Tag: featured

Singapore – Jubilee Celebration

Singapore's Marina Bay

Faced with a dilemma on whether I should face the crowds to take some photos of a once in a lifetime celebration or watch the whole thing on TV, I actually trooped down to Marina Bay to catch the SG50 celebration. While on hindsight I'm glad that I made the effort, I definitely will not do this again. I sat there from 1pm until 8:30pm (in the hot sun!) along with mostly other foreigners. My treat to myself after this was a good gin cocktail, U.S. ribeye steak and lamb chops at The Cut....

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Melbourne – Estelle by Scott Pickett Worth a Try, Good Food Offsets Opening Day Quirks

Estelle by Scott Pickett ("ESP") is a fine dining, omakase-only new eatery by the guy behind the popular St. Crispin and Estelle Bistro. While the fine modern-Australian cuisine was good, we came on opening night on July 17 when the service was less than stellar and they had a quirky exhaust system. I believe they should be able to resolve these teething problems but if not, be in for a slightly longer evening than expected and wear clothes you don't mind smelling of food. Overall, I think...

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Tokyo’s Butagumi – For Pork Cutlet Lovers, This Place Takes the Bacon

Butagumi pork cutlet

A friend just asked me for some restaurant recommendations in Tokyo and although there are numerous great places to eat, I always make a point of going to tonkatsu (pork cutlet) specialist Butagumi. This is seriously gourmet tonkatsu where you get to choose the type of pork you want. Butagumi describes the taste of the various kinds of pork in their menu (light, rich, flavourful, etc.), with cuts that come from all over Japan as well as overseas, including Berkshire, Iberico and Bigorre....

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Melbourne’s The Kettle Black – Good Design and Brunch

A good reason to go back to The Kettle Black

Melbourne seems to be awash with a number of good breakfast/brunch cafes currently and one-year old The Kettle Black has great decor, service, and food. I came here after an overnight flight from Singapore so it was just nice to be out walking and with a good cup of coffee. But what instantly struck me about The Kettle Black is its welcoming interior design - fresh white walls and muted citrus tones and lots of natural light - and helpful staff.

Located not far from the CBD near the...

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Alto Adige – Italy’s Austrian Wines and Scenery to Boot

A church among the vines in the Alto Adige

Alto Adige or Sudterrol (to the local Tyrolleans) is a piece of Austria in northern Italy complete with alpine landscapes and crisp white wines such as the Gewürztraminer. This was the second last stop in our April wine tour of Italy. Our trip had taken us from the well known Tuscan wines to the heel of Italy on Mt. Etna and refined Amarones around Verona, but this is an area with its own lingo and culture.

We drove to St. Paul's winery in the Alto Adige from Verona, around...

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