Naughty Nuri's, Ubud

Pork ribs being grilled roadside

Ribs and cold martinis to beat the tropical heat. Definitely check this place out if you're ever in Bali.

Naughty Nuri's
Ubud, Bali, Indonesia

Le Pichet, Seattle

Protein fest with my pals Masako and Che on my way back to Singapore: pate, fish rillette, pork loin, steak tartare, chicken sausage. This place is great and I can't wait to come back. Sorry about the photo, it was too dark inside to see much of anything.

Le Pichet
1933 1st Ave
Seattle, WA 98101

+1(206) 256-1499

Mandrake Bar, Los Angeles

A good place to hit up for a drink on your way to/from LAX.

Mandrake Bar
2692 S La Cienega Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90034
Los Angeles, CA

+1(310)837-3297

Indian Stall, Sim Lim Square

Naan, chana masala, and daal from a North Indian stall in Sim Lim Square. They pull the naan right out of the tandoor which gives this place its special edge.


Basement Level
Sim Lim Square
Singapore

No phone

MRT: Bugis

Sausage Fest in HK

I don't know the name of this restaurant but these sausages were damn tasty. Both had an intense rice wine taste to them that I was really into. We also ordered a vegetable mushroom clay pot which was just OK, hence no photo.

30 Cochrane Street
Hong Kong, China

phone: +852-25431032

Botejyu

This is omu soba and it was pretty damn good. It's basically soba, vegetables, and pork topped with a thin omelette. If you've ever had omu rice then you'll know what I'm talking about. Botejyu is a Japanese chain although I think the local branch in Singapore may have just licensed the name or maybe franchised it.

Botejyu
Liang Court
177 River Valley Road #02-32/33
Singapore

phone: +65 6338 8557

MRT: Clarke Quay

Harbin Beer

Utterly tasteless. Available at a Chinatown near you.

Urasawa, Los Angeles

Hairy crab with uni

Hiro and his bro at work

Toro, radish, and caviar



Not much to say here other than this place 100% deserves all the hype and fuss. One of the best meals I've ever had.

Urasawa
218 N Rodeo Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90210

phone: +1 (310) 247-8939

You'll need a reservation.

Mexican Food, Los Angeles

This is a fat, cheesy carne asada sope from a weekend night market in Boyle Heights. Fortunately I brought a bottle of lactase pills. I also got to try some pozole and a chicharron (fried pork skin) gordita, both of which were pretty awesome. 

The vendors set up their carts in a parking lot and the atmosphere is mellow and fun. It's mostly Mexican food but one lady was selling pupusas. Highly recommended if you're ever in LA. I spent USD 8.50 and left totally stuffed.

corner of Cesar Chavez and Breed, Los Angeles, California
hours: weekends only?

Sorry for the crappy photo. The street lights are dim in East LA.

Whole Foods Grocery, Los Angeles

I was craving a salad today which is one of the things they do well in the US. Whole Foods is a chain of supposedly healthier grocery stores that can be found in most American cities. This particular salad was around USD 6.50 (priced by weight) and is a mixture of kale, red leaf lettuce, carrots, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, and beets.

Xinjiang Restaurant, Shanghai

Not sure what this place is actually called but they serve Xinjiang/Uighur food in a modest setting. It's not really halal since they have beer and wine on the menu but the food tasted damn good. Love the lamb skewers. Love 'em. The "black" beer and fried potatoes (barely visible in the background) complemented the lamb perfectly.

The wife is in Singapore but I'm pretty sure she would've been into this place too.

Sorry, no address. Shanghai, Puxi side? Actually I have no fucking idea where this place is.

Total bill came to RMB 40 or so.

Tian Tian, Maxwell Hawker Centre

Didn't take photos the first time I ate here so this is pretty much what chicken rice should look like.

Tian Tian is totally solid. It's the rice here that sets this stall apart from all the pretenders. Cucumber slices are served on the side rather than under the chicken. Don't bother with the greens though cuz they suck. Fook Seng is still my favorite but that's kind of like saying I like Wild Turkey better than Jim Beam.

Tian Tian
Maxwell Hawker Centre
corner of Maxwell Road and North Bridge

MRT: Outram Park or Tanjong Pagar

I didn't get the stall number but it's next to a tofu/soya milk place.

Pontian Wanton Noodles, Kovan

I'm rediscovering Kovan hawker centre. When we first moved to Serangoon this hawker centre was one of the places we frequented but somehow over the past few months we've started eating in Hougang more often.

What makes Pontian's wanton mee unique? The noodles are tossed with a slightly spicy chili sauce and topped with fried wanton skins. Aside from that it's pretty standard issue. Complaints? The greens were slightly overcooked and the soup needed more spring onions.