Let’s Visit Asia

Japanese cuisine is more than just sushi and sashimi. If you’re headed to Tokyo anytime soon and fancy a degustation of local flavors, check out this ABC article for some ideas on what to expect.

Once the menu is presented, the strange and often thrilling journey outside the comfort zone begins. Though Japanese cuisine is based on the familiar — rice, noodles, soups, tofu, fish, livestock — it also appears to embrace most of the other creatures that inhabit the region, with the exception of Hello Kitty. About 450 types of seafood are sold at the city’s Tsukiji fish market, the …read more

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Much as I love food and trying out new tastes, I must admit I am quite wary of trying out dishes that are totally unfamiliar to me. I can’t count the number of times I’ve ordered (more like pointed out to) something on the menu, imagining how it tastes like, and ending up quite frustrated cause it was nothing like what I expected. I’ve had so many bloopers of blindly ordering something I don’t know, and I just end up wasting money and sometimes disappointing the cook or wait staff.
If you’re headed to Korea, make sure you read Matt’s experience …read more

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Singaporean cuisine, being a fusion of Indian, Malay and Chinese cooking, is possibly the most diverse in flavors among Asian cuisines. If you’re in the island over the weekend, it’s the perfect time to sample local cuisine as the Singapore Food Festival comes to a close.

Here are the Top 10 Must-Try Dishes:
1. Chili Crab
2. Rojak
3. Hainanese Chicken Rice
4. Bak Kut Teh
5. Satay
6. Char Kway Teow
7. Fried Carrot Cake (no, there’s no carrots in there at all)
8. Fish Head Curry
9. Roti Prata
10. Laksa
For tourists, just present your passport to any of the Singapore Visitors’ Centres (located at the airport, Orchard Road, …read more

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Looks like Asia is not just home to some of the most spectacular wonders of nature, it’s also where you can find some of the top “weird activities” around the world.

Photo Credit: KnOizKi via Flickr
Grab a dinner at the The Modern Toilet Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan. or at the Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand. Both guaranteed to give you a unique dining experience!
And if you think wine belongs to the dining table alone, check out the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Wine Spa in Hakone, Japan, where you get to sink into a red wine pool in the shadow of …read more

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One thing I don’t like with flying budget airlines is that you have to pay for your meals. But because budget airlines usually fly short routes, it’s tolerable. Afterall, the savings you get from the airfare more than covers the cost of the meal. However, if you find yourself really hungry onboard, most budget airlines won’t have much to offer anyway to fill your grumbling stomach. Perhaps the most filling you can get is a sandwich, which can a little bit unsatisfying for the duration of say, a 3-hour flight.
Well, not with Air Asia, which just announced that they are …read more

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No, that wasn’t a typo; I wasn’t referring to the Mile High Club
The mile high pub, located not one, but actually more than 7 miles off sea level, is the Rum Doodle Bar in Kathmandu, said to be THE place to go for a drink after an Everest climb. Share the exhilaration of conquering the highest peak in the world with other summiteers. And while you’re there, don’t forget to ask for a copy of “The Ascent of Rum Doodle” by W.E. Bowman which provided the inspiration for this jaunt.
The Rum Doodle
P.O. Box: 989 Thamel, Kathmandu
Phone: 977-1-414336, Fax: …read more

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Jakarta. Singapore. Tokyo. Hong Kong. Taipei. Lawry’s The Prime Rib has also arrived in Shanghai.
Treat yourself to prime rib cuts, carved before you on your tableside. Whether it’s for business meetings, special celebrations, family gatherings, or even wedding banquets, Lawry’s is a great choice for people who know their steaks. Check out this review from the Shanghaiist’s Food Editor, Eric Hu.

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When traveling in a foreign country, how do you know which restaurant serves the best local cuisine? Your travel guidebook might have some recommendations, but often I find that those digs are less authentic, probably because most of these establishments cater to tourists, and the flavors are already adjusted according to the targeted clientele’s tastes.
One trick I’ve found is to scan the patrons. If the resto is popular with the locals, then it’s a good indication that what you’ll get is what the dishes are supposed to taste like. Of course, it’s not a fool-proof plan. The best strategy is …read more

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Thanksgiving is not a big thing in Asia, but if you find yourself in the region (or even at home) and would like to try a Thanksgiving meal with an Asian flavor, here’s a great Thanksgiving feast:

Indian-Spiced Pickled Vegetables
Pickled Daikon and Red Radishes with Ginger
Pickled Napa Cabbage with Umeboshi Plums
Pumpkin, Corn, and Lemongrass Soup
Spiced Roasted Turkey
Smoked-Oyster Sticky Rice Stuffing in Lotus Leaf
Stir-Fried Baby Bok Choy with Garlic
Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes with Scallion Butter
Cranberry Kumquat Sauce
Wine: Suavia Le Rive Soave Classico ‘04
Desserts:
Coconut Tart
Tea-Poached Pears with Tapioca Pearls and Satsumas

For complete recipes, check out the links and timeplan at the Epicurious. If …read more

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Have a taste of Southeast Asian cuisine without leaving Singapore! In addition to the ongoing Singapore Food Festival, you can have a sampling of delectable Asian dishes from Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam at the ASEAN Food Trail. This sumptuous event is held as part of the ASEAN 40th anniversary celebrations, and will run from July 9 to 22, 2007 at Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel’s Café Brio.
A Taste of Solidarity, a dish created by the award-winning culinary team of Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel specially for the celebration of ASEAN’s 40th anniversary, will be …read more

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