The Quiet Language of Luxury: Watches, Taste, Travel & Fine Dining | Ep. 1

In the premiere episode of The Luxury Prescription Show, Dr. Vinay Chopra sits down with Dr. Neil Patel for a conversation on the subtle language of luxury, from independent watchmaking and fine dining to the personal experiences that shape true taste.

As physicians, Dr. Chopra and Dr. Patel understand the importance of precision, discipline, and detail. In this episode, they explore how those same qualities appear in the world of horology, where craftsmanship, engineering, and personal connection often matter more than the name on the dial.

Dr. Patel shares how his interest in watches began during residency, when he first noticed the quiet bond that certain pieces could create among those who recognized them. That same shared language helped shape Dr. Chopra and Dr. Patel’s own friendship, giving the conversation a personal tone around connection, shared experiences, and the relationships luxury culture can create. From the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak to the F.P. Journe Élégante, the conversation moves beyond collecting and into the stories, design choices, and emotional pull behind each piece.

The episode also travels through some of the world’s most memorable culinary and travel experiences, including Osteria Francescana in Modena, Central in Lima, the minimalism of South Tyrol, and the beauty of Bora Bora.

At its core, this conversation is about defining luxury beyond price. It is about taste, access, memory, craftsmanship, and the people who make certain experiences unforgettable.

You will also hear about:

The quiet connection watches create among collectors
How medicine and watchmaking both reward precision and discipline
Why the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and F.P. Journe Élégante stand out
A memorable dining experience at Osteria Francescana in Italy
Central in Lima and the storytelling behind its elevation-based menu
Why real taste comes from personal curiosity, not trends

Like, follow, subscribe, and consider this your Luxury Prescription.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:09

Alright everyone, welcome to the very first episode of the luxury prescription show. I'm Dr. Vinay Chopra, board certified sports medicine physician, collector, and someone who believes real luxury is never about the price tag. It's about the story behind what you choose and the people you share it with. Today, I'm sitting down with one of those people, Dr. Neil Patel. Neil's a real friend, someone I met through the watch world and bonded over great meals, high-end watch events, and shared obsession with the details most people overlook. This is the luxury prescription show, and today's prescription is friendship, taste, and what luxury really means. Before we get into the conversation, if you care about watches, travel, dining, and the culture behind real luxury, hit subscribe, follow the show, and share it with someone who gets it. This is a community built on taste, and you're a part of it now. Alright, so my very first guest, I'm very excited about this, is Dr. Neil Patel, an attending physician and assistant professor of emergency medicine at Wheel Cornell and New York Presbyterian. But more importantly, Neil is a real friend. We actually met at an FP Jordan event uh back in 2025, and since then we've shared great meals, watch events across New York, and a kind of conversations about taste and luxury that his show is built on. Neil, welcome to the luxury prescription show. Thank you so much for being here.

SPEAKER_01 1:30

Yeah, I'd like to just start off by saying thank you very much for having me, especially on this inaugural episode. It means a lot.

SPEAKER_02 1:37

What other, you know, way to start this is to bring another doctor onto the show. So I'm really excited that you're here. Let's go ahead and talk talk about you know watches and and and luxury and and tell me how watches and luxury create uh fast and and genuine uh connections.

SPEAKER_01 1:52

Yeah, I think uh people are looking at it right here, but um yeah, I mean I think it's a very niche community, right? Luxury and then specifically watches within luxury. So I think it definitely creates this fast and genuine uh connection.

SPEAKER_02 2:06

So you know, we we've been to all these events before, and and uh we first met at a Joran event um uh last year at one of their Apertif events. How did we sort of meet? Like, like tell me a little bit about that. Like you what what right off the bat connected us?

