I was reminded recently, over a great but ridiculously sweaty breakfast at Epicurious, an ultra-popular cafe along Robertson Quay, just how much I enjoy baked eggs for breakfast. Of course, I am a egg freak to begin with; I could happily eat eggs for brekkie seven days a week.Epicurious’ baked eggs were lusciously runny. Cooked with a generous helping of bacon and cream, and served with toast soldiers, they are simple yet entirely satisfying.

After that breakfast, I became a little obsessed, as I often do, with having great baked eggs at home. For the next week, I made baked eggs every single morning, trying to perfect cooking times and temperatures, while also trying to decide what the best combination of ingredients would be.

I’ve decided that my favourite combo is a pretty simple one, bacon and spinach with a hollandaise cream sauce and topped with gruyere. The recipe is below. Please note that your oven may require you to adjust the time. Plus you may prefer your eggs a tad more cooked or a tad runnier.

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Any regular reader knows that one of the dishes I hold most dear to my heart is the burger. I adore burgers, both western style (topped with condiments and served between buns) and Japanese style (covered in a thick demi-glace sauce and served with rice). Unfortunately, while it is relatively easy to find a burger when dining out, it is hard to find a truly exceptional one. One that will make you go, “Wow!”, immediately start texting friends about, and return just a few days later for another serving. The CW Burger Breakfast, available at The Market Grill on Telok Ayer Street (in Singapore), though, is just such a burger.

The CW Burger Breakfast is hands down the best burger I’ve eaten so far this calendar year. For my tastes, it ticks all the boxes. 150g of chuck, hand-formed? Check. Bacon? Check. Aged cheddar? Check. Sunny side up egg? Check? A light pickle spread for just a hint of acidity? Check. A dash of mayo? Check. Fluffy, soft, toasted sesame seed bun? Check. A couple dollops of Heinz and you’re in burger heaven. The beef is seasoned expertly and done to a nice pink perfection. The condiments and toppings come together with just the right amount of salty, sweet, sour, savouriness that makes every bite a true joy.

As you can imagine, I eat a lot of burgers. And, every so often, drag my wife S out on a burger hunt. But, to be perfectly honest, almost every single burger I’ve had over the last year — even from many much ballyhooed burger specialty joints — has left me unsatisfied. Chef Colin West’s CW Burger Breakfast is the first burger that I’ve wanted to write about.

Of course, Loh Lik Peng’s The Market Grill is not even just a burger joint. It’s a full fledged grill hiding inside a whimsical, industrial-chic diner — the kind of place you might imagine Jean-Pierre Jeunet creating for one of his films. The menu offers a nice variety of steaks, burgers, and lobster, pork chop, lamb rack, and cod. Plus a pretty substantial list of starters and sides.

Because I was so eager to return to The Market Grill after my first burger experience there, I brought S, our son T, and S’s parents there for lunch just a few days later. A larger group also meant we could try more things. S ordered the Lobster Sliders, which should actually be renamed Lobster Roll, because that’s what it is… a traditional New England style lobster roll, executed perfectly. The lovely, sweet meat from a 500g lobster, mixed into a creamy herbed mayo, served with fresh romaine in a toasted, split-open brioche roll. Simply gorgeous. The whole family sampled the yummy Crispy Pig Ears, which was served with a vinegary sauce that in many ways reminded us of similar Teochew dishes. And my in-laws both had other burgers, of which the CW Bleu Cheese is pictured above.

My only gripe with The Market Grill — which is a gripe I have with many of Loh Lik Peng’s recent restaurants — is that they don’t take reservations. As a fussy old fart who hates waiting in line, I find this practice really quite aggravating. But Colin West’s CW Burger Breakfast is one thing I’ll get in line for. That burger is just that damned good.

The Market Grill
208 Telok Ayer Street
Singapore 068642

OPENING HOURS
Monday – Saturday
Lunch 1130am – 230pm
Dinner 5pm – 10pm
Closed on Sunday

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I make a lot of sandwiches these days. One, my wife S love sandwiches. And two, they’re easy to throw together in the morning. (I actually make toasties, having purchased a toastie machine from Tang’s a few months back, but that’s not the point of this post.) I would say that we eat sandwiches (toasties) for brekkie at least four mornings out of seven. One of the most important elements, to me, in making a great sandwich is a great sauce (spread). And while I’d like to pretend I have the time to make my own from scratch, the truth is that I reach into the fridge and grab a jar or two. But since I’m almost always reaching for a jar of Roza’s Sauces, I know that my sandwich will turn out simply stunning. 

Roza’s Sauces are sensational. And they are all gluten free, made with all natural ingredients and with no artificial preservatives. Every sauce, spread and dip that I have tasted from this small Australian family-owned company has been delicious.

