Grazing: Tastes from the Maldives to Tokyo to Chicago

Each week, we choose four cities and round up the latest bar and restaurant openings, recipes, and general food-related chatter.

We're pretty excited about Anantara Kihavah, opening in the Maldives this January and taking reservations right now. Beyond the suspended villas (!) and infinity pools and empty beaches, we're most intrigued by the underwater aquarium lounge-restaurant, Sea.Fire.Salt.Sky., offering rock lobster, grain-fed Japanese beef, and a killer view.

We found this all-encompassing guide to bento boxes—ekiben—primarily sold in Tokyo, but with offerings in other Japanese train stations, as well, with details on where and how to buy them. A few options: the torimeshi (chicken-rice bento), a wappameshi with a bed of akitakomachi rice, and the yakisoba (stir-fried noodle).

New York Restaurant Week kicks off January 12, featuring newcomers L'Ecole, Tom Colicchio's Riverpark, and The Strand Restaurant at The Strand Hotel. Recurring favorites include Le Cirque, SD26, and Tribeca Grill. The celebration runs through February 6, offering three-course prix-fixe lunches and dinners.

Graham Elliott's Grahamwich opens in Chicago, offering up just eight sandwiches—a jibarito press (pork shoulder, green mango, queso fresco, habanero mustard, plantains) and bánh mì included—in addition to a particularly delicious-sounding cinnamon stick Greek yogurt (roasted apple, salted caramel, pie crust). There's just one table, so be prepared to stand around and munch (and munch)!

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