazing meals I ate in Hanoi, Hoi An, and Ho Chi Minh City, but it’s the next best thing.

Things to buy

• Before Vietnam, we made a stop in Taipei, which included a visit to Addiction Aquatic seafood market. There we ate lunch and drank sake served in a sake decanter with an “ice pocket,” possibly the most clever little jug I’ve ever encountered.
• Back here in NYC, EN Japanese Brasserie has an online shop with lots of elegant plates and other dishware, as well as the kind of traditional Japanese copper grater that many chefs recommend.
• Having recently received some nice knives as wedding gifts, I also acquired — and now swear by — Messermeister knife guards, which are sleek and light and yet incredibly sturdy, and which come in plenty of useful sizes.
• These Cup Noodles sweatpants are delivering some real hypebeast energy.

Things to know

• Truly surprised it took this long to get a wine subscription with 100 percent skin-contact wines. As you might expect, it looks very chic and, with the name Orange Glou, makes use of all the right buzzwords.
• Props to our friends at the Strategist for this much-needed rundown: What are the best startup plates, from Year & Day to East Fork?
• Today in extremely unrelatable dining trends: bringing your $400 cellar bottle to the local BYOB.

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