SPEAKER_01 2:20

Yeah, so uh uh kind of going back to your first question, like watch is definitely it's like a quiet communication, right? So it quietly communicates this unique identity, this shared uh shared kind of vision and understanding. In that sense, I think we were at this watch event and we were complete strangers to each other. And I think we looked at what was on each other's wrist, and that kind of drew us together, and that's what sparked the conversation and the rest of history.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

Isn't that cool about watches? Like you can be at like a random event and less a total stranger just comes up to you and and just asks you what what's on your wrist. So tell me a little bit about that. Uh have you had an uh you know uh a period in your life or an episode where you were, you know, maybe at a restaurant or an airport or maybe even one of these watch events where someone just kind of looks at your wrist and starts talking to you, or total random stranger just talks to you.

SPEAKER_01 3:08

Pretty much almost on a daily basis, really. Like getting coffee, even on the in the TSA line at the airport, someone always comments on it. And that's I think one of the great things about watches and about luxury is that it starts this conversation with like-minded people. So yeah, I mean, watch events, eating at restaurants, even at bars, sitting at the bar, random people. It's like a nice conversation starter.

SPEAKER_02 3:31

Yeah, absolutely. Being an ER physician, does that sort of shape the type of watches that you like? Like so for me as a sports guy, right? I like my sports pieces. Okay. Like for example, I've got my my Nautilus on right now, my 5811. Um, but as an ER physician, you know, are there specific pieces that you think are more, you know, related to what you do?

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Yeah, so I mean, personally I love many different different types of watches and everything, but I do like wearing or would like wear would like to wear a watch to work. Um so working in the ER, that kind of limits which watches you can wear to work. We're often doing uh procedures, kind of running around, wearing gloves, hands are getting bloody. So definitely for work, I prefer something that's easy to clean. You don't really you can bang it around, don't really have to think about it too much. But usually something with a bracelet that's not very comfortable to wear. Yeah, true. Especially doing procedures and things.

SPEAKER_02 4:24

I mean, I can't imagine getting blood on your bracelet or anything like that. So I'm thinking like what, a rubber strap mostly, like something like that. Cool, exactly. That's awesome. You know, I when I first um started this watch journey, um uh I I didn't like anything on my wrists. Like uh I didn't have a watch. I never owned a watch. Um, and um when I when I went met my my wife, who was we were dating at the time, she was amazed on how I was a doctor and I didn't have a watch. She's like, Well, how are you checking pulses? How are you like looking at your t your clock or watch? I used to just pull up my phone and be like, I got my iPhone, I gotta do everything on my iPhone. And she's like, No, you can't do that. You got you're a doctor, you gotta get something. So when when we got engaged, um uh she bought me my first, you know, very first real watch, and that was a Movado. You know, $200 Movado, I still wear today, every single day to work. I still wear it. And it's beaten up, it's scratched up. Um, but it it's um it means a lot to me. And and I think you know, that sort of progression I've had in my journey, uh I see it a lot in in a lot of you know physicians as well, too. You know, personally with me, um, you know, I I think um having that that piece now reminds me that telling time is very important. Um so anyways, that that's what I uh wanted to kind of share with you. Um but why why do you think doctors are so drawn to watches?

SPEAKER_01 5:46

Yeah, I mean listen, so medicine itself and watches themselves, I think both are a type of art. Yeah. So I think in that sense they're connected. But I think more so physicians themselves and watch makers, I think we're very similar types of people. Oh so? That that's interesting. I think I think most people don't realize watchmakers, it's a lifelong commitment. Yeah. Some of these watchmakers, they uh they go through a long, arduous training just like physicians do. Their attention to detail is is just like physicians. Um they're very detail-oriented people. Very small things matter a lot, just like in medicine. Yeah. Um, so I think in that sense, uh definitely we doctor we as doctors appreciate their craft uh because we know how much time they put into it, um, how much training they they have to do before they can make their first watch, and how every small piece, small component gets so much attention, just like in medicine, every little thing matters, right? We don't just blow off something and say, Oh, this is not important. Yeah. So I think in that sense where we appreciate each other and that we have that connection.

