Jack Southan

Jack Southan

Travel journalist. Gonzonite. Serial adventurer.
Globetrender Magazine •

Why elite hotel brand Aman is a quietly ambitious trendsetter

In January, the launch of the Amanyangyun on the outskirts of Shanghai, proved the culmination of a 15-year conservation project (one of the biggest in China’s history) with the relocation of an entire forest of 10,000 ancient camphor trees, along with 50 Ming and Qing dynasty houses from Fuzhou, 800km away. These have now be carefully preserved and repurposed to form the walls and grounds of a peaceful Aman spa retreat (pictured below). Coming up in 2020 will another landmark venture for the ho
World Travel Guide •

How to eat and drink in Las Vegas

With the development of the hip (but lesser known) Downtown area of Vegas, food in Sin City has gone from a gambler’s necessity to a tourism draw all in itself. The streets are packed with cool bars and quality eateries and some very fine spots to hang out. Many have an urban Brooklyn feel, whereas others appear to be high-end Hollywood. Needless to say, with this epicentre of food and culture growing so rapidly, the entire city has had to pick up its game, with glorious results. Here are a few
Ultimate Earth •

Chiang Mai Nights

Of Thailand's many vibrant, buzzing cities, I love the northern capital the most. Chiang Mai is small enough to ride east to west in 20 minutes, but it has so much heart and soul to it that you can spend months exploring it and still find somewhere new and exciting. I have been in town for a few weeks now, and never seem to be able to get on that bus I keep booking to Bangkok. It's an infectious place, the charm of it takes hold almost immediately and suddenly you can't seem to think of yoursel
Country By Country •

Top Five: Restaurants in Havana

1. Ivan Chef Justo This little restaurant, nestled on the corner of La Esquina, Aguacate, opposite the Museo de la Revolución, is a favourite of travellers in the know. It’s a little eccentric and feels more like a cluttered living room than a great restaurant, but this only adds to its charm and ambience. The menu changes regularly, so it’s only presented on a blackboard, but think outstanding house tacos filled with a selection of seafood, beef or pork, plus creamy avocado chunks, Parmesan f
FOODIEHUB - The world's Essential Eats curated by local food experts •

Essential Eats to Enjoy on International Beer Day

Starting off in 2007 as a small celebration for locals in Santa Cruz, California, International Beer Day has since exploded onto the global forum to become a worldwide event which basks in the glory of that delicious amber nectar. With over 207 cities, in 50 different countries, uniting together to champion beer, in all its forms, it is no surprise that people have started to catch on. Beer is something which has brought people together and broken down social barriers for millennia, and to us i
FOODIEHUB - The world's Essential Eats curated by local food experts •

Fueled to win: How to eat well in Rio during the Olympic games

Long has the name Rio de Janeiro been synonymous with paradise, and for many years it had remained as just that, an almost unattainable concept, a million miles from home. But nowadays, the city has opened up to become the prime travel and tourism hot spot on the South American continent. This explosion of international popularity has no doubt contributed massively to the vote going Rio’s way to host the world-famous sporting mega-event that starts this week - The 2016 Olympic Games. The compet
FOODIEHUB - The world's Essential Eats curated by local food experts •

California Cones: Best Ice Cream from the West-Coast

Summer’s here and the Golden State knows better than most how to keep it cool when temperatures start to soar. With upwards of 280 annual days of sun it’s no wonder they have a history of creating some of the world’s most fantastic varieties of that frozen, creamy, fruit-filled perfection: Ice Cream. The history of this world favorite can be dated back to as far as 3000BC. The ancient Chinese would flavor frozen ice and serve it as a refreshing delicacy to those who could afford it. But ice cre
FOODIEHUB - The world's Essential Eats curated by local food experts •

The Best Burger in New York

For the last year, we’ve made it our mission to find the best burger in NYC. With 100s of patties and buns eaten by some of NYC’s best food experts, we are finally ready to crown our champion! Subscribe to FoodieHub for more great videos When we undertook this extraordinary mission we knew we would have a tough time finding a clear winner. After all, NYC has literally thousands of places that a hungry foodie could order a burger. It was daunting, terrifying even, but someone had to do it. And
FOODIEHUB - The world's Essential Eats curated by local food experts •

