A local food-loving editor shares tips for "enjoying Melbourne to the fullest"

The first step to getting to know a city and its people is to "eat"

I've been a fan of traveling American chef Anthony Bourdain for a long time, ever since I saw his first TV series, A Cook's Tour (2002-2003).

In the show, Anthony goes to various cities, joins locals, and follows them to the shops they visit with their friends. I love that. I want to have real, real experiences in the cities I visit, and share stories about the places and people I meet with people. This is exactly the way I want to live my life, so I started the city guide "The City Lane".

"The City Lane" has a section that introduces recipes. People often say, "It's rare to have recipes in a city guide," but I think that recipes that have been passed down in a place for generations are important for all cultures. The life history of an individual and the ethnicity of a community are all rooted in food culture.

That's why, when you're traveling, the best way to get to know a city and its people is, above all, to sit down to a meal together. You can see a side of the place that you'll never find in a guidebook. You might even get new ideas about things you should experience or things you should try.

Matcha tea is also popular. A city open to new things

In Melbourne, you can enjoy cuisine from all over the world. Australia is an immigrant country with a short history, so both the cooks and the eaters are very open to trying new things. Greek, Italian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Ethiopian, Indian... The list goes on and on, but they all have authentic flavors.

It may be surprising, but Melbourne is also famous for its coffee. There are few cities in the world where the overall quality of coffee shops is so high. Even Koffee Mameya (http://www.koffee-mameya.com/), a Tokyo specialty store that stocks only carefully selected beans, sells beans roasted in Melbourne.

The current trend is American barbecue and hamburgers. It seems like a new burger shop opens every day. Many places use Kewpie mayonnaise, probably because of its rich flavor. Also, matcha has become popular since last year. Many cafes offer matcha lattes and desserts.

Lots of unpretentious restaurants. Paul's recommendations

Melbourne has a lot of restaurants where you can enjoy casual meals. I go to many places, but I always end up going back to my favorite places.

If you're going with friends, try the wine bar "Bar Liberty." It has a great selection of both local and foreign wines, and serves delicious food. The owners all have experience in high-end restaurants as chefs, sommeliers, and waiters, but they've managed to incorporate that knowledge into a casual, relaxed atmosphere.

I often go to breakfast alone at a little cafe in Carlton called "Vertue of the Coffee Drink." The food is great and the coffee is ground on-site. It's tucked away down an alley behind a gas station and is actually an old horse stable. It's the perfect place to eat alone without being disturbed.

If you're going with the family, Hellenic Republic is the place to go. Owned by local celebrity chef George Kolumbaris, it serves authentic traditional Greek cuisine in a fun, modern setting.

When I go to eat out, I usually go to my favorite restaurants like this, or I usually do some research before going to a new place. In Japan, you can just pop in and not be disappointed, but this is quite rare when viewed from a global perspective. However, when you go on a trip, there will be times when the restaurant you researched is full, or you have to change your sightseeing route, or your plans will suddenly change.

In such a case, try to go to a restaurant that is as crowded as possible. Also, avoid restaurants that have many signs or are trying too hard, such as those that are calling out to customers on the street. It is also helpful to check the menu before going in to see if they are making authentic flavors or catering to local tastes. Finally, the most important point is that the restaurant should be filled with customers from the region that it specializes in. For example, if a Vietnamese restaurant is full of Western customers...I would pass.

Cooking while traveling. Incorporating the experience into your body.

I love cooking when I travel, and if I'm staying for more than two weeks, I always look for a place with basic cooking facilities. Not only can I eat simple, healthy food that's hard to find when eating out, but I can also make dishes with fresh ingredients inspired by what I've eaten and discovered in that city.

It's great to be able to cook local dishes and develop new fusion recipes while in a foreign city, and I always go to the supermarket and pack a suitcase full of local ingredients and seasonings so I can create them when I get back home to Melbourne.

There are also many farmers' markets around Melbourne every Saturday. My favourites are in Coburg, Flemington and Carlton, where many independent producers and farmers come to the city to sell the best quality fruit, vegetables and meat directly to you. Although it's a little far from the city centre, it's also worth taking the plunge to visit the markets in Preston, Footscray and Dandenong, as they offer a unique experience that you can't get anywhere else.

Beer brings people together. Recommended bars and pubs

I also co-run a beer podcast and Instagram called Brunswick Beer Collective. One day, I was drinking with some friends on our balcony and we were talking about beer, as we usually do, when one of us said, "Maybe our conversation could be turned into a radio show."

There are a lot of podcasts and websites about beer, but deep discussions about hop varieties, for example, are outside our area of expertise. We deal with bars and pubs, and people in the beer industry. Beer and other alcoholic beverages are more than just drinks; they have the power to connect people. We want to shine a light on that.

Drinking is a chance to get to know the place and blend in, even more than eating. I like to sit alone at a bar while traveling, talking to locals and making new friends. That was the case on the first day of my most recent trip to Tokyo. I was sitting at the bar of Popeye, a beer bar in Ryogoku, drinking and chatting with salarymen who had just finished work.

My favourite beer joint in Melbourne is Alehouse Project. They have 12 unique craft beers on draft at all times, which are changed regularly, so you never get bored no matter how many times you go. Even if you don't like beer, they have great wines and spirits. I think it's a true local bar.

Another favourite closer to the city centre is Boilermaker House. They have one of the best beer and whiskey selections in Australia. It's a relaxed old-fashioned bar with friendly staff and customers. For cocktails, Above Board in Collingwood is a little hideaway with a focus on conversation with the bartender and quality drinks.

Melbourne has been ranked number one for six consecutive years until 2016 in the "World's Most Liveable City" survey conducted by the British magazine "The Economist". It is also known as the "Garden City" because of its lush greenery, good public safety, and well-developed transportation network. It is my favorite city, very free and comfortable, yet stimulating. No matter where you come from in the world, you can feel like you're back home and relax while you stay here.

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