I first came across Roza’s Sauces in Huber’s Butchery, which I believe is the only place you can buy them in Singapore. I grabbed a bottle of the Sweet Mustard with Apricots and Macadamia Nuts while the wife wanted to try their Coconut Chilli Mayonnaise. I used the former in some sandwiches and fell in love with the sweet, nutty, fruity and still tangy mustard. S decanted the mayo into a squeeze bottle and served it alongside a whole roasted suckling pig, which worked perfectly. Since then, we’ve been regularly buying and trying all of Roza’s Sauces. Roza’s has become, without a doubt, my favourite producer of mayos and mustards.

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of heading down under to take part in the Noosa International Food & Wine Festival. As we had taken our 2 year old son with us, S and I decided to spend an additional day in Brisbane after the festival so that we could check out the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, which we thought he’d enjoy. When we were planning the trip, the lovely ladies in the Tourism Queensland office in Singapore (who helped arrange our Lone Pine visit) asked if there was anything else we wanted to see or anyone we wanted to meet in Brisbane. I think I surprised them when I responded immediately, saying the one person in Brisbane I was dying to meet was Jasmin Robertson, the 25 year old owner and CEO of Roza’s Sauces, a teeny-tiny artisanal sauce company that I’m pretty sure they hadn’t even heard of.

But, amazing women that they are, they arranged for me to drop by Jasmin’s brand new factory on a beautiful Monday morning.

Jasmin is charming, energetic and fashionable to boot. At first glance, she’s not the kind of person you’d imagine running an artisanal sauce company (I’d picture someone more like Masterchef Australia winner Julie Goodwin). But Jasmin didn’t start Roza’s Sauces. Her mother, Roza, did.

The company began, Jaz (as her friends call her) told me, back in the early 1990s. They were living along the road up one of the popular and scenic mountains in the Brisbane area. Roza decided it would fun to see if she could sell some of her homemade sauces to the people driving by.

Jaz told me about her first endeavours, “We’d sit at the end of the road under a big beach umbrella. It would be me… I was around 3 or 4 at the time… the dog and my mom. We’d put up homemade signs along the road. Mom would be so excited when she would sell seven jars in one day.”

Fast forward 22 years and Jaz now produces an average of 4000 items a week in order to meet the demands of her customers. It’s a shame, however, that Roza did not get a chance to witness the success of her daughter and the popularity of the sauces she created. Roza, sadly, passed away in 2001. Jasmin was 14 years old at the time.

In the years prior, Roza and her husband had built up a small loyal following in the Brisbane area. Fans of their sauces had introduced them to new customers and retailers, who were happy to sell the couple’s fresh and tasty products. They had also increased their popularity when they started to take part in the city’s well-attended weekend markets, especially the Jan Powers Farmers Markets.

After Roza passed away, Jasmin’s father ran the business single-handedly. He outsourced manufacturing and continued to supply existing customers. But he didn’t grow the business.

Jaz, meanwhile, had gone off to pursue a degree in business, after which she took on a job at PwC. Unsatisfied with her work, she went back to school to pursue an acting degree. Ironically, while she grew up helping mama make sensational sauces, Jaz admitted that when she was younger, she had no real interest in food.

Everything changed in 2007, when her father called her. “Dad said that he had an offer to buy the company from a 25 year old woman,” said Jaz. “He then told me that either I take over or he’s selling. I was 20 years old at the time. At first, the idea of taking over my parents’ company was the furthest thing from my mind, but the more I thought about, the more I kept asking myself,’Why would this 25 year old girl want it? What does she see in it?’ And the more I thought about it, the more I realised that there was a lot that could be done. That Roza’s Sauces had heaps of potential.”

So, at 20 years old, Jasmin Robertson took the plunge to becoming her own boss. She brought manufacturing back in-house. She fine-tuned her mother’s recipes, and while doing so, awakened within herself a love for food. And she essentially re-engineered the business single-handedly.

“I had no money to invest into the re-engineering. I wish I did. I had to do everything myself. If I could have hired consultants or staff, it would have been so much easier. On the other hand, I’ve done everything now. I know every aspect of this business. Which is invaluable in running it.”

When Jaz took over Roza’s Sauces, she had just two staff: a chef and a kitchen hand. They were producing approximately 1,200 items a week. Today, she has 13 dedicated and very happy employees making an average of 4,000 items a week. Her goal is to double production (again) by 2015. And while ambitious, I think she can do it.

Until last year, the majority of her product sold only in Queensland and through a few outlets in Victoria. But after attending a trade fair in September, she suddenly found herself fulfilling orders in New South Wales, Western Australia and Singapore. Victoria’s distribution has likewise increased. Roza’s Sauces can now be found in over 70 retail points within that territory. One coup that Jaz is very proud of is being accepted by David Jones, Australia’s oldest and most trusted department store brand.

