Bruce took us out for fine dining and drinks in Kyoto. It was so much fun, we all met again for breakfast. Stacy got to try "natto" and purchased a custom, left-handed Japanese chef's knife with her initials engraved. Unforgettable!

Bruce showed us great places in Japan and Hong Kong, like Cheung Hing Kee Shanghai Pan-fried Buns and exotic cocktails at the Ozone Bar on the 118th floor of the Ritz-Carlton in Kowloon.

Our family comes to Japan every year; Hakata is one of our favorite destinations. We count on Bruce to introduce us to great local eateries in Kyushu. He's the best! And he makes us laugh, too.

When I have time to enjoy fine dining, I contact Bruce for meals in Japan or Korea. Bruce turned me on to some very fresh sea eel. In fact, it was still wiggling while we sautéed it at our table.

Visiting Hakata for the first time, we visited kid-friendly local restaurants, drank coffee in Ohori-Park, and ate Austrian desserts.Our 7-year old son says that dinner with Bruce was the best part of the trip!

As a food writer, I do dozens of tours, and this was absolutely one of the best in terms of providing an insight into the area, and learning about not only yatai, but also about the city’s food culture.

See my article in the South China Morning Post.