Category: Travel

Best food in a hotel in Southeast Asia? Definitely Point Yamu in Phuket

Last week, I wrote a little bit about Point Yamu, a newish ultra-luxe property in Phuket opened by COMO Hotels and Resorts. In that post, I said that Point Yamu is my and my wife’s new favourite resort. One of the chief reasons for that is the stunning food. I’m trying my best not to oversell things too much, but I simply have to say that I can’t remember staying in a hotel or resort in which every single meal was as amazing as they were at Point Yamu. To put it as simply as possible, it is — to me at least, right now — the best place in Southeast Asia for an all-inclusive foodie vacation.

Travel28 November

Point Yamu – a reason to return to Phuket

Twenty-one years ago, I spent the summer after my freshman year in university working at a beach resort in Phuket. It remains one of the wildest and most fun experiences of my life. That summer, I fell in love with the southern Thai island, located in the Andaman Sea. And for several years after, it remained one of my favorite holiday destinations. Sadly though, as time went by and Phuket became ever increasingly commercialized and congested, and as my favorite undeveloped beaches began to be overrun with gaudy hotels, I lost interest in visiting. Just recently, however, I have discovered a reason to return to Phuket — not just once but again and again. That reason is Point Yamu, a stunning new resort by COMO Hotels and Resorts, located on the eastern side of the island, at the tip of Cape Yamu.

Travel24 November

Hands-on fun at the Williams-Sonoma Cooking School in Sydney

Williams-Sonoma is an enchanting cooking and homewares store, an oasis that induces the buyer with a bit of nostalgia for true Americana. It is filled with beautiful displays of Le Creuset pans to think about making pot roast with for dinner, or baking dishes that call out “take me home and fill me with apple pie”.

Restaurants30 October

Eating Tokyo

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Tokyo/Japan, so I was super thrilled and honoured when my friend E invited me to his wedding to the gorgeous H, held last weekend. It took place in the beautiful gardens of Happo-en, and I happily jumped on a plane last weekend to spend a couple of days in the land of sushi, uni, and more uni.

Recipes16 October

Best gazpacho soup recipe from Willy Trullas Moreno of El Willy in Shanghai

If you live in Shanghai, or have visited often, there is no doubt you have heard of Willy and his popular Spanish tapas restaurant El Willy. Formerly located in the French Concession in an old villa, but now on the glamorous Bund waterfront strand, El Willy is a warm and welcoming place (just like Willy). It’s also very well recognised, having won numerous accolades in local Shanghai media and is also listed in the top 100 Restaurants in the Miele Guide.

Restaurants14 October

More Cafe, Busselton WA

It was my son A’s sixth birthday a month ago, and as a treat, the family took a trip down to Margaret River, Perth to celebrate the occasion. He requested to take an excursion to the famous Busselton Jetty on his birthday itself, so the 2km tram ride out to sea was extra special for him. It was a windy and damp day, and after the jetty trip, we were all hungry and in need of some serious warming up. So we hit More Café, a quaint spot in the heart of Busselton town, and was drawn in by the inviting smell of fresh coffee and the wide variety rustic and colourful bakes on their counter.

Travel6 October

The Gate Hotel Asakusa Kaminarimon, Tokyo, Japan

A couple of weeks ago, the missus and I abandoned our son to go on a babymoon, i.e. a vacation just for us before the arrival of another child (yup, we’re expecting number two to join us at the end of the year or at the start of the new year). We chose, as many regular readers would have been able to predict, to go to Tokyo, our single favourite city on the planet when it comes to eating and shopping. This time, we stayed in Asakusa, a neighbourhood that was completely new to us, and at a relatively new hotel that we discovered through Mr and Mrs Smith, The Gate Hotel Asakusa Kaminarimon.

Restaurants30 September

Flipside- a fantastic burger joint in Fremantle

If you ever find yourself in Perth, Fremantle craving a juicy, meaty burger, I highly recommend Flipside. To tackle a Flipside burger, you need all your fingers. It is huge and extremely messy to eat. But it is also without a doubt, one of the best burgers I have ever sunk my teeth into.

Restaurants18 September

Siem Reap – Visit the temples. Worship the food.

Siem Reap is home to hundreds of temples including the majestic Angkor Wat and Bayon. It also boasts of scrumptious Khmer cuisine that is as awe-inspiring as these world heritage monuments. Almost wiped out by the ruthless Khmer Rouge regime, Khmer cuisine has a long and varied history encompassing elements of Thai, Vietnamese, Indian, French and of course Chinese. However, it has its own more nuanced touch that is evident in the soups, curries and marinades. And rice lovers will love the long grain presented to them with every dish – so fragrant and well-cooked.

Restaurants28 July

Best Yakitori in Tokyo? – Yakitori Hachibei Restaurant, Roppongi

Since are so many choices when dining in Tokyo, why do I keep coming back to something so simple like Yakitori? Yakitori is ostensibly the most basic of foods – meats and vegetables, grilled on a stick. Many cultures have something similar like Thai moo ping (grilled pork on a stick) or Turkish kofte (grilled lamb kebabs) but I would argue that the Japanese version of a meal on a stick is by far the best. The Japanese obsession with detail elevates even the simplest of dishes and yakitori is no exception. As such, whenever I am in Tokyo I am perpetually on the hunt for a new yakitori place to try.