New vintage wines make their way into our market every year. But in the era of the modern wine industry, seeing a first vintage today has become something of a rarity. In 2011, Shaw + Smith acquired Tolpuddle vineyard in Tasmania. Having planted Pinot noir and Chardonnay since 1988, Michael Hill Smith MW was in town to present the 2012 vintage of these remarkable wines. Their first vintage.
It’s an institution revered by Brisbanites and many frequent visitors since its opening in 1996. And with progressive management and a keen eye on current trends (as opposed to flashy fads), Jocelyn’s Provisions, located in popular James Street, has maintained its place firmly at the top of the sugar-sprinkled ladder.
I don’t think we post nearly enough pictures of the food served during a meal. Take Sushi Sho for example. Of course, you have read Aun wax lyrical about this being his favourite sushi restaurant in the world. But wouldn’t it be nice to see a little more of what awaits you before you make that booking?
Singapore is currently enjoying quite the culinary renaissance. It feels like there are new restaurants and cafes opening weekly. And to be honest, I can’t even keep up with all these new places. Unfortunately, judging from my dining-out experiences over the past year, far too many newbies prize style over substance, i.e. while many of these new eateries look great and attract a growing pride of local hipsters, the reality is that their food is often both mediocre and very expensive. One restaurant that opened this past year, however, whose culinary program has continued to impress me is Bacchanalia, located (oddly enough) in the city’s Masonic Hall.
Addiction Aquatic Development is a seafood paradise in the heart of Taipei. Referred to by some as a modern fish market, it is, without a doubt, the premium location to buy fresh seafood or enjoy a leisurely meal of oysters, lobster, crab, prawns, sushi and sashimi.
The tall, slim, olive-skinned, always-smiling Thai female staff, the sound of sizzling woks in the background and the delicious smell of curry bubbling on the hob, all bring me back to my idyllic days of holidaying and eating by the scenic beaches of Phuket. Lewu Cafe is my choice when I’m in need of some authentic Thai grub, and if I close my eyes, I might just be able to feel the sand in my toes again.
Last week, through my day job (yup, I still work — blogging certainly doesn’t pay the bills), I had the enormous pleasure of helping to launch a new social media campaign called #GivingTuesdaySG. And I want every single one of you reading this to join us in this amazing charitable initiative. In a nutshell #GivingTuesdaySG is a social media driven movement to make 3 December 2013 our new national day of giving here in Singapore.
Until about a month ago, I had never heard of East 8, this despite the fact that it’s a quick ten minute walk from my office. A good friend had written to me saying that a friend of hers had opened up this tiny New York-inspired fusion tapas bar and suggested I give it a go. So, a few days later, I checked it out. The long and short of it is that East 8 is not bad. Nice interiors. Very nice people. And the food is pretty good, but like all “tapas” bars in Singapore, it’s priced a little higher than what I consider the food to be worth. Basically, a good option if you’re in the ‘hood and money isn’t really a concern.
One of my favourite chefs in Singapore is Malcolm Lee. Not only is he immensely talented, passionate and hard-working, he’s also humble and sincere. I’ve been a fan of his ever since he opened his first restaurant, Candlenut Kitchen, which was located on Neil Road in Singapore. Because of evil landlord issues (which seems to be becoming the norm on our little island-nation), Malcolm had to close Candlenut Kitchen down in 2012. Almost a year and a half later, this driven young chef has re-opened, this time in newer, shinier digs; he’s also dropped the “kitchen” in the restaurant’s name.
At the beginning of the year, I volunteered my services to test the recipes for an upcoming cookbook called Plusixfive: A Singaporean Supper Club Cookbook. At that time, I barely knew anything about Plusixfive–a supper club that is based in London and started by a very enthusiastic young man named Goz Lee. The story behind plusixfive is simple–man craved for authentic Singaporean food in London, man could not find good Singaporean food, and so man learned how to cook delicious Singaporean food. And one thing led to another–with confidence and help from a few friends, Goz Lee shared his love for Singaporean food by starting a supper club.