Earth's most exciting food

Hey, it's Kate—I hope you're hungry! My newsletter this week is about EXTREME high-low deliciousness in the US, UK and even space. [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hi, it’s [Kate Krader](, Pursuits food editor based in London where there is a lot of buzz about the newest frontier for food, which is…space! This week, a company called SpaceVIP announced the opportunity to [eat a multicourse meal in the stratosphere](in late 2025. It will be prepared by one of the world’s great chefs, Rasmus Munk, who heads up the kitchen at one of earth’s more creative restaurants, Alchemist, which offers a [50-course, six-hour tasting menu]( and currently[ranks No. 5 on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list](. Now that’s dinner with a view. Source: Space Perspective The meal will be served way up in the sky to six “Explorers’ in [a Space Perspective capsule](, and no, I almost certainly will not be one of them, unless my circumstances change. The cost of the experience is almost $500,000. Anyway, back on Earth, a less elevated (ha ha!) food has been monopolizing my attention in London—[sandwiches](. They are a staple of life here and it’s hard to overstate the midday scene at a Pret A Manger in proximity to an office building, but imagine you’re Timothée Chalamet god-walking through a Fremen crowd in Dune: Part Two ([go see it!](), except nobody is letting you pass to pay for your tuna mayo baguette. The coronation chicken sandwich from Tesco is a favorite of London chef Sameer Taneja for it’s extra-sharp curry flavor. Photographer: Emli Bendixen for Bloomberg Pursuits For starters, sandwich quality at places like Pret and supermarket chains such as Tesco is notably decent, especially for the price, which is generally around £5 and very often less. That’s about .001% of the cost of eating as a SpaceVIP. So, would Munk pull tie this up neatly for me and say he’ll serve them in space? No. “You pay a lot of money, so you would probably be a little disappointed if we served a sandwich,” he said with a laugh in an interview with Bloomberg News. Although I don’t think I’d mind if this bacon and scallop roll from Oyster Shack made it aboard. Source: Oyster Shack No matter. Sandwiches are in my head because I just had [top chefs pick their favorite London sandwiches](. The resulting list is terrific. Sameer Taneja, chef at the Michelin-starred Indian restaurant [Benares](, selected Tesco’s coronation chicken sandwich. He admires the sharp curry flavor; I admire the £2.75 price. Another widely available choice is the cheese toastie from [Five Guys](, comprised of an inside-out bun slathered with mayo, filled with cheese and then griddled; you can get it with up to 15 toppings, like grilled onions and pickles. But the most popular chefs’ selection comes from [the Black Pig]( in Borough Market—a honey truffle and Parmesan pork ciabatta made with free-range meat, fennel apple slaw and a pile of 30-month-old cheese. Take one look at the picture below, and understand why it’s a London specialty. The Black Pig’s honey truffle and Parmesan pork ciabatta sandwich. Source: The Black Pig Still, I’m from Manhattan, so [as great as these 14 sandwiches are](, I feel a little disloyal to New York’s sandwich community. I grew up with monumental constructions of corned beef and [pastrami from Katz’s Deli]( and [Carnegie Deli (R.I.P.)](; Mamoun’s Falafel in the East Village; and myriad BEC sandwiches from bodegas on a hungover weekend. Yet I have to side with London in the sandwich war I just started and am now concluding: The average sandwich here is better than an average one in New York, and if for no other reason, London’s sandwich supremacy comes down to semantics. [In New York, a sandwich can be defined as a buttered roll](or bagel (that’s according to the state’s Department of Taxation). In London, the word “filling” is included in the definition. Advantage, UK. Katz’s Delicatessen pastrami piled high on rye—tastes like childhood. Photographer: Janelle Jones Meanwhile, Miami is coming to eat New York’s lunch. Our excellent food correspondent [Kat Odell]( got the scoop on Thursday that the Kim Kardashian of the sandwich world is arriving from Tokyo: [the world-famous wagyu katsu sando from chef Kentaro Nakahara](. The combination of ethereal toasted [milk bread]( slices that enclose a ridiculous-looking slab of panko-crusted prime beef will feature on a $350 beef omakase menu at Nakahara, opening in the Design District this fall. Drool... Photographer: