by Paul on March 11, 2010
Hey all,
Next week if you’re feeling up for wine tasting or event of some kind, why not do some drinking for charity? Our good friend Chris from PengWine is organizing a fund raiser to help out with the recent damage done by the 8.8 richter scale quake in Chile. The proceeds from the event will go to help less fortunate children through VE-Global in Chile.
Those who attended our last event at El Toro know what to expect – the great food, generous tasting portions, and refreshing Pisco Sours. For everyone else, do yourself a favor and come out and enjoy yourself while doing a small part to help out with Chile. Haiti is receiving a lot of attention these days, and rightfully so. But it’s good to not forget about other countries recently effected by tragedies… those that don’t have international singing sensations raising funding & writing charity songs for them 
Click here for info on the event
Paul
by joanna on March 3, 2010
Experience a Chinese tea ceremony in this eclectic old teahouse
In the heart of historic Old Town in Shanghai and in close proximity to the famous Yuyuan Gardens lies the Old Shanghai Teahouse. In fact, Old Town was the first area of Shanghai to be settled – originally, a place for locals only and where foreigners never ventured. Today, with the Old Town Bazaar and nearby historic gardens this is hardly the case as a mix of foreigners and locals can both be found shopping and generally whiling away a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. And in the midst of the market frenzy, the Old Shanghai Teahouse provides a welcome, if slightly eclectic, respite. [keep reading…]
by Paul on February 23, 2010
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.
[keep reading…]
by Paul on February 18, 2010
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.
[keep reading…]
by joanna on December 8, 2009
Bubbly wine tasting debunks the ‘has to be expensive’ and ‘has to be French’ myth
We were invited to a blind bubbly wine tasting by our friends at The Local Nose. The idea of the event was to taste both champagnes and sparkling wines of all price points and from various regions to see if one could discern the difference between champagne vs. sparkling wine, and expensive vs. inexpensive. [keep reading…]
by Paul on November 5, 2009
Howdy Yall,
To commemorate my travels around Texas and the states I’ll be doing a short series of “Texan Epicurean Concepts” over the next few weeks. These concepts will hopefully help you more fully enjoy your next trip to Texas.
First up is a childhood favorite of mine – Sweet Tea. [keep reading…]
by joanna on October 30, 2009
Enjoy a cocktail at sunset overlooking the former residence of the Chinese Emperor
The Yin Bar at the Emperor’s Hotel might just be the best rooftop bar in the city of Beijing. The hotel itself is one of the Design Hotels of the World, a list we often respect when we are hotel hunting in a new or familiar city. It usually stands for cool, hip, well-located, boutique hotels in exciting cities. [keep reading…]
by Paul on October 15, 2009
Know the difference between apéritif and digestif? Know which one comes at what point in a meal? Ok, the picture above probably gives away the answer to the second question. Why do we have these drinks? Do they really work?
[keep reading…]
by Paul on October 6, 2009
People are never on the fence about Bubble Tea. They either love it or hate it. Usually those that have a distaste for mixing textures don’t appreciate the gummy tapioca balls surprising them during a sip of Thai tea. For those of us that love bubble tea, there’s no greater sight than seeing your neighborhood bubble tea guy stopped on the side of the street as you’re heading back to the office after a lunch break. [keep reading…]
by Paul on September 24, 2009
Ever been at a wine tasting, dinner party, or other event featuring wine and some know-it-all (probably with a beard and wearing a sweater) swirls his glass vigorously and then tilts the glass sideways to observe the streaking wine (wine legs)? Don’t feel bad if you believed the explanation that followed explaining that this was a good wine because it had “nice legs” or some other nonesense. This is one of the most persistent wine myths around. Read the explanation of why wine “has legs” (or “tears” for our francophile readers) after the jump.
[keep reading…]
Hey all,