SPEAKER_02 6:53

Yeah, absolutely. I I agree a hundred percent on that. Um, you know, and and if you've ever seen um the the tiny parts that are involved in making a watch, it's extraordinary to know how much precision and uh skill a lot of these watchmakers have. And and I kind of relate that to like a surgeon, like an EOR, and some of these guys who are, you know, um performing, you know, microsurgery. Um, and it's amazing on how you know attention to detail is very, very important uh for a lot of these physicians as well, too. So I agree with you. I think a lot of the things that uh we see in the watchmaking world are very analogous to you know medicine as well, too, and and the time and effort that it takes to, you know, do a lot of these different procedures that we do. Tell me a little bit more about your journey. Um, you know, tell me about when you first purchased a watch. How do you feel that it's now become more than just an interest? You know, uh, you know, where where are you right now and sort of your journey?

SPEAKER_01 7:49

Yeah, so it all kind of started for me back in medical school. So I was a second year resident, I was doing a rotation in interventional radiology, and the attending there had a nice watch. Um, I would notice that anytime he would take it off to leave it to scrub in and do a case, like he had this connection to this watch at that time. Um, but I really didn't understand kind of the connection that he had. Yeah. Then the following year I was on a neurosurgery rotation and there was there were three residents there and they were all really big into watches. Uh they didn't have any expensive watches or anything, but they would all get together every morning before the rounds and they would discuss the different functions and complications of the of their specific watch. And I I realized that they had this bond and this community with them that within themselves because of these watches. So that kind of like lit a light bulb. And I know I saw the year before with my attending that he had this connection with the watch itself, but then I saw these three guys who had a connection amongst themselves because of this watch. So that kind of really triggered me to and piqued my interest and got me interested into watches. What was the first piece that made you feel like a collector more so than a buyer? Yeah, so actually during that rotation, I actually drove to the local mall in Augusta, Georgia. Nice. And I think it was a Macy's and I bought a citizen watch. Nice. It's like a hundred to hundred dollar watch. Yeah, absolutely. It was a two-tone chronograph, and that was the moment where I felt like I was on a special journey and I kind of wanted to start getting into watch collecting and learn more about watches and kind of realize that each piece tells a unique story um and can celebrate like a milestone.

SPEAKER_02 9:29

Nice. That's that's amazing, yeah, man. I mean, it's amazing how something, you know, small as that can become such a big hobby at this point. And you know, for me, sometimes watches are an escape from you know all the hard work uh that we we do in in you know being as physicians and we're able to you know escape that sort of world and get into more of like our hobbies and stuff like that, which is you know for me is is kind of a more of a pressure-free environment, which is which is wonderful. So is your a um a piece that you own right now that resonates more so with you than any other piece that you that you have? And and why is that?

SPEAKER_01 10:07

Yeah, for sure. Um that's that's a very easy one. I'm a little biased, but uh for sure it's the Royal Oak for me. Nice.

SPEAKER_02 10:13

Tell me about what what what what makes the Royal Oak so special?

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Um just it's always been since I got into watches, kind of the one watch that I always thought was the most beautiful watch, and then kind of looking at the history behind the watch and learning about it, definitely being the first sports watch and pushing sports watches forward into what the world of watches is now.

SPEAKER_00 10:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:34

Um, I think it has a very uh special role in the history of watches. Yeah. Um and then it's a beautiful watch, man.

SPEAKER_02 10:41

Yeah, A AP's Royal Oak is is you know incredible. So I mean it looks like you're wearing one here today, which which is amazing. So a beautiful watch too. Yeah, thank you. Uh what is that, a gray? Is it a gray or a black dial? Black dial? Yes, that's that's amazing. So yeah, one of my favorite watches as well, too. AP AP does a great job. What are you um uh excited about with AP? Do you do you feel like they're coming out with something cool? Um uh, you know, I I know we're recording this right now and watches and wonders is actually this week. Are you excited about anything that they're coming out with? Or what are your predictions?