Toff's Of Muswell Hill

Arguably England’s most famous dish, locals and tourists to the UK & London devour Fish & Chips on the regular, but an awful lot of people don't know the best place to get it. So we sent TopJaw to Toff’s of Muswell Hill to find out how it’s done properly. Subscribe to FoodieHub for more great videos Established in 1968, Toff's is an award winning fish and chip shop owned by George and Costas Giorgious which prides itself on serving fresh food at reasonable prices in a family friendly atmospher
FOODIEHUB - The world's Essential Eats curated by local food experts •

Fine Dining on The Tour de France

The Tour de France is underway and the cyclists are powering their way through some of the hardest routes on the sport’s calendar. From sea to city, the cycling tournament will not only lead the competitors, but the thousands of spectators which follow, on a looping tour of the country. So we thought to ourselves (as we so often do) where would we eat along the way to really make the most of the experience and time spent in this foodie's heaven? Well, here is our stage by stage run-down of the
FOODIEHUB - The world's Essential Eats curated by local food experts •

The Story of the Hot Dog

How the humble Hot Dog came to dominate the American food scene as an icon of fast food has long been disputed. Many people have claimed to have invented the snack over the years, from US sports concessionaires to Polish immigrants. But it is widely considered true that this dish was brought over from Germany. The Frankfurter Würstchen has been eaten in Germany since the 13th century, apparently first made as a celebration of the coronation of Maximilian II of the Holy Roman Empire. It didn’t r
FOODIEHUB - The world's Essential Eats curated by local food experts •

Strawberry Fields Forever at Wimbledon

With Wimbledon kicking off this week, and the sun desperately trying to break its way through the clouds, it has begun to feel like British summer. The tennis represents the very best of gentrified indulgence; Champagne, Pimms cups, cucumber sandwiches and of course, strawberries and cream. Over the two weeks in which the competition takes place, spectators are expected to wolf down over 28 tonnes of fresh English strawberries, drizzled with 1,550 gallons of glorious cream. It is said that this
Globetrender Magazine •

From El Bulli to Disfrutar: the new wave in avant garde cooking

Xatruch opened Disfrutar at the end of 2014 with his former colleagues Mateu Casanas and Oriol Castro, both of whom worked alongside him as head chefs at Ferran Adria’s three Michelin-starred Spanish restaurant El Bulli. Operating until 2011, El Bulli was widely considered to be the most inventive server of contemporary cuisine on the planet, with people booking months in advance to taste it. After closing five years ago, Adria turned his attentions to setting up gastro laboratory the El Bulli
Worldwide Destination Guide •

Top 5 Restaurants in Barcelona

Venture into the bustling Mercado de La Boqueria and you’ll find yourself adrift in a sea of color and noise. Vibrant juice stands, no-nonsense butchers, coffee shops and traditional fare, you’ll be spoilt for choice, but the real gem here is the famed El Quim food stand. Holding its own in the ever-changing battle for best traditional Catalonian cuisine, El Quim serves a decadent array of items. From the fried mushrooms with crisp foie gras and the baby squid served with rich runny eggs, to the
Country By Country •

French dining in Laos

Although Vientiane is the sleepiest capital city I’ve had the pleasure of staying in, it has real charm. It’s such a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, mainly due to its turbulent history: early warring kingdoms, French colonial rule, two world wars, Japanese occupation, civil war, hostile occupations, violent regime change… Vientiane has seen all of this — and prevailed. Nowadays, it’s a hub for the wandering backpacker; for most, a stop-off on route to Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang for the p
Country By Country •

Tapas in Barcelona

Drinks behind the door in Barcelona Jack Southan whiles away the day in a hidden Barcelona champegneria I wander up to the unassuming wooden door and I’m almost certain I’m at the wrong place. With no signage to speak of and little to distinguish itself, it seems unlikely that this is Can Paixano, the bar I’ve been told about. But through a crack in the thick oak I can hear the hum of voices from within, so with a hint of uncertainty I pull back on the handle and poke my head through the open
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