stumbling upon the good life – savoring food, discovering wine, and exploring places
From the monthly archives:
If you ever find yourself shopping for bootlegs computer accessories at Pantip Plaza in Bangkok, do yourself a favor and skip out on the foreigner friendly fast food chains and S&P (I’m not knocking S&P) found on the ground level. Instead walk across the street to Soi Som Prason 4. A short walk up the street is Mama’s. Mama’s is cheap, lacking any kind of ambiance (save for the orange chairs) but has surprisingly good food at an ever better value. [keep reading…]
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A birds eye view on the Bund and fine French dining from the 36th Floor of the Shangri La Hotel
I think we might be addicted to multi-course degustation menus. You might think this is lazy, to let the chef pick for you. But in reality it is the diner’s best opportunity to see what the chef can really do – his highlight reel in a way. And as the keen observers of culinary trends that our readers no doubt are, you will notice this is all the rage. Maybe it has something to do with the new “rock star” or “celebrity chef” culture, maybe it is diners’ increasing demand for the best quality…whatever it is, this is what we tend to order when it is available. And so on a recent visit to Jade on 36 in Shanghai at the Shangri La Hotel, we decided to give their 5 course tasting menu a run through. [keep reading…]
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I’d walked past Brussels Sprouts many times on my way to Epicurious or other places on the Quay in Singapore. I thought it was possibly a vegetarian restaurant. It always seemed busy, a good sign in Singapore, but for some reason I never visited. Thankfully some friends of ours invited us to join them for an after-work dinner. It’s a simple concept executed well.
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Ah Bia Hoi. No trip to Northern Vietnam is complete without at least a couple glasses of the stuff. Forget Saigon, 333, or any of the other local beers. Look instead for a small, street-side shop selling locally brewed versions of this light drink.
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I first heard this term sometime last year when visiting New York. Come to find out the term had been in use for quite some time in the Western world, but had not yet migrated to Asia. But the idea of locavore fascinated me – basically it is someone who eats locally within a certain radius, e.g. 50 miles, 200 miles. Adapted from the word carnivore (one who eats meats) and herbivore (one who eats vegetables), a locavore is committed to consuming only what is naturally within reach and by extension, this also means eating only what is in season. It’s as if the idea of sustainability, seasonal eating and local farming were all rolled up into one. Brilliant! [keep reading…]
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It would be an understatement to say that I was excited to try Relish. I’ve been on an epic odyssey a search for my favorite burger in Singapore since arriving. Here was a whole restaurant devoted solely to the glorious hamburger in all its incarnations… not only that, but the burgers are individually paired with Belgian beers. It seemed like an instant recipe for success…. [keep reading…]
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How does Da Paolo Pizza measure up to this NYers discerning palate for pizza?
As it turns out pizza is all over Asia. Asians and Westerners alike love the food and so no matter where you go, it is not hard to find. In Singapore there are many options, one of the more popular being Da Paolo Pizza in Chip Bee Gardens. This former NYer has a discerning palette for pizza. Would Da Paolo measure up? [keep reading…]
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An Indian medical tradition dating back to the 1st century B.C.
As part of the Health & Wellness 2010 Series
Ayurveda always seemed to me to be to be a bit like horoscopes – you have your doshas (type of person). And your dosha describes your body type, temperament, personality, sleeping habits, what you should eat, etc….and then treatments are geared around your dosha. Given that there are 3 doshas it seemed simplistically convenient that everyone fit into one type or another. I loved the idea of it, but struggled to make it work in my logicial, Western mind. However, recently I spent some time undertaking Asian Holistic Therapies at Kamalaya Koh Samui and revised my previous skepticism of Ayurveda. [keep reading…]
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“Fa cosi caldo qui o e la tua presenza?”
For those of you who don’t know, I’ll be entering a full-time culinary diploma program starting in April. I’m using my remaining months to continue to eat at great restaurants, travel, and take all the short-term cooking courses I can find. One of the more exciting courses I found while searching for classes in Singapore was offered out of Basilico’s at the Regent Hotel, Singapore. Each month they are focusing on a different Italian food region and teaching signature plates from said region. Having previously gorged ourselves enjoyed the sprawling Italian brunch, I knew that the chefs knew their regional foods and had the fresh ingredients required to pull something like this off. For February they went with a theme instead of a region… teaching a 3-course romantic meal that was every bit as indulgent as it was sensual. And as you prepare for your Valentine’s Day, you might consider cooking this rich, romance inspiring meal at home, rather than going out. [keep reading…]
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A good value hotel located in the heart of Hanoi’s Lake District
Everyone agrees the Sofitel Metropole Hotel in Hanoi is the nicest, most luxe hotel in the city. But it is also $200-300 USD a night. So it is a bit of a splurge in a city where one can stay elsewhere for $30 – 80 USD a night. OK – sure, if you are a backpacker you can stay for $10 a night, but those days are over for us personally 
So the Church Hotel, which is very well located in the Hoam Kiem Lake District, represents a good value hotel when visiting Hanoi. [keep reading…]
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