Andrea Fazzari Besides taking me to the future in Florida (where, coincidentally that SpaceVIP flight will depart from next year), my current sandwich obsession is taking me back in time. Early on in the pandemic, I launched a column called [Lunch Break](, which pulled hacks and recipes from new cookbooks for all the people who suddenly found themselves in the kitchen. Yes, reader, there were sandwiches. Among them: a spicy sambal oelek and five-spice [fried chicken sandwich](; [a tomato sandwich]( to win summer; [a hall of fame muffuletta]( from Turkey & the Wolf in New Orleans; [the perfect BLT](; [petite tea sandwiches]( from Chrissy Teigen’s mom, Pepper; and even an[ice cream burger]( and [hot dog recipes from Guy Fieri]( and [Shaquille O’Neal]( and[ South American chef Virgilio Martinez](. (Yes, those last ones count according to the State of New York.) The secret to the perfect bacon, egg and cheese isn’t the ingredients. Photographer: Johnny Autry, courtesy of Catskills Diner Holdings L.L.C. and Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Random House But the series’ top sandwich tip revealed why [the best bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches]( come from a street cart or deli rather than a restaurant sourcing artisanal bacon, etc. The answer: Delis wrap the breakfast bomb in foil, which steams the egg and bacon and bun and melty cheese together into a great cohesive mess. And with that, it’s lunch time. Guess what I’m having. Connect with Kate on [Instagram]( and [X](. Need some more dining ideas? [The Best Restaurants in Seoul and Busan According to Michelin]( But only three restaurants in South Korea’s seaside city got stars. [Hold the Eggs Benedict: Brunch Has Lost All Meaning in Dubai]( In the UAE, the meal is about drinking and eating as much as you can in a few hours—and not just on weekends. [What It Costs to Get VIP Status at One of NYC’s Hottest Restaurants]( Gjelina is working with hospitality platform Blackbird to give diners insider status. [World’s Best Restaurant Noma Will Stay Open Until Spring 2025 and Return to Kyoto]( The destination dining room, frequently ranked No. 1 in the world, will launch a Japan residency and serve 70 meals from October to December. [Michelin Unveils 2024 List of Starred Restaurants in Hong Kong, Macau]( If you’re looking for yet more newly minted Michelin spots. What else I’ve been consuming Who has time to read? Lately this stand-out podcast and two brilliant YouTube series have captured my attention. [The Vergecast’s 2024 Streaming Draft]( Vox Media’s Nilay Patel, my hero Alex Cranz and David Pierce “draft” their favorite streaming services in categories like Oscar winner and best buy. Spoiler: Cranz picks Netflix because she, like me, is all over K-dramas right now. [Paul Mescal on Chicken Shop Date]( Amelia Dimoldenberg has garnered international fame thanks to her ability to get incredible conversations from celebrities at various friend chicken shops in the UK, which has spawned a YouTube series with 2.25 million subscribers. Recently she got [babygirl actor](extraordinaire Paul Mescal to get going on Gaelic football, which will make you obsessed, too. Mescal (right) with Andrew Scott in All of Us Strangers. Source: Searchlight Pictures “[A Pervert’s Guide to Fine Dining” from The Full English​​​​​​]( The excellent UK subscription newsletter Vittles also has a podcast, The Full English, hosted by Lewis Bassett. The latest, compellingly titled episode tackles such questions as whether fine dining has to be eaten with a knife and fork, or even off a plate, and whether anyone would pay up if it wasn’t, essentially, conspicuous consumption. Travel ideas galore If you haven’t started planning your summer escape or just want to glimpse a once-in-20-year cosmic event, the Pursuits travel team has got you covered. [Two Denver Insiders Share Itineraries for a Perfect Day in Town]( [The Seven Best New Luxury Hotels in London]( [How to Find the Best Cities to Watch the Solar Eclipse]( [Why Now Is the Time to Plan a Trip to Flourishing Panama City]( [There’s Now a Fake Santorini in Abu Dhabi to Lure Luxury Travelers]( [These Five Uncrowded Destinations Should Be on Your Bucket List]( So you had some questions… We call for queries [weekly on our Instagram account]( and [via e-mail](mailto:askpursuits@bloomberg.net?subject=I%20have%20a%20question). Here’s what you were dying to know about this time around. What restaurant opening are you most excited for this year? It’s more of an Act ll than