Roza’s Sauces produces over 38 varieties of sauces, mayos, pestos, mustards and dips. As mentioned, I’ve loved everything I have tasted. My favourites from these include the Sweet Mustard with Apricots and Macadamia Nut, the Wasabi Sichuan Mayonnaise, the Basil Mustard (which is half pesto sauce and half mustard), the Hollandaise, and the Sundried Tomato Wholegrain Mustard. And while Roza had created 42 recipes for the company, Jaz is hard at work creating new concoctions. The Wasabi Sichuan Mayonnaise was one of her own original sauces. And I had the pleasure, when visiting, of sampling a truffle mayo that is still in development, but which I adored.

Having had a chance to meet Jaz and hear her story in person, I am now an even bigger fan of Roza’s Sauces. Not only are the products outstanding, but the young woman behind the brand is the kind of person you want to rally behind and cheer for. Given her current success, I had to ask her if she’d ever consider selling her family’s company. She told me, “You know, it’s a nice idea, of selling it one day. It’s nice to keep something like that in mind as a light at the end of the tunnel. But to be honest, the more involved I am, the more attached I’ve become.”

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Next week, my wife S, two year old mini-me T and I are heading down under. Last year, as regular readers know, I attended the super-fun Noosa International Food & Wine Festival. Well, we’re going back again this year, but this time, instead of covering the festival, I’m there as a participant.

This time around, I’ve been asked to speak on a panel, help judge a cocktail contest and take part in a cooking competition. The panel discussion is titled “Everyone is an Expert – blogs, public opinion websites, e-zines, mainstream press, and the hand of the law”. I’ll be up there with some pretty impressive peeps: David Fagan, Lizzie Loel, John Lethlean, Colin Fassnidge, Simon Thomsen, Kerry Heaney, and Maureen Shaw. For those of you who will be at the festival, this talk is taking place in The Courier-Mail Life Annexe on Sunday, 19 May at 215pm.

More stressful than speaking on stage is actually cooking for the public. Somehow, I have allowed myself to be roped into cooking against some of Australia’s leading food media celebs, such as Matt Preston, Simon Thomsen, Tony Love, and Simon Wilkinson (among others). The theme for the cook off is “Dude Food” and each of us has been assigned a specific protein. I have to admit I lucked out; I was given Cape Grim beef!

This “critics cook-off” is being held in the main festival village on Saturday, 18 May. We’ll be dishing out food to the public from 1130am until 330pm. There will be two awards up for grabs, a people’s choice award decided by applause and a social media award decided by votes on Instagram. If you’re around, please, please, please come support me.

As for what I’m cooking? Well, I’m making a variation of the below dish.

The Noosa International Food & Wine Festival takes place between 16-19 May in Noosa, Australia (which is on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland).

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Dining with toddlers when travelling is a world apart from eating out when it’s just you and your hunny bunny. On previous trips to Japan, I would have made reservations at cult places I’ve been dying to try or restaurants that I already love weeks in advance. Because many of my favourite haunts are uber-popular, booking ahead is essential. However, with the tiny one in tow, not only could I not plan ahead, but the kinds of restaurants we visited were very different. 

Eating out with the youngster
My favourite kinds of restaurants in Japan are small, kappo (counter-only) places. Most of these serve only one menu, with a few variations depending on how much you are willing to spend. But such establishments are definitely not toddler friendly. Try asking the cult restaurant that specializes in one specific kind of food if they’d be cool to make something else for your fussy little boy, and you’ll most likely get a stern “Dame! (“no”)” back from a slightly offended chef or restaurateur.

As every parent of a young’un knows, their tastes can be somewhat bewildering and aggravating. Some days they’re happy to eat anything. Other days, they want only one specific things. And usually, they aren’t super adventurous. My son, for example, while willing to try most things, has extremely strong opinions on what he eats. If he doesn’t love something, he won’t eat it. Which can be a real pain in the tush.

Anyway, the list below consists of places that both we and the fussy Master T enjoyed dining in. Depending on your own child’s tastebuds, they may or may not work for you. But at least you’ll know they’re kid-friendly.

Trattoria Pizzeria Amore
One of T’s favourite foods is pizza. And even then, he’s fussy about the quality. If the crust is too soggy or happens to be charred just a tad too much, he won’t eat it. Fortunately, the pizzas served up in this chic trattoria and pizzeria on Kiyamachi dori were just right. In fact, on our first visit (we went twice), T was so thrilled he ate three-quarters of an entire pie. And then followed that up with a scoop of vanilla gelato.

The ground floor of Amore is divided two spaces. The front is an industrial-chic bar with high tables and a cool urban vibe. Go back into the restaurant, past the kitchen, and you’ll discover a charming dining room with white-washed wooden walls and gorgeous views of the Kamo river. There’s also a deck, which was closed when we visited–I can imagine it would be wonderful to sit out there in the summer. Just past the entrance, there is a staircase going to a second floor, but I don’t know if it’s used for dining or offices. When we visited, it was definitely off-limits.