SPEAKER_01 11:12

Yeah, they've been very tight-lipped, but I heard there's some things they have in store, so I'll be curious to see. But what I do like uh that they're doing is they're they're really trying to add this extra step in engineering and kind of doing new things. So I think it was this year where they released that perpetual calendar, yeah, which doesn't require pushers. Yeah, crazy, right? With their with the box that can wind it and set the the time and the day and the date and everything for you. So I think that's really unique. That's really cool. So I hope that they keep pushing that forward and uh keep keep producing you cool and unique pieces.

SPEAKER_02 11:48

Speaking of tight lip, I mean I haven't heard anything from Patek Philippe yet. I mean, even though it being the 50th anniversary of their Nautilus, uh they haven't posted anything, that nothing's been leaking at all. Um, you know, sometimes a lot of these watch companies will will leak things, you know, on purpose to kind of create more interest or hype. But I I feel like Patek Philippe by not seeing anything have built even more hype than someone who comes out and and does like a teaser video. So what what are your thoughts on all that?

SPEAKER_01 12:16

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, I mean, I think the the trick worked, right? They've they've done what they needed to do. We're all where everyone's talking about it and kind of guessing what they're gonna do. But yeah, I haven't seen absolutely anything from them. And we only have one more week of waiting to do. So I'm really, really curious to see what they come out with. I think it's gonna be very special.

SPEAKER_02 12:33

Yeah, it's it and and same thing with um, you know, I'm a I just as you know, I'm a big Vashron guy. I love Vascheron constantly. I mean, I I mean the stuff that they come out with is is mind-blowing. I mean, you know, they've got the most complicated watches and just the engineering behind it is is just m phenomenal. You know, I think the triple two steel, which I own as well, is is one of the coolest watches I have. You know, I'll wear it on an airplane, you know, when I'm traveling, you know, for me it's it's like it's so lightweight and it feels like there's nothing on the wrist. It's it's so versatile and the brace is so comfortable too. So, you know, I'm a big Vashron guy, and and I think I think um I'm very excited to see what what they come out with.

SPEAKER_01 13:11

And they've been pretty tight-lipped as well, too. So they have the heritage, right? They're 270 plus years old. So crazy, crazy. Um, crazy. Yeah, we'll see. And it's the anniversary year for the uh overseas as well. Exactly. Yeah. So they should have something special up their sleeves, so it'll be interesting to see.

SPEAKER_02 13:29

Yeah, I'm I'm really excited about that too. So and a lot of these independent watch guys, too. You know, I think I think it it's it's mind-blowing what what's some of the stuff that they're coming out coming out with. Resheppe just came out with um his flyback chronograph. I mean, it looks insane. Um, you know, that obviously got a lot of uh news here rate recently. Um, you know, Sylvan Berneron, you know, he's he's doing some crazy things. Simone Barrett uh is doing a lot of uh really cool things, you know, and and I'm really excited to to meet you know some of these guys out there and and uh uh and see what they've got. Also, um excited about uh Shauna Tain, she's a a female watchmaker and she's only 27 years old, and you know, she's coming out with uh you know 100 hour power reserve in her watch, her first ever watch. I mean it's it's insane. And um, so I'm really excited to see a lot of these uh independent watchmakers come out with. Yeah. An amazing experience for you to spend the week there in Geneva. What are your thoughts on the Japanese um some of these Japanese watchmakers are coming out there?

SPEAKER_01 14:28

Yeah, making very beautiful and very, very nice watches. Um definitely it's something I still need to get into a little bit more. Absolutely. But some of these guys, uh I think low-tech. Yeah, low tech. Um they have some crazy pieces, and I I think he has one coming out at the end of the end of this year, which is gonna be really, really cool.

