It sits in the loudly beating heart of Brisbane’s West End, just over the river from the CBD and arguably its most culturally diverse (and very cool) precinct. It is Chop Chop Chang’s and it is as cool, diverse and inclusive as its colourful ‘burb.
Month: September 2013
Whipping cream cake for my darling boy’s birthday
Five years ago, I cradled a cherubic baby boy in my arms, barely 3kg. He is a little man now, who first and foremost, loves to read and has committed at least three dinosaur encyclopedias’ worth of information to memory, whose favourite food is cold soba noodles, and who absolutely adores this cake.
The Porthole – My beautiful new cocktail infusion vessel
Please indulge me for the next few paragraphs as I show off my latest toy. The Porthole, the sexiest infusion vessel known to man, is one of those products that you absolutely have to get for no other reason than its general gorgeousness. I’m an absolute sucker for great design, and this piece of kitchen porn I got off Kickstarter was well worth the one year wait.
Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa of DEN, Tokyo, is a master culinary comedian. And his restaurant is the coolest place in Tokyo to dine in right now.
Earlier this month, thanks to some amazingly cheap deals on Scoot, I was able to whisk my wife S up to Tokyo for a three day eating trip to celebrate our twelfth wedding anniversary. We had only three nights in town, which meant (to me at least) making sure each dinner was truly something special. On the first two nights, we visited familiar favorites (including, of course, Sushi Sho). For the last night in town, I wanted to take S somewhere neither of us had been. And after a bit of research, decided the restaurant I most wanted to try — and that I thought she’d really enjoy — was DEN, in Jimbocho. And boy am I glad I did.
Truly amazing burgers at Fellows The Burger Stand, Tokyo.
Any regular reader knows that one of the things I love most in the world is finding a great burger. And on a recent trip to Tokyo, I have finally found a place that, firstly, serves up a burger so good that I really don’t think I need to look for alternative venues any more, and, secondly, is super-conveniently located. Fellows The Burger Stand is located in Omotesando, just around the corner from (behind) the Tod’s boutique on Omotesando Street itself.
Are you the next Wok Star?
Have you ever been disappointed by a plate of flavourless, badly cooked char kway teow, and know you can make a better version? Or perhaps your mission in life is to cook and preserve Singapore’s hawker food? If you love to cook local fare and have an adventurous heart, you might want to put on an apron and join MediaCorp’s newest reality cooking series, Wok Stars. We think this initiative is a really great one, so I was excited about finding out more about the upcoming program from Lawrence Ng, producer of Wok Stars.
5 Best Weekend Brunches in Shanghai, China
Brunch has always been a tradition for me. From the early days after university, after a too late night out – we used to go to a place called Joe’s in NYC and get these amazing Belgian waffles. And then later when I was married…just a relaxed way to ease into the day after a lazy morning. In Istanbul we used to go to grand old hotels and enjoy the luxurious brunch spreads of various cheeses, olives and breads. And nowadays in Shanghai, it’s become a traditional as well because it is a common time where everyone can get together no matter what stage of life…a mixture of singles, families and such. And while brunch is about gathering together to share a meal, let’s not forget the most important part – the FOOD!
Chocolate Raspberry Tart
I will admit that I am not much of a cook when it comes to the savoury, but if it is one thing I can do without demolishing the kitchen, it’s baking. I’m not entirely sure where my love for baking stems from, but my family and friends don’t seem to care much for the reason as long as I continue providing them with their favourite desserts. One such dessert would be my Chocolate Raspberry Tart.
Sweetness The Patisserie, tempting treats in Sydney
Sweetness is not your everyday patisserie, neither traditional French nor modern and overly elaborate. Sweetness has just the right dose of old and new. The delicacies are beautifully presented, wrapped with care, all made by hand. The flavours, on the other hand, cater to one’s inner child. They’re sweets that evoke a sense of longing – marshmallows, chewy caramel, whoopie pies, rocky road, fruit jujubes, caramel popcorn, are only the beginning of a number of insanely delicious treats.
Great, affordable neighborhood sushi at Tomi Sushi, Novena Square, Singapore
On any given day, if you were to ask my lovely wife S want she’d like to eat, nine out of ten times she’ll answer, “sushi”. Sushi is, without a doubt, her favorite food. Her favorite sushi place of all time is Sushi Sho, in Tokyo. Sadly, there is no place in Singapore that even comes close to serving the kind of super-exquisite and super-umami sushi served by Keiji Nakazawa. That said, there are some rather chic places here that do serve some high quality fish, but most of those, we have realized over the years, are rather overpriced (for what you get). They are also not the kinds of places you frequent on a weekly basis — which is how often S wishes she could indulge in her favorite food. Fortunately, we have discovered, in our neighbourhood, a place that, while very modest and mass-market in appearances, does serve some really high quality sushi, at also very moderate prices.