Amore has a great big pizza menu. But it also has a fabulous à la carte trattoria menu as well. While T was happy devouring his pizzas, S and I satisfied ourselves with a range of seafood dishes. The clams were gorgeous. The frito misto was sensational. S declared it one of the best she’s ever eaten. And I loved the prawns with fettucine in a tomato-cream sauce.

Amore quite simply is a great place with a cool vibe, wonderful food, and really nice staff. This was easily T’s favourite restaurant in Kyoto.

Amore is located on Kiyamachi dori, south of Shijo-dori. As you walk south, you’ll pass by one bridge that crosses the river. It’s just a minute or two after that.

Popeye
I had read about Popeye in a Japanese magazine devoted to cafes in Kyoto. “Read” may be stretching the truth a bit since I can’t read or write Japanese. What motivated me to check out this cool cafe, nestled in a tiny alley off of the pedestrian Shinkyogoku shopping street was a gorgeous picture of a hambaagu (hamburger) rice set. T loves burgers and at home he usually has burgers with rice. So, we definitely knew that we had to find a good hambaagu rice place in Kyoto. The fact that the cafe was super central and easy to find was the second reason we decided to have lunch here. And I am very glad we did. The food and the service was simply fantastic.

Popeye is small. On the ground floor, there is just one table and a counter. On the second floor, there are several low tables–the patrons dining there sit on the floor. The lunch menu consists of 3 sets. T, S and I, of course, took the hambaagu rice set. What’s nice is that the burger patty is only made when you order, so you know it’s fresh. The set consisted of a the burger, covered in a nice rich sauce (which we had asked to be served on the side for T), a cabbage salad, some potato salad, some macaroni salad and a bowl of rice with pickles. Perfectly satisfying.

To get to Popeye, head into the Shinkyogoku shopping street from Shijo dori. Turn right at the first alley. It’s on your right a few steps into the alley.

Yakitori Tarokichi
We walked into this yakitori joint partly to get out of the rain. I had originally planned for us to check out a small cult unagi place off Yamato-oji dori a friend had told me about. Idiot that I am, I thought we could just rock up and get a table. The manager, when we opened the door and asked for a table, gave me one of those looks and said, “It’s sakura season… we are fully booked… thank you.” And closed the door on me. Since it was drizzling, we decided to head down the street towards our rented house (which was on the same street) and check out one of the many restaurants along the way.

We had walked by Yakitori Tarokichi previously, so when we spotted it, I knew I wanted to go there. It’s a charming, urban yet traditional and modest little place with the main grill in the front room, surrounded by counter seats, and a few small tables in the back. Fortunately, they had translated their whole menu into English so ordering was a breeze. We had a delicious meal there. As with most yakitori places, the bulk of the menu was chicken, but they did have a few pork dishes and several nice salads and grilled vegetable options. The atmosphere was very laid back and T had a fun time exploring the restaurant.

Yakitori Tarokichi is located on Yamato-oji dori. To get there, simply head south on Yamato-oji dori from Shijo dori (in Gion). When you get to the first intersection, it is on the southeast corner.

Kimura Sukiyaki Ten
Because we’ve had sukiyaki dinners with T with success, S wanted to take T to have sukiyaki in Kyoto. We decided to check out Kimura Sukiyaki Ten because we had read that it was large, extremely informal and very affordable (no point taking the toddler anywhere uppity and expensive, yah?). It was also very centrally-located, right along the pedestrian Teramachi shopping street.

I do have to admit that Kimura feels touristy. But the beef was very good and the staff didn’t mind that T wanted to run around the restaurant (despite our attempts to wrestle him down). And as promised, the prices were good, less than half what S and I have usually spent on sukiyaki in Kyoto in the past.

To get there, simply head north on Teramachi dori from Shijo dori. It will be on your left after walking for about 2-3 minutes.

Cafe Violon
The charming Cafe Violon was a few minutes walk from our rented machiya. It was also the one cafe in the neighborhood that our landlord had recommended for breakfast. Which is what we went there for. Cafe Violon opens at 9am and serves just very affordable one breakfast set. As pictured, you get two slices or buttered toast, a tiny salad, a hard boiled egg and your choice of coffee drinks. The coffees here were all especially well made. And our little guy T loved the large fluffy slices of toast. On our first visit, he was two-fisting them, having grabbed a slice with each hand and eating them both in alternating bites.

The cafe itself looked like something from an old movie (with the exception of the state-of-the- art stereo speakers on the bar). There’s a long bar that runs down the right wall of this narrow space with banquettes along the right wall. From what I could tell, Violon is one of those quirky Japanese places that transitions artfully from cafe to cocktail bar as the day turns to night.