SPEAKER_02 14:46

Yeah. I'm actually excited to meet um uh Yosuki um uh Sekaguchi, who's a Japanese watchmaker as well. He uh lives in you know Switzerland now and and he's coming out some really interesting pieces as well, too. So I'm really excited to meet him and see what he comes out with. But anyways, man, I can I can go we can go off forever about these watches. But uh tell me about your your your three-watch collection for a physician. What's the ideal watch collection for for a doctor?

SPEAKER_01 15:11

Yeah, so I would definitely say my absolute favorite watch, which we already talked about, the Royal Oak. Um, so that's definitely has to be in my three-watch collection. The watch that being an ER doctor and taking that into consideration, like I said, I would like to wear a watch to work as well. Um so taking all of that into consideration, I think the Elegant is a nice watch that uh I would like to have in that three-watch collection. Um it has the rubber strap, of course, that's very easy to clean. You can change the straps at home as well. The case itself is very beautiful, and I think on the surface it just seems like a regular quartz watch. But if you dig it dig a little deeper and you you uh do a little bit of research, you'll realize that Jorn he spent about 10 years, about a decade, trying to figure out how to make this watch and kind of doing the scientific inquiry into the watch. And an example of that is um on on all of his mechanical pieces, he does the finishing and the movement in uh in rose gold.

SPEAKER_00 16:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:10

So for the quartz watch, it has an electromagnetic movement. Um, so rose gold actually isn't the best material to use because conduction is worse than copper traditionally used. Um, but instead of using copper, he figured out a way to use rose gold and keep his kind of theme and his identity intact by using the rose gold. So I think there's these details in that watch, yeah, um, which really make it a journal. Yeah. Um and it's not just a typical quartz watch. So I'm really drawn into that scientific inquiry he had, and he spent the time kind of researching and figuring out how to do it the right way.

SPEAKER_02 16:49

So I mean well, Kevin O'Leary calls him the Picasso of watchmaking. Absolutely. Honestly, I think he's the Albert Einstein of watchmaking. I think I think he there's so much thought and and intelligence that goes into his his watches and his design as an engineering. You know, I I think I think calling him the Einstein of of watchmaking probably is a little bit more appropriate than the Picasso part. Yeah, 100% agree. That's interesting. That's that's really interesting. What other watch would you would you consider?

SPEAKER_01 17:13

And then I really, really like the anti-magnetique as well. Okay.

SPEAKER_02 17:16

Um we were talking about Rex Reksheppy and um speaking of Einstein, go ahead. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:21

But uh his um his story is just crazy. Yeah. Um he was a young kid, uh, I think in a war-torn country in Kosovo, and his family had to move to Switzerland as refugees. Yeah. I'm pretty sure he uh he was gonna be a physician. No, no way. Okay, but he was really, really or his parents wanted him to be a physician, but he was really into watches, into into engineering.

SPEAKER_00 17:44

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:44

Um, I believe his dad was a businessman in Switzerland. Okay. And he would fly back and forth between Switzerland and Kosovo. Oh wow. And he had a Tissot.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:53

And Rekshep would try to open it and look at the movement and kind of see how it would uh how the operational part of the watch would work. Yeah. Um, and then I think he was 15 years old living in Geneva, and he got an apprenticeship at Patek Philippe. Yeah. That's kind of what started everything for him. Wow. He worked with Jorn and now he he was, I think, 25 or pretty young uh when he started his own uh independent brand. So I think it's really unique and a really interesting story. So that's kind of the main reason. And then the anti-magnatique, because it also has its science kind of background to it. So I really like I really like that watch.

SPEAKER_02 18:29

That's awesome. What would you call your Mount Rushmore of watchmakers? I think you probably are already mentioned two of them, but once again, they might not be the they might not be on your on your Mount Rushmore, but uh, what would you consider the Mount Rushmore of watchmaking in your opinion?

