Before I had even experienced modern wagashiya (Japanese confectionary shop), Higashiya for myself, I was already enamoured of the discreet yet clearly orchestrated style of the brand; by the time I had my first Higashiya encounter, I was well and truly hooked. Continue Reading →
I have a sweet tooth and Tokyo is a well-known dessert haven. When I was in Tokyo over the recent Christmas holidays, I could not resist the many sweet temptations abound in the city. I am a huge fan of anything made with sweet red beans, so not surprisingly, I had an overdose of delicious taiyaki, which is the waffle-like, fish-shaped snack filled with thick, gooey, mashed red beans. As if this was not enough, my wife and I, plus our two boys, decided to check out one of the Pierre Hermé dessert boutiques in Tokyo. Continue Reading →
When I hear about Peruvian restaurants opening in different cities, I keep an eye on them. The world has finally welcomed Peruvian food as a global phenomenon, and new eateries are popping up in all corners of the world. On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I visited Chicha, the city’s only Peruvian restaurant – Chicha is known as an exciting trend-setter in the local restaurant and foodie circle, and also the recent recipient of Time Out Magazine’s Best New Restaurant (People’s Choice). Continue Reading →
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 →
I haven’t had that much fun in a restaurant in a long time! The Downtown Grocery Vermont is a ski town during this season, and when I called on Thursday night for weekend reservations, I was surprised that it was already fully booked for Saturday. Fortunately for us, they had a Friday slot available at 745pm. My sister and I arrived early as we were hoping to turn in a little earlier that night, and although we were a little apprehensive about getting seated at the bar because our table was not yet ready, man did we get lucky! Continue Reading →
By now, almost every food-lover (and drinker) knows Min Chan. The owner of Club Street Social has appeared in The Straits Times countless times since opening her cute lil’ bar and bistro on Gemmill Lane. Fans of this feisty food entrepreneur will be excited to know that Min’s latest venture, Pistola, is now open. And, I’m happy to report, that the Asian-Mexican fare at this tiny little QSR is innovative, awesome and addictive. Continue Reading →
In the Kyoto guide that I created back in 2009, I wrote about an über-popular dessert cafe called Tsujiri. Tsujiri, founded in 1860, is especially famous for its green tea desserts and cold drinks. The branch that I visited in Kyoto is so popular the waiting time is usually a minimum of 30-40 minutes. But now, thankfully, I neither need to fly to Japan nor queue up for a green tea parfait. Tsujiri has opened a branch in Singapore, located in the 100AM shopping centre on Tras Street.
Just last week I wrote about some delicious, limited edition bakkwa I had tasted, made from free-range pigs. Perfect for gifting to loved ones during the upcoming Chinese New Year period. This week, I want to share with you what I feel are the perfect snacks to serve family and friends when they come-a-visiting. Personally, I’m not a fan of the usual CNY snack fare. Too much of it is just bad for you or poorly made (as my wife S likes to say about such things, “wasted calories”). This year, I want to serve something artisanal and addictive, something special that’s been made with love and passion. And I believe I have found it: the baklava from Overdoughs. Continue Reading →
Opportunities like these don’t present themselves often, so, when given the chance to take a cooking class with Chef Tomislav Martinovic, I instantly jumped on the bandwagon.
Although I had not truly tasted authentic Mexican food till I moved to the US, I was hooked from the first moment I tried it. The flavours are fresh, with heavy usage of lime, tomatoes, onions and chillies like jalapeño. The spice factor is sharper from that of most Asian cuisines and often carry more of a kick. Continue Reading →
When you get lucky enough to snag two seats at the world’s best restaurant at the last minute, you take a detour from wherever you may be and head straight to Copenhagen. You happily accommodate the change in plans because the experience at this restaurant more than justifies the considerable hype around it. Continue Reading →