an opening, but I’m very interested to see what Rene Redzepi and his crew will do when [Noma returns to Kyoto for a 10-week residency]( in the fall—prime ingredient season in Japan. Fall is the season Redzepi wanted to feature for [his first pop-up in Kyoto](, but then pandemic restrictions pushed it to spring. Did the first $850 pop-up change our critic’s life? Photographer: Howard Chua-Eoan/Bloomberg I’m also wildly excited about the opening of [Bar Contra](, in the former Contra space on New York’s Lower East Side, starring Jeremiah Stone, Fabian von Hauske and Dave Arnold. And also in New York, the opening of the [seafood spot Penny](, from chef Josh Pinsky and Chase Sinzer. What is your favorite cheeseburger in New York City? It’s been a minute since I’ve [run around the city eating cheeseburgers](, but I am forever loyal to the towering one at [Peter Luger in Brooklyn](. It’s not on the menu for dinner most days of the week, so you go at lunch and get this big, fat, juicy patty that’s made from chuck and dry-aged trimming, then broiled with a judicious amount of American cheese to melt over the sides. There’s a sesame seed bun and not a lot else going on, and that is A-OK with me. Craving your cow in steak form? These were the 12 best steakhouses in NYC on our last survey. Source: St. Anselm Do servers hate diners? Wow. Big question. For the answer, I’m going to turn the mike over to [Adam Reiner](, another great Bloomberg Pursuits contributor who recently [wrote about soju]( and has spent around 15 years working the floor at places such as Babbo and [Carbone in New York]( and Carbone Hong Kong. Says Adam: “Generally speaking, I don’t think most servers ‘hate’ diners. Our goal is always to facilitate great dining experiences, but there are times when guests’ behavior can be counterproductive to our achieving that goal. This typically happens when guests ignore protocols or expect special dispensation that isn’t reasonable. Servers can get easily frustrated with diners who resist adhering to the rules or who try to reinvent rules to suit their needs. Ten juicy secrets about restaurants we learned going undercover at Nobu. Illustration: Cynthia Kittler “For example: expecting to be seated as an incomplete party, refusing to place the order all at once, camping out at the table for an hour after the check is paid, etc. It helps when diners consider themselves partners in having great dining experiences rather than recipients of them. Most guests do. “That said, every restaurant also has a few regulars that a majority of the staff can’t stand. When they do, it’s usually because they’re entitled or they place undue strain on the waitstaff for whatever reason. Sometimes you can hear the collective groan when these people walk through the door.” A restaurant that you recently found yourself loving? I’m a broken record about my love for the wine bar [Cadet]( in Newington Green in London. (It’s featured in my best dishes of the year in two consecutive years: [Game liver toast with pears]( and[then salty ice cream](.) But more recently, I’ve expanded my crush on UK wine bars to include two [recently opened places](. One is [Camille]( in Borough Market. It’s a cozy place that feels more like a French bistro. Think crowded tables; Ricard jugs for water; and a softly lit, buzzy room. The wine list is uber-natural, and the food is genius. There’s a caramelized shallot tarte tatin that features a golden, lightly sugared crust that’s studded with fennel seeds—no words. And seemingly simple side dish of flowering broccoli has a sauce made with fermented bread and butter that has impossibly salty, yeasty depth. In North London, [Morchella]( just opened. There, chef Ben Marks is doing superb Greek-accented dishes—his spanikopita has a creamy, well-spiced filling that will make it dangerous to order versions anywhere else. Seafood at Morchella is also a standout. Source: Morchella New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. Just look for the "Gift this article" button on stories. (Not a subscriber? Unlock limited access and [sign up here](.) Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? [Subscribe to Bloomberg.com]( for unlimited access to trusted, data-driven journalism and subscriber-only insights. Want to sponsor this newsletter? [Get in touch here](. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Bloomberg Pursuits newsletter. If a friend forwarded you this message, [sign up here]( to get it in your inbox. 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