SPEAKER_01 18:47

Yeah, so definitely And there's a right or wrong answer. Of course, yeah, definitely put you on the spot, but you know, just definitely Jorn, yeah, definitely Reckshepp Sheppy as well. And then I would say uh Dufour. Okay, oh yeah. I think he's he's gotta be up there as far as living watchmakers viewed. Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. Uh definitely up there as well.

SPEAKER_02 19:06

Absolutely, absolutely, yeah. Uh I would probably add uh Roger Smith on there, George Daniels. I mean, these guys are are legends and big time. Um, you know, with Roger Smith, you know, he he's he's got he's on his journey on on perfecting um that that axe axial escapement that he's that he's developing and that George Daniels actually developed. And you know, it's just that he's trying to get it as light, as small as possible to just increase the longevity of the watch. Isn't that insane? That's amazing. And the fact that, you know, it's it's this ongoing, you know, perfection, which which is really interesting to me because as physicians, right, medicine is different today than it was, you know, 30 years ago, right? A lot of the procedures that we do now um are getting more advanced, you know, more precise. You know, you know, maybe 20, 30 years ago, people used to be, you know, admitted uh for a knee replacement and used to stay at the hospital for several days. Now it's like outpatient surgery. You know, they're home like in a couple of hours. So it's amazing how um, you know, going back to that original point on how medicine and watch making are are so you know uh close to each other, you can see that, especially with you know, guys like Roger Smith and you know Rashek Brashepi and and Jorn and and Philip DeFor, all these guys who are your you know the legends in in the in the game. Do you believe that medicine is similar? Um mastering medicine is similar to to developing taste?

SPEAKER_01 20:31

I think so. Okay. Um so I think medicine is not black and white, right? There's a large gray area in the middle and there's a lot of art history involved in medicine as well. Yeah. I've always considered medicine as an art. Yeah. And if you even within the same specialty, if you look at different physicians, everyone's doing things a little bit differently. They have their own touch to it. Yeah. And um, I think as far as taste, I think that's goes hand in hand because the taste should also be tasteful to you. Yeah. It should come from within and it should be genuine to you. Yeah. Has medical training taught you something about taste like that you would never expect? Yeah, absolutely. Yeah. So it kind of has taught me that you can kind of do your own thing. You don't have to follow the trend. You can you can inject your own kind of artistry into whatever you're doing in life.

SPEAKER_02 21:19

And then tell me a little bit, you know, we've been talking about watches, you know, this this whole segment here. And once again, nothing wrong with that, because you know, obviously we're both obsessed with watches, but let's talk about something a little bit more, you know, tasty. Yeah. Food. Love food. So so tell me about, so I I know we went to Jean-George and we had this amazing meal, um, you know, wine and all that stuff. And and and to me, Jean George's in New York City is is probably my top restaurant. I I love it. There's so much history there. I I took my wife on her first date there. It was, it was, it was, you know, to me it means a lot. Tell me a little bit about um dining.

SPEAKER_01 21:55

What makes dining great versus just expensive? Just like what we were. Talking about in the previous question, taste, right? Each person is gonna have a different taste in terms of what makes it unique and what makes it great for them. But for me, the the the food itself and the taste of the food is the absolute fundamental requirement of having like a luxurious or great experience. Obviously, everything else is important as well, the service, the ambiance, the interior, and everything. Um, but I've been to I've been to restaurants that are multiple stars and in on these ranking lists and everything. And I didn't think that they were that great. On the contrary, I've been to plenty of restaurants that are absolutely amazing.

SPEAKER_02 22:38

Well, tell me about that one that one meal that you will never forget. Um tell me a little bit about it. Where were you? Who were you with? Give me some details on that one. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 22:46

Yeah, so my most memorable meal, very easy, won't forget it ever, is uh Osteria Francescana. Okay. Um in Italy. So yeah, in Italy. It's in Modena, Italy. Absolutely. Um it uh don't quote me on this, but the San Palino world's top fifty list. Okay. I think it kept winning the number one slot. Okay. So they decided to change the rules and make a new list and call it the best of the best. Okay. And once you get to the number one ranking on the world's top fifty, you get removed from that list and get put into this best of the best list. Interesting and give other people a chance. Okay. Uh but uh yeah, we went to Modena. We kind of based this entire two-week trip around this one meal. Oh wow. Um, so the fact that it lived up to the to the hype and it was absolutely amazing. Yeah, it's something that I won't I won't ever forget.

