Aun - Author at Chubby Hubby

Tohoku, a region of great seafood and gorgeous meat

Every trip to Japan, to me, means great eating. This recent trip to Tohoku was no exception. Tohoku is known (domestically at least) for having some of the best seafood and meat in the country. The earthquake, tsunami and the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, however, hurt the region’s food industry severely. The two natural disasters left many farms damaged and fisheries completely destroyed. And the latter incident created huge fears both locally and internationally of whether the region’s food would be safe to consume. Continue Reading →

Tohoku – Thoughts on Reconstruction and Redevelopment

So far, most of the stories I have written for this site, and the few more I have planned, about Tohoku, are lifestyle pieces. They are travel and food related posts that hopefully will encourage you to consider this beautiful region when deciding where to go for your next vacation. But I also want to spend some time thinking about, and sharing with you, some challenges facing Tohoku as it tries to bounce back two years after the earthquake and tsunami (and nuclear reactor incident) that claimed lives, destroyed whole towns, wrecked whole industries, and left the region reeling from widespread damage. And I say “bounce back” because two years later, there is still so much more to do; so many homes to build; so many industries to restart; so many communities to rebuild; and so many problems to fix. Continue Reading →

The Matsushima Oyster Festival and a visit to Entsuin Temple

Matsushima, a small city near Sendai in the Miyagi prefecture (in Tohoku, Japan), is worth visiting any time of the year. The Japanese consider the views of Matsushima Bay, teeming with more than 260 small islands, to be one of the most beautiful views in the country. As you may or may not know, the Japanese love making lists. Especially lists that rank things. They are also a people obsessed with natural beauty, man-made beauty and festivals. So, for centuries, they have designated and celebrated things like the country’s top three gardens, Kyoto’s top five Zen temples, Japan’s top three festivals featuring floats, Kamakura’s top ten wells, etc. Most famous among the many designations might be Japan’s three most scenic places. Selected several hundred years ago, they are Matsushima, Miyajima and Amanohashidate. Continue Reading →

Boozing my way around Tohoku

Drink-lovers (like me) have good reason to plan a Tohoku holiday. This scenic region northeast of Kanto (the region in which Tokyo sits) is home to some of the best sake breweries in Japan. While Niigata, which borders Tohoku, and which technically sits in Japan’s central Chubu region, may be the one prefecture most famous among foreigners for top-end sake, the producers in Tohoku’s prefectures churn out equally exceptional hooch. Continue Reading →

Tohoku, Japan’s onsen (hot spring) paradise

There are few things as relaxing and pleasurable than taking a bath–Japanese style–in natural hot spring water. For those of you who have yet to experience the joys of the onsen (the Japanese term for hot springs and baths using their waters), you have no idea what you are missing. I, myself, didn’t until a few years ago. For most of my life, I’ve been a shower person. I truly didn’t see the point of and never appreciated baths. But then, for a consultancy gig I had undertaken for a hotel collections company, I spent two and half weeks visiting some of Japan’s most beautiful and unique boutique hotels and inns, several of which boasted onsens among their main selling points. Continue Reading →

Friday Food Porn: Ikura Rice in Miyagi, Japan

A little something to make you hungry this Friday and also to whet your appetites for a series of stories I am working on currently. I just came back from a week touring Tohoku, which has some of the most amazing hot spring spas, sake breweries, and seafood in Japan. Continue Reading →

A meal at Waku Ghin in Singapore, Asia’s second best restaurant

Just a few weeks ago, the 2013 edition of The Miele Guide to Asia’s Finest Restaurants was launched. With that came the annual announcement of the year’s list of the 20 most highly ranked restaurants in the region–as determined by a popular and a juried vote. The highest-ranking debut on the 2013 list was Waku Ghin in Singapore, which debuted on the list in second place. For many of his fans, that Chef Tetsuya Wakuda’s restaurant would attain such a high rank so quickly, was perfectly understandable. Many people I’ve met have claimed that their meals at Waku Ghin have been their best in Asia.

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Attending Marina Bay Sands’ Epicurean Market

This past weekend, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore hosted its first Epicurean Market. I have to admit, although I have mixed feelings on the success of the festival as a whole (which I will elaborate on later), I had a wonderful time when my wife S and I visited–mostly because of the generosity of the participating chefs and the sheer deliciousness of their food. Continue Reading →

A Q&A with Jim Berardo, founder of the Noosa International Food & Wine Festival

Last year, my wife S and I attended the Noosa International Food & Wine Festival. It was, as we reported, the most laid-back, coolest, happiest food and wine festival we’ve ever had the pleasure of being at. This coming year, I’m very excited because the Festival organizers have invited me to come back as a participant. I’ll be speaking on a panel and taking part in a cooking competition. Continue Reading →

Awesome ice cream sandwiches from Ice Cream Cookie Co.

I’ve always loved ice cream sandwiches. A good one, with artisanal ice cream and a homemade cookie, is a true treat. In the past, my amazing wife S used to make them for me. But these days, between work and looking after our hyperactive son, she simply doesn’t have the time to indulge me. Fortunately, I have discovered the guys at The Ice Cream & Cookie Co., who make rather exceptional ice cream sandwiches. Continue Reading →

Maguroya – House of Tuna – great sushi at low prices in Singapore

What do you get when a highly reputed seafood dealer decides to open his own sushi stall in a local hawker centre? Quite simply, the best quality, affordable sushi in Singapore’s CBD. Until a few months ago, Alistair Douglas, an expert in sustainable seafood who actually did his PhD in the quality, cold-chain management and traceability of farmed Southern bluefin tuna from Australia to Japan, ran one of the country’s top seafood and gourmet produce importers. Continue Reading →