TRAVEL | Is VizEat the future of authentic local dining experiences in people's homes?

Camille's Delicious Sunday Brunch, one of the London experiences on VizEat
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It will be no surprise to regular readers of this blog, and followers of my social accounts, that my biggest motivation to travel is getting a good feed. I select my next destination based mostly on what exotic delicacies I can scoff once I get there. Closely followed by natural beauty and wildlife, enthralling cities, and how friendly the natives are. 

When I am eating on my travels, my main agenda is to experience food as authentic and local as I can find. Restaurants with tourists are generally avoided, whereas bustling tin shacks with not an English word spoken often equate to fantastic feasting. Especially if they have strip lighting. I do a lot of research beforehand, and will often try to get in touch with someone who lives there and is willing to show me round one evening, in exchange for a few beers and good chat. This worked supremely well in Mumbai, where I met up with a few people from Food Bloggers Association India. We ate well together.

The ultimate travel dining experience for me, is being invited into someone's home to eat. I've alas, never quite managed this. I was probably closest quite recently in Catania in Sicily. The host of the apartment we were staying in told us of an artist friend she had, who was currently running an exhibition in Catania, and who we should get in touch with if we fancied visiting it. The artist ended up inviting us to join her for Sunday lunch in her home, cooked by her mother (real Italian mama's pasta), which we were all damn excited about. But schedules didn't quite work out, and it alas never came to be.

the different stages of making host Camille's suggested mega brunch tower stack
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Well, I've now recently discovered VizEat, thanks to them finding me online and getting in touch. These guys connect travellers looking to share a meal or food experience with locals. Anything from cooking classes and market tours, to supper clubs and wine tastings, in over 250 cities, in a whopping 110 countries. These locals make up around 20,000 hosts around the world, who are a combination of home cooks and trained chefs, all from different backgrounds. But what everyone has in common is the love for cooking, eating, and meeting new people. My kind of crew.

I'm not entirely sure how I hadn't heard of VizEat before; I think they're well known across the continent, but less so in the UK. But now I have, I think it's such a great idea. They're all about allowing people visiting a new part of the world to make meaningful connections with those who live there. Whilst so many transactions and encounters take place online these days, maintaining the human element of travelling is mighty attractive. And I think many would agree that some of the strongest connections made between people are forged over the breaking of bread. These guys use technology to connect travellers with locals, to facilitate the simple desire of enjoying a meal with others.

brunch scenes with Sally and host Camille
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VizEat got in touch, told me about what they do, and asked if I'd like to try out an experience in my home town of London. And so, a couple of Sundays ago, myself and my good friend Sally (aka The Cafe Cat), popped over to Camille's house in West London to enjoy her 'Delicious Sunday Brunch'. Buttermilk pancakes, creamed spinach, smashed avo, mushrooms, crispy maple bacon, baked beans, wonderful Jing tea, coffee, sausages, fried eggs, homemade jams, black pudding, roasted cherry tomatoes, freshly made juices, cheese, and fruit salad - phew! It was a serious feast, and a pleasure to meet and chat with Camille, and attempt to make friends with her cat (who was less keen).

They also allowed me to run an Instagram competition for one of my readers to win a VizEat experience, in the city of their choice, for two people worth up to 150 Euros or equivalent. Which was very generous of them. Congrats again to the winner, Roxii!

It turns out that VizEat is now the world’s most popular meal sharing platform, and has been called the future of dining by travel and tech commentators (Apple CEO Tim Cook recently joining an event on his latest trip to Paris). Now that I know it exists, I will, without question, be checking out what's on offer next time I'm in a new city. Which is in fact next week.. Best get on it.

the finished mega brunch tower stack - buttermilk pancakes topped with truffle pesto, avocado, creamed spinach, mushrooms, cheese, bacon; topped with a fried egg; furnished with sausage, black pudding, roasted tomatoes and baked beans 

Note: This is a sponsored post in partnership with VizEat. I'm thrilled they found me and that I now know about them. It's been great fun and a pleasure to collaborate on. All views remain my own, as always.