SPEAKER_02 23:36

That's amazing. Do you remember what you had for food?

SPEAKER_01 23:39

Yeah, um, so it was actually very unique. So Massimo Bottura, he's the he's the chef. Yeah. Uh and obviously he has this tasting menu there that people love. He does his own modern and unique taste on Italian food. Yeah, absolutely. Um, so a couple of the examples, so in Modena, it's the state is Emilia Romagna. Okay. So they're known for their parmesan.

SPEAKER_02 23:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

So he had this dish and it was called five different types of parmesan. Um, so essentially it's the same parmesan from there, but it's in five different forms. It's like a foam, a liquid, like heart regular parmesan. So it's just he's just doing all these unique things. Wow. Um that's amazing. Yeah, it was it was a fantastic meal. That's amazing.

SPEAKER_02 24:19

I mean, Italy's got some really good food. I mean, I've I've been out there a bunch of times, and you know, some of my favorite meals have have come from Italy too. So definitely different than you know what we get here in the United States from you know, from an Italian side, but you know, Italian fruit from Italy is like a whole different level. So I I totally agree with that 100%. Is there a destination um that you've been on or been to? Maybe there might be mul multiple destinations where it kind of really reshaped what your thought of luxury was.

SPEAKER_01 24:48

For sure. A couple of places that I can think of off the top of my head. Um St. Barth. Okay. Um I would that's more of like a traditional luxury place. Absolutely. Kind of bags, watches, yachts, beach clubs. Yeah. I mean, it's a great time. Yeah. But a trip that I really, really personally like and I think is very luxurious for me is South Tyrol. It's the northernmost state in Italy. Okay. They're very minimalistic. Uh they kind of do things their own way.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 25:15

Um, and I just really think it's super nice the way they kind of do anything. They're kind of a little bubble uh that community and kind of the way they do things and the way they live, very minimalistic. It's got this Scandinavian Japanese kind of vibe. It's awesome. Um, so yeah, I really, really like it there.

SPEAKER_02 25:31

And you were telling me earlier that you you went to Peru and you you ate at Central, which is what was that, the number one of the best restaurants in the in the world. Um how was that how was that experience?

SPEAKER_01 25:41

Yeah, I think if I had to pick one city that I would say has the best food in the world, I think Lima would be up there. Interesting. If not the best. Okay. There's tons of restaurants that are two and three star. There's a few restaurants that are on the world's top fifty list as well. Okay. Um so we had this crazy string of three meals there. So our first night in Lima, we ate we ate at this place called Maido. Okay. It's the current number one restaurant in the world. Okay, okay. Um at that time it was somewhere on the list. Uh, but it was a fantastic 20-something course meal. Very memorable.

SPEAKER_02 26:14

Making me hungry, man. Oh, jeez.

SPEAKER_01 26:16

They uh they brought out this bluefin tuna and they slice it table side for you. So it's really crazy experience. It was really, really nice. That's awesome. The very next day for lunch, we went to Central.

SPEAKER_00 26:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

Which at that time was the number one restaurant in the world. So now it's off of the list and in the and on uh the best of the best list with the City of Franciscana. Okay. But that chef is very, very unique and he does everything completely his own way, and it's very untraditional. So Peru's a very diverse country. So essentially the way the menu is tailored there is uh it's based on elevations. So he starts below sea level, so you're eating all these seafood and kind of things like that. And then you kind of make your way into land, and then they have the Andes Mountains there, so you're kind of go all the way up to like a 10,000, 14,000 foot elevation. Wow. So it's you it's this menu based off of elevation. So it's really unique, but really, really cool and really nicely done.

