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Deep-fried birthday
Mr and Mrs Birdiegolf wanted to get together for a belated celebration of Hello Kitty’s birthday, and much to my surprise, the birthday girl chose to have tempura… and requested that we revisit Tenkai...
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Tokyo sushi day: back at Saito
I'm spending about 30 hours in Tokyo on a whirlwind trip. The main event of the trip would be my lunch date at Sushi Saito (鮨さいとう), which was booked when I visited for the first time in March. Even...
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Tokyo sushi day: no pictures and no magic
My original plan for dinner tonight was pretty simple. I was either going to check out a place recommended by a friend, which still serves the “real, traditional” edomae sushi (江戸前寿司) before things got...
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Tokyo sushi day: drunken onion, episode 7
After my filling sushi dinner, it was time for sake! I had called Master a few days ago and made a reservation, and dutifully made my way to Tamanegiya (酒たまねぎや). The Dining Austrian also joined me...
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27 hours in Fukuoka: a magical star
A few days after seeing The Dining Austrian in Tokyo, I'm flying up to Fukuoka to have another couple of meals with him. The focus of my 27-hour stay in Fukuoka is dinner at Tenzushi Kyomachiten (天寿し...
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27 hours in Fukuoka: bar crawl
Since Amano-san does not serve any alcohol at Tenzushi Kyomachiten (天寿し 京町店) so that diners could focus on the sushi, we felt we needed a few drinks after dinner. The natural choice would seem to be...
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27 hours in Fukuoka: ancient river
It was tough waking up this morning after my late night run, but I needed to have one last lunch with The Dining Austrian before flying home. Oryori Furukawa (御料理 古川) has gotten themselves two little...
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The chef who smiles not, NY edition
It's been more than 5 years since I was last in New York, and thankfully this time I'm staying a little longer than a day. Unfortunately for me, I only have 2 nights in town, which really leaves just...
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One night in Chicago
I'm back in the Windy City after 5 years, but unfortunately this time I only have one dinner slot. I figured I needed to get together with some local experts to figure out where to go, so I pinged two...
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Breakfast, brunch, and dinner
I'm chillin' out at the Rosewood Sand Hill over the weekend, and there's really nothing much in the 'hood. Pretty much gotta get a ride to go anywhere or do anything. So it kinda made sense that we...
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Before and after takeoff
After feeling very relaxed after a spa session at the Rosewood Sand Hill, we had a few hours to kill before our evening flight home. While we could have ventured out for a nice dinner somewhere, the...
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The continuous journey
The Great One was missing Sato-san dishes at Ta Vie 旅 and wanted to go back. I have been remiss this year, and have only visited my friend Sato-san once. So I didn’t hesitate to say “Yes” when asked....
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The pigeon in the shelter
The MNSC boys have been a busy bunch this year, and we haven’t really found time to gathering for our tastings. Incredibly, enough of us were able to be available during the few days I am actually in...
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Old Barolos from Mascarello
A few months ago while we were having dinner together, J told me that Ginsberg + Chan was planning a dinner featuring old Mascarello Barolos. I don’t drink Barolo on a regular basis, but I have had a...
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Visiting the truffle king
It's been a while since I last dined at 8½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana. A few years ago the restaurant was so popular with diners that it became difficult to book on short notice - or at least that was my...
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3-star trip to Singapore: revisiting grandma
I'm on the road again this weekend, flying into the Lion City to spend a couple of days with The Dining Austrian. Two months ago, the Rubberman announced the promotion of two establishments to the...
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3-star trip to Singapore: local food crawl
While the main purpose of our trip was hitting the two 3-star restaurants, we also wanted some simple, local food to balance things out. I could have taken The Dining Austrian to a few of my old...
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3-star trip to Singapore: 3 stars too many
We were meeting one of The Dining Austrian's old friends for dinner, but only after a few drinks first. The last time I went to Que Pasa was probably around the year 2000, so it was nice to see that...
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A classic Bordelais evening
About two hours after landing in Hong Kong, I found myself back at the Grill Room of the Hong Kong Country Club... ready for another blind tasting with the MNSC boys. After a weekend of dining in...
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Days of numbing tongue: hot pot experience
I'm in Chengdu for a couple of days for a work trip, and I'm getting to see the city for the first time. While it's interesting for me to experience some authentic Chengdu-style Sichuan cuisine, I am...
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