May 2015 - Page 2 of 10 - Gazing and Grazing

Pic of the Day – Seychelles

May 29th, 2015

Round Island in Seychelles is just off the coast of the main island Mahe. We took a boat over to have lunch and a look – they serve good tuna steaks there. I took this photo using my father’s old Rolleiflex mid-format camera (the box type) that is probably the same age as me. It’s got its quirks – the light metre no longer works, the case is broken and so I have to use a tripod, but otherwise is still taking good photos. I like taking b&w shots but the problem is that it’s best printed yourself, which is what I did back in 1998 but am lazy these days. These old cameras take really nice b&w pics with soft contrasts.

On Round Island, Seychelles, they serve really good tuna

Mugaritz – Fun but a Bit Strange

May 29th, 2015

San Sebastian's Michelin two-starred Mugaritz gets polarising reviews and I wanted to find out why so I went recently to try out the restaurant. The best way I would describe the food is that it's exploratory and really tests diners' boundaries in some cases. So, while I didn't enjoy all the courses, I really had a good time because on the whole it was fun. The wine probably helped in this case as did going with open-minded and adventurous friends.

The restaurant is degustation /...

Kyoto: Soaking Up the Atmosphere of the Old City

May 28th, 2015

If in your mind’s eye of Japan, you see old wooden structures lining narrow lanes and paper lanterns then Kyoto is probably the best place to find this. And specifically, the Kawaramachi and Gion areas in central Kyoto are great places to soak up the atmosphere of old Kyoto. I think the evenings are the best time to walk around and especially in the summer when the restaurants along Pontocho-dori expand out over the river.

My first trip to Kyoto, I stayed south of Gion so I started...

Pic of the Day – Beijing’s Temple of Heaven

May 28th, 2015

With the China stock markets falling over 6% today, I looked through my old pics to find this one of the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan). I think this is my favourite place to visit in Beijing, as it’s within easy reach and there is a nice enough park surrounding the various historical structures. I took this shot in 2002 when blue skies were not an anomaly.

Tiantan Beijing — Knocking on heaven’s door – Tiantan

Hashida Sushi Tokyo – Lesser Known but Not Less Good

May 28th, 2015

Those of us living in Singapore may be familiar with Hashida Sushi's Singapore branch, which has been named among the best restaurants here by a number of publications. However, we decided to pay a visit to the original Hashida in Tokyo. Both are good. In fact, Kenjiro Hashida ("Hatch") who heads up the Singapore outlet , was also behind the counter the night we visited in Tokyo. The main difference is the proximity to the various seafood in Japan meant that Hatch was able to serve us...