JAPAN: japanese tea ceremony, kyoto

There are a number of traits us humans have that when combined, identify us as a unique species. Our ability to blush, our upright gait, our opposable thumbs, and our insatiable appetite for a good cup of tea. 

The most widely consumed beverage on the planet second only to water, tea drinking is both a quintessentially British pastime and a truly global phenomenon, with every country having their own customs. Ask for the drink in Japan and you will receive it green. Seek out a traditional Japanese tea ceremony and marvel at the elaborate rituals, precise preparation and majestic presentation that goes with it.

A fifteen minute walk from Kyoto train station, in the depths of a peaceful residential district and amongst distinctly Japanese housing, you’ll find the bamboo-fronted Joukeian residence, home to Soukou Matsumoto.

Ten years ago, Soukou was given the opportunity to introduce the tea ceremony to Swiss ceramic students who were visiting Kyoto and as a result, realised those who were not Japanese harboured a great curiosity and desire to learn about and experience traditional Japanese arts and customs. 

Soukou decided to share this experience with visitors and has been doing so for ten years. Her website however has only been up for two years, and she is keen for more people to know about what they can find at Joukeian.

Entering this small building - the threshold first sprinkled with water as part of the welcome - and making our way to the tea room overlooking a small but perfectly formed treasure of a tea garden, involved a series of sliding doors and small corridors from the waiting room. It is in the waiting room where payment is made first, the exact amount to be left in cash in the envelope provided as during a tea ceremony, tradition dictates guests and hosts should not exchange money.

As is common amongst Japanese woman, Soukou is a refined, softly-spoken character who greeted us in one of the most beautiful kimonos I came across during my time in Japan. She also has an impeccable master of the English language, providing a full explanation of the different parts of the ceremony, the significance of each utensil, and the rituals we would be following, for the first twenty minutes.

The remainder of the time involved Soukou preparing the electric green matcha during the ceremony itself. The sequence in which utensils were handled, the fluid yet strict motions of the host, the series of exits and entrances into the room, sometimes walking, sometimes shuffling across the floor on her knees, were entirely captivating.

Zen Buddhism was a primary influence in the development of the tea ceremony, and the certain spiritual meaning and the special sense of beauty of this influence is very apparent when you are actually witnessing it.

Guests are at the end presented with a bowl of the chacteristically bitter matcha, frothed up with the traditional bamboo whisk (chasen), to enjoy in the serene environment, along with an opportunity to ask any questions. It is at this point the taught atmosphere of the rituals and procedures feels slackened, and both host and guests are able to relax more. 

This was tea ceremony Course A from Soukou’s website, and from start to finish lasted for about one hour. It is private ceremony (so just your group) and costs ¥2000 per person (approximately £12/$20). She offers a handful of different experiences, ranging from the most basic we had, to even more elaborate sessions that last for up to four hours and include small meals and a series of different teas, all the details of which can be found on her website. 

As you can see photography is permitted, although the event is so bewitching and performed in such quiet, that you'll only want to sneak in a couple of shots before putting the camera to one side. Soukou is very responsive via email and is happy to answer any queries you might have.

Many places offer traditional tea ceremonies in Japan, but they are often in hotels or with large groups which I suspect detracts from the feeling of intimacy and exclusivity. I would recommend Soukou without hesitation. Some of Japan’s finest matcha can be found in Kyoto, and to experience a traditional ceremony in the dedicated and exquisite surroundings of an expert’s personal residence in this sensational city, is a unique and very memorable experience. 

Website: http://joukeian.gotohp.jp/english/
Address: Sannai cho 1-24 Sennyuji Higashiyamaku Kyoto
Price: From ¥2000 (£12/$20) per person
Duration: From one hour

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