One could not go hungry in Obihiro with its wide and quality selection of shops and restaurants specialising in confectionary and local dishes including the popular butadon 豚丼 (grilled pork served over a bowl of rice).
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Vignettes of Japan #13: “Hoto” oden on a rainy evening
Oden Miyuki Honten serves up delicious oden from large vats of simmering dashi stock. Perfect food for cold, wet days in Kanazawa, Japan.
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Karaage, Japanese fried chicken
Make some tasty karaage at home with this easy-to-follow recipe
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Drinking dirt
I love aged pu-erh tea 普洱茶. Its woody, musty aroma evokes images of misty rainy mornings in the wilderness. The first sip of freshly brewed pu-erh tea always makes me sigh contentedly, close my eyes and take a deep breath as I slip into a state of bliss and calm. Which is like the effect…
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Vignettes of Japan #1: Ramen on a cool summer day
It was summer but the skies were grey and the wind gave me goosebumps under my jacket. We had arrived at the entrance of the ramen shop. Sliding the door open, we stepped inside. The air was thick with humidity, a warm welcome and respite from Sapporo’s chilly streets. It was only 5pm but the…
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Char siu marinated in gin / Barbecue pork with gin
My dad used to work in sales and his job required him to meet clients around Singapore. This also meant that he could arrange his schedule such that he could either pick me up from or drop me off at school when I was in primary school (depending on whether my classes were in the…
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Asparagus gribiche toast
In Belgium, there is a certain bakery-cafe chain that claims that the tartine is a “signature Belgian open-faced sandwich”. I don’t understand what is characteristically Belgian about a piece of bread with various ingredients piled on top. If you ask me, a Belgian tartine looks like a Norweigian smørbrød or Russian buterbrod! Asparagus, green and white,…
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Oh sweet dessert!
Did you know that your stomach, when empty, is about the size of your fist? As the stomach is a muscle, it expands and contracts when you consume food. The human stomach can stretch to around 40 times its original size, to around two litres, after a huge meal. I have a hearty appetite and…
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Turkish breakfast in Istanbul: Beyoğlu
I love a good Turkish breakfast. Who wouldn’t? I’ve only been to Istanbul thrice. It has always been for work but each time I was able to extend a few days to explore the city. Home to some 14 million people, Istanbul is HUGE. There are so many parts of Istanbul that I’ve yet to…
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