Violon is located on Matsubara dori, east of Yamato-oji dori. Walk east from Yamato-oji dori and it will be on your left after a 3-5 minute walk.

Inoda Coffee
Inoda Coffee is a true Kyoto institution with branches all over the city. It’s very old school–almost theme parkish. But the coffee is great and the food is, while basic, actually pretty good. The menu consists of sandwiches, pastas, salads, cakes and ice cream desserts, so there’s definitely something your kids will enjoy.

We had stopped into the Kiyomizudera branch for a midday snack (the delicious club sandwich pictured above). We had a perfect table, right by the window, offering us gorgeous views of the cherry blossoms in the garden next door to the cafe. We had also snuck in at the perfect time. By the time we left, there was a huge line of women, both young and old, waiting for tables to have their mid-afternoon tea and cake breaks.

Cafe Kawa
Cafe Kawa is a sleek, French-run cafe on Kiyamachi, with great views of the Kamo River. There is both French and Japanese food available here. Honestly, we only stopped in for drinks and the view. But I am sure, judging by what we saw people munching on around us, that the grub is well worth trying.

Getting there is easy. Kawa is located on Kiyamachi dori, just a minute’s walk north of Matsubara dori.

Patisserie au Grenier D’Or
Wanna hop up the kids on sugar? Heh heh. We stopped into this cult pastry shop one afternoon while T was snoozing away. S had read about this patisserie, helmed by Chef Kinzo Nishihara, some years back but for some reason we never made our way there. The Patisserie au Grenier D’Or is famous for re-igniting the passion for French patisserie among foodies in Kyoto when it opened back in 2001.

You can purchase yummy-looking desserts at the counter or head up to the salon du thé and enjoy a leisurely drink accompanied by several sweet treats. Since S was carrying T around in the Ergo, we figured that our only option was takeaway. S purchased their uber-popular chocolate mousse pyramid and a milk pudding while I picked up a pound cake for breakfast the next day.

The Patisserie au Grenier D’Or is located on Sakai-machi dori, north of Nishiki Market.

The post Travelling with the toddler to Kyoto, Japan, Part 2 appeared first on Chubby Hubby.

My wife S and I have been to Kyoto many times. But until this past April, we’d never gone there with a young child in tow (of course, since we only had our first child two years ago, that would kind of make sense). This most recent trip, because we had brought along our son T, was remarkably different from all of our previous trips. Our schedule, because we had to plan everything around his schedule, was different. Where we went and what we did each day, because we wanted to do and see things that would be fun for him, was different. And where we ate, because we wanted to go to places that served food he liked, was different.

We had a good time. More importantly, T had a terrific time and, from what we could tell at least, really enjoyed himself. While Kyoto is a city known for culture, history, handicraft, and food, it is also a great city to visit with kids. There are a lot of outdoor playgrounds and a lot of things you can do with young ones. Below, I have listed the things that we enjoyed the most. This list, of course, is by no means an exhaustive list of child-friendly activities. It is just the few things we experienced and enjoyed the most. I already have a list of things we want to do with T on future trips, like strawberry picking for example, which we just didn’t have time for this time.

Experiences / Attractions

Nara Park and feeding the deer.

Of all the things we did with T, the one thing he’s told us he enjoyed the most was feeding the deer in Nara Park. Now, some friends have pointed out that the practice of feeding the deer in Nara is ruining the ecosystem of the area because the “deer senbei” (the crackers that visitors purchase to feed them) aren’t meant to be part of the deer’s natural diet. Intellectually, I can understand this. But, visiting, interacting with and feeding the senbei to the deer there is just sooooooooo much fun. For adults as well as for kids.

Nara was the capital of Japan from 710 to 784. It’s a small city that is easy for tourists to navigate their way around. It is home to some very well-known and often visited temples, shrines and gardens, many of which are in or around Nara Park. Getting to Nara from Kyoto is a cinch. Take the Kintetsu Railway express train from Kyoto Station straight to the Kintetsu Nara Station. It’s a quick 35 minute journey which deposits you right at the western edge of Nara Park. From there, you only have to walk east for a few minutes and you’ll find yourself both in the park and face to face with some rather friendly, slightly over-zealous and very greedy deer.

(We decided to walk past the deer hounding visitors at the edge of the park and walk further into the park, making our way towards Todaiji Temple. The deer are all over the park, so you don’t feel like you have to stop and feed the first ones you come across.)

One packet of deer senbei usually runs 150 Yen. From the moment you buy a packet, deer will start following you, and if you don’t feed them quickly enough for their liking, nudge you and even occasionally nip at you. So, it is advisable not to pass let your children hold onto the senbei or feed the deer unsupervised. When you’re not holding onto the biscuits, the deer will treat you with a mild interest (or really disinterest); they are actually very tame, and very friendly.

