Our next few flights will be within the region, starting with Japan in 2023 Q1, followed by South Korea in 2023 Q4 and Taiwan in 2024 Q2. Based on current redemption rates for Business class tickets, this will be enough to wipe out our expiring Krisflyer miles.
Continue readingSoft food is the best food
SBCD sources their soybeans from Paju in South Korea’s Gyeonggi Province. Apparently Paju is famous for two things, one being their Jangdanbaekmok certified strain of soybeans and the other being its proximity to the DMZ separating the two Koreas. I’m not sure how those two things are related, but I do know that their tofu is very mashisoyo.
Continue readingThe adorable old folks at Poh Guan Cake House
ME (turns to SHOP AUNTIE #2 and asks a question that probably no one has ever dared to ask before): “Auntie, 有什么东西不好吃的吗?”
A whirlwind tour of A Whirlwind Tour of Python
“A Whirlwind Tour of Python” by Jake VanderPlas is a handy little reference for those with some prior programming experience but who are new to Python. It is compact (only 98 pages) yet feature rich, and is a good starting point for picking up Python.
Continue readingI probably should clean the coffee grinder more often
Hmm… come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever taken apart my DeLonghi KG89 grinder to clean. I know it sounds gross, but please don’t judge. And also, better late than never.
Continue readingGoing down the pour over coffee rabbit hole
The journey down the rabbit hole is about to start, and it looks like the next few weeks are going to be interesting.
Continue readingVisiting the Kavalan distillery in Yilan
Yilan (宜蘭) is most famous for its hotsprings, innovative cuisine and 三星 spring onion, but it also happens to be the home of the Kavalan whisky distillery.
Continue readingVisiting the Nikka Yoichi distillery in Hokkaido
The highlight of the visit was finding out that there was a small bar in the museum, where we could sample the Yoichi 15y and 20y. Yes, actually get to taste them.
It wasn’t cheap, but the fact that they were even available to drink was amazing. We sent a photo to some friends who are big whisky fans and they were suitably impressed, and I assume, also very envious.
Continue readingGodfather, Part 1
“Have you ever tried a Godfather?” asked Shimura-san.
No, I had not, and with a name like that, there was no way I was not having one.
Continue readingIf they can’t go to the crabs, then the crabs will have to come to them
The Old Folks are very particular about their crabs and have strict criteria on which to choose and how they should be prepared.
First, the crabs must be alive and fresh, which is usually the case in Singapore and not a problem.
Second, the size should be around 1kg — too small and it’s not worth the effort; too large and the meat would be too stringy.
Third, whenever possible, choose pregnant female crabs for maximum roe, which unfortunately weren’t available that day.
Fourth and finally, when cooking, do not, I repeat, do not, deep fry the crabs first. Most stalls do that to speed up the process, but it affects the final texture and causes the meat to stick to the shell.
Continue reading