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Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant Beijing: a confused tourist and an amused waiter
I sink my teeth into the first wrap. The flavours are far stronger than what I’m used to. The duck is electrifyingly crispy and fatty, the sauce is tangy and sweet and the condiments are confusing. Midway through my first Peking Duck burrito, my waiter magically shows up with a plastic glove and a pair…
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Dublin’s Jameson Distillery and Guinness Brewery: 2 teetotallers on a booze tour
Two teetotallers cannot be trusted to attend a booze tour. We should know better. We don’t. So we decide to do two things that are a ‘must-do’ on the Dublin bucket list. We decide to go to the Jameson Whiskey Bow Street Tour and the Guinness Storehouse Brewery Tour. Hey – just cause we don’t drink…
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Kansai Area Highlights: Fushimi Inari Taisha and Cheese Yakisoba
When I found out that I was coming back to the Kansai area for a business trip, I crinkled and raised my eyebrows at the same time. It wasn’t on my plans. But when life is ready to bring you full circle, it will do it with a big smile on its face.
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Day 1 in Osaka: a bullet train and okonomiyaki
I got a seat at the counter and boy was I tickled by the sight of all those okonomiyaki neatly assembled. One chef was cutting the cabbage. Another was preparing the okonomiyaki. Another was making the negiyaki: made with scallions instead of cabbage. And another was expertly tossing noodles to make yakisoba. If you love…
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Shin Okubo: Tokyo’s Korea Town
I’ve heard people rave and rave about Shin-Okubo: Japan’s largest Korea Town. Easily accessible on Tokyo’s Yamanote line, I went there today not quite knowing what to expect. The moment I stepped out of the station, I felt like I was transported to a different country.
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Yuzu and Kabosu: Japan’s citrus culinary treasures
“We use yuzu in baths on the winter solstice,” she says. “We also make tea, dressings and yuzukosho with it. Yuzu also has a little brother. Its name is Kabosu: commonly grown in the Usuki and Taketa areas in Oita. Unlike yuzu, kabosu is less well-known.”
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Uzbek Plov: love at first bite
Uzbek Plov is quintessential comfort food. Rice, carrots and meat all cooked in one thick pot. It’s the kind of dish that warms your heart and your stomach. It has the power to lift you out of a bad mood with one bite. To say that I love plov would be a huge understatement.
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The Ultimate Japanese Winter Comfort Food: Oden
Tonight, I’m making something typically Japanese. ODEN. A staple during the winter months – my students recommended it to me two winters ago. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop eating it. Mmm…mmm… Oden is made of: boiled eggs, daikon, konjac and fishcakes all stewed in a soy-based dashi broth. The ingredients vary depending…
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I Cook to Please
Singaporean food in Tokyo.
Twinn Swan 