Arashiyama

I’ve already written heaps about Arashiyama. Not only is it a fun place for adults, but kids love visiting this much beloved tourist area as well. T had a great time looking at all the stuff for sale in the boutiques lining the main road and playing along the banks of the Hozu River.

Arashiyama Monkey Park

Also in the area, and the main reason we went there, is a the Arashiyama Monkey Park. The monkey park is home to approximately 130 Japanese macaques, whom many call “snow monkeys”. This sanctuary is located on the top of a hill, accessible via a 20 minute hike. There is a large clearing which affords amazing views of Kyoto and which the monkeys roam around freely within. And a small wooden house, in which visitors can rest and from which one can feed the monkeys.

Feeding should only be done from within the safety of the shelter. You can purchase diced apples or nuts. Because the monkeys do tend to get a little grabby, it is advised to place the food in the palm of your hand, as opposed to holding it with your finger tips. The monkeys cling onto bars that enclose the windows of the shelter and happily accept as much food as you’re willing to buy for them.

Not only is this fun for the whole family, the hike up and down to the park is just beautiful. We went during cherry blossom season, which was simply gorgeous. I would love to return again in the Fall when the leaves are all orange and red.

Getting to the Monkey Park is easy. From Arashiyama station, walk towards the Hozu River. Cross the river and turn right. You’ll see a sign for the Park after a few steps.

Hirakata Park

Hirakata Park is an amusement park outside of Osaka. From Kyoto, if you hop on an express train via the Keihan Railway line from Gion, you can get there in half an hour, which makes it a very convenient place to visit. Since we’ve returned to Singapore, S hasn’t been able to stop talking about how much fun she and T had visiting Hirakata Park, mostly because the number of rides suitable for toddlers was quite remarkable.

T had a grand old time running us back and forth between rides. Once he had established his favourites, mama or papa had to go on them with him over and over again, which honestly, we didn’t mind doing at all. We also liked that the Park was clean and open, affording us a lot of open space in which our crazy little kid could run around and exhaust himself.

My only caution is that the food we ate there–we went to the curry house on property–is quite awful. My advice is to get your hand stamped (for re-entry), leave the Park, have a great, cheap, local meal somewhere near by and then head back into the Park if your kids still want to ride more rides.

There are also fun rides for older kids and parents. Once T fell asleep, I decided it was my turn and checked out some of the Park’s more thrilling roller coasters.

As said, getting there is easy. Hop an express train from the Keihan Railway Gion-Shijo station going south. Ride until Hirakatashi and then transfer to a local train for one stop. Get off at Hirakatakoen station and the Park is a three minute walk away.

Kyoto Aquarium

Kyoto’s aquarium, located in Umekoji Park, only opened in March last year. It’s a wonderful, new and shiny attraction that’s fun for kids and adults alike. We visited on a drizzly Sunday morning and the place was packed. Irregardless, we had a great time.

The aquarium’s main pool is thrilling. We and many other families whiled away a good portion of our visit staring up at all the fish and other aquatic life swimming around in this giant tank. T especially loved the sea animal zone and the fur seals that swim directly over and around you; the penguin zone; and the invertebrates area (he’s currently obsessed with jellyfish). We also enjoyed the dolphin show despite the fact that it was entirely in Japanese.

Getting to the aquarium is pretty easy. There are detailed instructions on this page here: http://www.kyoto-aquarium.com/en/access/index.html

Kiyomizudera Temple area

This is one of Kyoto’s cutest little areas. A small hilly tourist enclave, with one of the city’s most beautiful temples as its focal point, S and I have always loved coming here and checking out all the food shops, handicraft shops, cafes, and souvenir shops. Seeing this fun neighbourhood through T’s eyes made the experience all the more enjoyable.

This area is also home to several of the most famous cherry blossom viewing spots in Kyoto, so it was understandably packed when we visited. But the sakura were truly breathtaking and both mama and baby were thrilled by the view. T was even happier when we gave him a taste of some sakura soft serve ice cream I had bought for myself. In fact, he liked it so much he refused to give it back to me, shoving as much as he could into his face and down his little gullet.

I’ll be following this post up tomorrow with some recommendations for eating around Kyoto with really young kids. So please stay tuned.

The post Travelling with the toddler to Kyoto, Japan, Part 1 appeared first on Chubby Hubby.

As mentioned in an earlier post, my wife and I decided to take our two year old son to Kyoto for a weeklong holiday. Because we wanted to visit during sakura (cherry blossom) season, we actually booked our tickets almost a year ago and started looking for places to stay, at the recommendation of friends in Kyoto, in early September. Because sakura season (which is the end of March and early April) is so popular, most places get snapped up months in advance. I actually advice booking your own accommodations no later than August the previous year if you can plan that far in advance.

