During preparations for my trip to Japan I did a lot of pre-reading about the things I wanted to see and do. I knew Japan was famous for sushi and octopus dumplings (takoyaki), so naturally that was on my culinary bucket list. But upon arrival I soon realized that each city in Japan is famous […]
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Cantonese morning tea, or zao cha (zao meaning morning and cha meaning tea) is a beautiful tradition in the Southern lying areas of China, forming an essential part of local daily life. Whether it be drinking a cup of refreshing oolong tea with family or sitting down together with friends, the culture of drinking tea […]
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Situated near the Confucius Temple in Dongcheng is a little Buddhist inspired coffee shop. Its mention in many China inspired guidebooks made me fairly curious as to how a little roadside café nestled in the heart of a hutong could be named after one of the most famous temples in all of Beijing which led […]
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Nestled in the heart of Beijing’s Sanlitun, Taikoo Li shopping district is a cute little Japanese café. So little that you most likely will walk past without even knowing it’s there. In fact, I spent almost a year in Beijing without even tasting those delectable French-style pancakes. Until one morning before work I randomly strolled […]
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China is famous for many kinds of exotic foods however depending on which city you visit; there will always be a specialty dish that is characteristic of that area. For Beijing, that dish is traditional Peking duck. The Chinese themselves have a famous saying that no visit to China is complete without climbing the great wall […]
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One of the things I love about China is the endless opportunities to try new and exotic foods. The Chinese love their food and eating a meal is a tradition that should be done both on time and with large numbers of people. Chinese dining etiquette is very different to western eating habits. It is […]
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After receiving a complimentary wine tasting at the Spier Hotel, Vineyard and Spa, I thought it best to share some of the simple wine tasting tips I learnt with you. Turns out it’s not that difficult to really taste your wine and know what’s in it! By applying these simple tips below, you’ll quickly know […]
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One of the things I love doing while exploring different cities is tasting local foods. You can learn so much about a country and its culture through food so you can bet that I’m always at the front line to taste anything! Whilst on vacation in Edinburgh, mum and I had the pleasure of witnessing […]
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On my six month journey through the Netherlands, I fell in love with Dutch culture and more so with one of their best kept secrets – food. The Dutch are well known for many things and doing my research before arriving, it never really occurred to me that there would be so many new dishes […]
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You can’t visit China without tasting an authentic Chinese hot pot. More affectionately and less accurately known by westerners as Chinese fondue, hot pot is one of the most popular dishes surrounding any social gathering. The origins of hot pot itself date back to over a 1000 years where it first appeared in Mongolia before […]
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LIFE OF SHAL 