SPEAKER_02 27:12

That's incredible, man. Wow. Yeah. I just uh you know, food to me is like it makes me happy. Like it's just like one of those happy places, and and it kind of makes your soul happy. Especially if a really good meal, like it's just like the best experience in the world. Where I just went recently, I went to Bora Bora and just the beauty of that island, coral everywhere and clear water, and then I've got all these huts on the water, it's just picturesque. I mean, it's just it's incredible how some of those places exist in this in this world. For me, I I think it's important to travel, I think it's important to see the world. You know, I I've met people who've never left their town, you know, and I just it to me I I don't understand that. Like, yeah, you know, I I get it, but at the same time, it's like there's so much out there, and and you know, if you don't move around and see things, it's you're missing out. So are there any things that you've purchased you kind of regretted, I guess, or or something that you spent all this money on and then doesn't really mean much to you? Like, is there anything like that that you've kind of experienced? Um, you know, could be anything. No.

SPEAKER_01 28:13

Not really, to be honest. Okay, yeah. All right, good. Um, but I'm also I do a lot of research and I'm very I do my due diligence. Absolutely. And I'm not very impulsive in terms of my purchases. Yeah, not really anything that's uh yeah really at the top of my head on that one.

SPEAKER_02 28:27

For me, buying 20 little boo-boos for my kids.

SPEAKER_01 28:29

Yeah, I if I did that, I would say the same, I would have the same answer as well.

SPEAKER_02 28:33

Yeah, yeah. Um they're sitting in my house right now, like randomly places like I'll step on them. And half the time my kids don't even know where they are. So I mean it it it's uh incredible how that thing kind of took over. Are they still a thing now? Or I don't haven't heard anything. I mean, they are. I mean, I think I think they used to be, you know, you used to have uh all these people hanging them off like Birkin bags and Kelly bags and things like that. And now I think a lot of kids like just buy them. They play with them, and like you know, for me, my kids just buy a bunch of them and just kind of keep them around the house and sleep with them and stuff like that. So if someone came to you tomorrow and said they want to start building real taste, where would you tell them to start? Or what would you tell them to begin?

SPEAKER_01 29:11

Yeah, for sure. I I think the most important thing in my opinion is uh it has to come from within, right? So it has to be tailored to yourself. Um and it can't be something that you shouldn't follow trends, don't kind of see what's going on, or what would this person do, or what it would this person think? But it should really bring you joy. Um it should definitely be from within and something that's gonna make you happy. Um and I think that's real taste. Yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 29:36

Well, listen, Neil, um, I mean, we've we covered a lot of topics here today, and and you know, I think um, you know, for us being physicians, you know, not only do we share that brotherhood of of going through medical school and years of training, residency, fellowship, I think this is something that we can always talk about um that's not related to medicine. And I and I think, you know, this is why we get along so well because you know, we we share very common interests. So, first of all, I want to thank you for coming on the show today. This means a lot. This is my first episode, and to to share this with someone like you, it means the world to me. So, so thank you so much. I'm very honored that you were able to come in today and and talk about watches and dining and and travel and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_01 30:16

So yeah, once again, like I said, I really appreciate it. It's really an honor for me to be here on the inaugural episode. So I really thank you so much. Thank you. Um, it was a lot of fun, actually, and uh yeah, I think we talked about some great things.

SPEAKER_02 30:28

So and then to my viewers, um, obviously, if this episode hits home for you, please subscribe, share, um, like, you know, ring the bell, whatever they say about YouTube, uh uh with someone who gets it, and uh follow the luxury prescription show. There's a lot more coming. I've got really cool guests coming from the industry, you know, uh from the watch industry, the car industry, um, the fashion industry. So this is gonna be a really cool uh series. Um once again, I'm Dr. Vinet Chopra and consider this your luxury prescription. Thank you.