When we were trying to decide where to stay, after considering several different hotel or ryokan options, S and I finally settled on the idea of renting a house or apartment for the week. Given the needs of a toddler, we felt that made more sense. We could cook breakfast or dinner for him if need be. We could do laundry, thus reducing the weight of our own luggage. And, theoretically, we’d have more space for him to run around in.

Additionally, once I started researching holiday homes and apartments in Kyoto, S and I both loved the idea of staying in a renovated/restored machiya (a traditional wooden townhouse) in Gion–the old historic district famous for its heritage buildings, temples and geishas–or by the Kamo River. There are many such properties being advertised on various websites right now. Some affordable, some ultra luxurious and very expensive. Picking the one that is best for you will come down to price, location, availability and a careful reading of the reviews that almost always accompany each house’s listing.

From the moment S and I saw Tokuji Tanaka’s beautiful little Machiya, which he calls “The Gion House”, we were sold. The exterior was charming. The interiors clean and bright. We loved the Yakusugi solid wood dining table. The Shiragaki ceramic bathtub was the icing on the cake that prompted us to email him immediately. Amazingly, the house was available during our dates and Tanaka-san generously offered to set up a baby cot for T.

Tanaka-san’s machiya was perfect in so many ways. The location was simply amazing, nestled at the intersection of Yamato-oji dori and Yasaka dori. Walk west two blocks and you’re at the Kamo River. Cross the river and you’re at the Kiyamachi dining area. Walk north ten minutes and you’re around the corner from the Shijo and Kawaramachi intersection. Walk east from the house and you’ll immediately face the south side of Kennin-ji Temple. Keep walking east 10 minutes and you’ll find yourself at Kiyomizudera Temple. Seriously, for us, the location was simply perfect.

The house fabulously offered the best of old and new. While the structure and design was that of a traditional Japanese townhouse, it also boasted very modern amenities, from a digital door lock to an automated system that would fill and heat the Japanese bathtub for you with a single press of a button. Tanaka-san also ensured that the appliances were modern and worked well. We used the rice cooker and washer-dryer extensively without any problems. And the whole house has its own strong WiFi network.

Tanaka-san also provides a few guide books for his guests as well as a detailed instruction manual for living in the machiya. He also included suggestions for a neighboring cafe for breakfast and a local supermarket–which had amazing produce for half the price of the supermarket in Isetan.

The house itself is not large. The ground floor has the living-dining area, kitchen, small outdoor zen garden and the bathroom. The upstairs area, which is essentially one large space, is for sleeping. The washer-dryer is also upstairs. In comparison with a hotel, the layout is akin to a large duplex suite.

Because we had a fridge and a kitchen, S and I decided to cook dinner for ourselves and T on two of the nights we were in town. On the first night, T had grilled buri with rice while S and I had rice bowls topped with seasoned toro, negi, shiso and ikura. We washed this down with some award-winning local sake. On the second night, we fed T some teriyaki chicken while we had grilled wagyu steaks with local tomatoes, cabbage salad, kimchi, pickled cucumbers, onsen tamago and rice. And of course, more sake. We loved that we could stay in and cook. On previous vacations, we’d go to places like Nishiki market or the food halls of department stores and whine about how much we’d love to buy and cook up all the amazing produce spread before us. Well, by staying in this machiya, we could finally do that.

After this stay, S has decided that Tanaka-san’s Gion House is going to be her home away from home in Kyoto whenever possible. It really was, for us at least, the perfect little hideaway in one of our favourite cities in the world.

Oh, Tanaka-san also owns another property, a machiya in Arashiyama. Arashiyama, as I’ve written about before, is the second most popular tourist area in Kyoto. It really is a beautiful, idyllic area in the Western part of the region. From what I can see from his website, the Arashiyama machiya is as, if not more, stunning than his Gion House. And it’s even been registered officially as an “Important Cultural Properties of Kyoto” by the Kyoto City Government. Check out the site for yourself here: http://arashiyamahanare.jimdo.com/

The post The perfect guesthouse in Gion (Kyoto, Japan) appeared first on Chubby Hubby.

While I know a bowl of beef innards isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, I happen to love a good Japanese-style braised tripe stew. One of my all-time favourite versions is available at Sutamina-en, my favourite yakiniku place in Tokyo. In fact, on one trip, my wife and I even took home a huge portion of said stew. We had eaten dinner there just before our flight back to Singapore and convinced the proprietress to pack up a big frozen block of the braised tripe for us to check in at Haneda.  

Of course, it’s far easier to simply make the stew at home. Stupidly, I never asked Mrs Dai (the owner of Sutamina-en) for her recipe. So, I’ve had to cobble my own together. My in-laws and parents all seem to love my version, so I’m pretty happy with it.

My recipe is, I have to admit, somewhat inspired by a beef innards stew recipe in Mark Robinson’s amazing Izakaya cookbook.

