Food, to many of us, is viewed as a source of nourishment and energy for the body the day but to the Japanese, it has become an art form to be celebrated. The Japanese, captivating the world with their exquisite workmanship and superior efficiency through their cars and electronics, have done it once again, this time transforming ordinary “bentos” or lunch boxes, into awesome and inspiring food art. Enjoy the pictures of Japanese Bentos that come in different forms, shapes and themes!

Bento art Part 1

Love it, Loathe it? Comments are appreciated.

-Boon

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The journey to gastronomy and culinary exploration should be handed over to our ultimate foodie, acclaimed chef and world traveler, Mr Anthony Bourdain. Watching the episode of No Reservation – London, one of the many great episodes that Anthony has made, I was given a glimpse of England that many of us has been misunderstood for the longest time. Not just the beer drinking (ok, thats true) and fish and chip eating (ok, they still love their F&C) society, the English (not the language but the people, mind you) surprisingly has a great culinary tradition that was lost in time but is now enjoying a revival. Traditional dishes such as the blood cake, baked bone marrow and pig’s innards are being revived by English Chefs who have the passion of “bringing it back”, the term used by the butcher at the Smithfield Market.
One interesting highlight of the show was the tour of London’s SoHo, a chic and hip area similar to that of the village in NYC and it was once London’s vice center.
In the London episode, Anthony also traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland, to taste some fish and chips from Mermaid – Fish and Chip store. Other than the traditional fish and chips, Mermaid also serve some deep fried “mystery meat”. Then he headed off to Leith, the area where fresh seafood and produce can be savored alongside with a pint of Guinness, for breakfast!

If you are not watching Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation, you don’t know what you are missing. What are you waiting for, hurry up and change your channel to the Travel Channel. No Reservation is aired on Mondays 9pm EST.

Love it, loathe it? Comments are appreciated.

-Boon

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Times are changing and so are the scams, especially those targeted at foreign tourists. According to BBC, there is now a new scam at the Thailand International Airport. A British couple was accused of shoplifting at the airport’s duty free store and was taken away by the security guards for interrogation. Below are the accounts of what happened:

1. The couple was accused of shoplifting
2. Security guards and cops took them away and separated them into different rooms for interrogation
3. Throughout the process they negotiated the amount that was needed to get them out of the mess – £8,000
4. They provided a translator and explained to them that the charge of shoplifting was pretty serious and if they don’t pay, they will be transferred to a jail, a very unpleasant experience
5. They were not allowed to contact anyone and was only provided with a translator that was working “part time” for the police
6. Their passports were seized and they were warned not to contact their embassy or any lawyers
7. They were forced to withdraw money from the ATM to pay for their release

The BBC has spoken to the translator and the regional police commander, Colonel Teeradej Phanuphan.They both say the translator was merely helping the couple with translation, and raising bail to keep them out of prison.
The translator says about half the £8,000 was for bail, while the rest were “fees” for the bail, for his work, and for a lawyer he says he consulted on their behalf.

In theory, he says, they could try to get the bail portion refunded.

Colonel Teeradej says he will investigate any possible irregularities in their treatment. But he said any arrangement between the couple and Tony was a private affair, which did not involve the police.

You can read the whole BBC article here.

The next time you’re traveling to a different country, beware of scams and con artists!

Love it, loathe it? Comments appreciated.

-Boon

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Source: Wikipedia

The palm wine is produced from fermenting the sap of the palm tree. A tapper would collect the sap from the cut flower of the palm tree. A container is fastened to the flower stump to collect the sap which tends to be very sweet and non-alcoholic before it is fermented. An alternate method is to let the entire tree fall to the ground. This practice is common in many African Nations and a fire is sometimes lit at the cut end to facilitate the collection of sap. This method was mentioned in Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation episode where he was in Ghana.

“Palm sap begins fermenting immediately after collection, due to natural yeasts in the air (often spurred by residual yeast left in the collecting container). Within two hours, fermentation yields an aromatic wine of up to 4% alcohol content, mildly intoxicating and sweet. The wine may be allowed to ferment longer, up to a day, to yield a stronger, more sour and acidic taste, which some people prefer. Longer fermentation produces vinegar instead of stronger wine.” – Wikipedia

-A man enjoying Toddy

Palm wine plays a special role in traditional ceremonies in many cultures but it also has been a controversial drink as it has been associated with violence and alcoholism among the rural Tamil community in Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

-Boon

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