If you’re an offal fan, you should try this out. Serve it to friends who have the same culinary predilections and I guarantee they’ll be thrilled. If you’ve never tried the so-called “spare parts” of the cow, but enjoy Japanese food, food with strong flavours, and/or braised foods, you might also want to give this a go.

(Since these cuts are also usually very inexpensive, this is a fabulous dish to whip up for friends if you’re cooking on a budget.)

I use this dish as a small starter or as a side dish. In addition to the basic recipe below, two nice ways to make it even better are to add (peeled) hard-boiled quail’s eggs into the finished stew and to serve some hot garlic bread with it.

The post Yummy miso braised beef tripe and tendon appeared first on Chubby Hubby.

Hi y’all. Aun here. This is a super short post which will be followed up with many more. My wife S, my 2 year old son T, and I arrived in Kyoto late last night and will be here, sakura spotting and cafe hunting, for the next week. The cherry blossoms pictured above were in full bloom, just outside of the gorgeous little machiya (traditional town house) we rented in Gion.

And here’s a quick snap of the house. It’s the one of the right. Amazing little property that I will write more about soon.

More soon! Promise.

Oh… and if any of you have any recommendations of fun things to do here or places to go with a 2 year old boy — and especially for him — I’d be super grateful. Thanks in advance.

The post Two quick pix to launch my sakura family holiday in Kyoto appeared first on Chubby Hubby.

For most of us guys, a shave is something we do in the mornings, as part of our get-ready-to-go-to-work ritual. It is not something we necessarily associate with luxury. That is, until we experience our first really exceptional wet shave, performed by someone else.

For me, my wet shave epiphany happened five or six years ago (I forget the exact date). I was in Tokyo for work and was desperately in need of a haircut. I had read that the Dunhill boutique in Ginza had just opened a posh barber shop. I figured that this was a safe bet… not only would I be guaranteed a cool experience (that I could tell people about for years to come) but the chances of the barbers actually speaking English were extremely high. What I didn’t know until I arrived was that all of the staff at the salon were tall, beautiful Japanese women, which of course (cad that I am) only made the experience that much more delightful. The haircut was great, and when it was done, my lovely barber asked if I wanted a shave. I agreed immediately and another leggy lass took over, lathering me up and shaving my cheeks and chin as smooth as a baby’s bottom. The whole ritual was so enjoyable that as soon as I returned, I raved about it to friends. (One of them, in fact, on his next trip to Tokyo, visited the salon. His description of his experience is something I’ll never forget. So taken was he by the beauty that was attending him, he said that when he had closed his eyes as she started applying shaving cream to his cheeks; he suddenly felt like she was softly licking his face. Suffice it to say his wife whacked him pretty hard when he told us this.)

I’ve also, since then, become a huge fan of a truly luxurious and properly done wet shave. Unfortunately, in Singapore, getting a really good wet shave has been tough until now. Because as of yesterday, the oldest barbershop in the world has opened an outlet here, offering exceptional barbering services. And of course, top notch wet shaves.

Truefitt & Hill was officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records in April 2000 as the the oldest barbershop in the world. In 1805, its first outlet was opened by William Francis Truefitt in London. He established himself as a fine barber and wigmaker as well as a perfumer and went on to formulate exclusively prepared colognes, pomades and hair tonics on the premises. Truefitt’s reputation soon grew and it was not long before he was designated Court Wigmaker to HM King George III. Recognised as the finest traditional gentlemen’s barber and perfumer in London, Truefitt & Hill holds the British Royal Warrant by Appointment to H.R.H The Duke of Edinburgh. Its list of clients reads like an international Who’s Who: Members of the male line of the Royal Family, members of visiting Royal Households, of course. And Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, William Thackeray, Sir Winston Churchill, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Charles Dickens, Fred Astaire, Cary Grant, Alfred Hitchcock, Leonardo Di Caprio, and Michael Schumacher, just to namedrop a bit.

As said, Truefitt & Hill officially launched yesterday in Singapore. This outlet is housed in a lovely little shophouse on Ann Siang Road, in the heart of Chinatown, and is luxuriously outfitted with masculine, sleek interiors from British designer Timothy Oulton.

I had the pleasure of dropping by a week early, to check out the premises, and also to get a haircut and a shave. Everything was exceptional and the services at this small space really raise the bar for men’s grooming in the country. I have no doubt that the salon — which will soon be serving cocktails in partnership with one of the city’s best bars — will become a frequent gathering place for our country’s most well-dressed men. I can already see people congregating there in the evenings for shaves, drinks, and conversation.

So, what are you waiting for? Book your first high-end shave now, or if you’re one of our female readers, surprise your husband or boyfriend with a visit to Truefitt & Hill.

Truefitt & Hill Singapore
9 Ann Siang Road
Singapore 069690
Tel: +65 6223 5263
www.facebook.com/truefittandhillsg

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