Food and Drink

Canned Minke whale curry, jingisukan (grilled mutton-style) curry, and crab curry discovered at a roadside stop in Shiga-ken, Japan, highlight the unexpected and delightful food finds that make shopping in Japan a constant adventure.

Yung Kee restaurant in Hong Kong serves an exceptional roast goose that the author describes as among the best in Asia, evoking comparisons to the celebrated goose in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.

Golf turf management consultant Micah Wood recounts speaking and leading workshops at the Turf Management Best Practice III conference at Spring City Golf and Lake Resort in Kunming, China, where his photo was incorrectly labeled as “Mirah Woods” on Sina.com, and where he also competed in a golf tournament, winning two nearest-to-pin prizes and finishing in second place.

Spending Thanksgiving in the Philippines, the author attended a christening party for Golforce Inc.’s new offices, where traditional turkey was replaced by Cebu-style lechon baboy (roast suckling pig), accompanied by squid, tilapia, pancit canton, chop suey, and San Miguel beer.

A trip to Tokyo and Chiba for the Japan Turf Show and a friend’s wedding included memorable food discoveries: a unique hamburger steak spaghetti near Fukuda Denshi Arena and what the author describes as possibly the best onigiri ever — an oyster rice ball from Tokyo Station’s GranSta.

A review of Durio durian cream sandwich cookies concludes that despite an appealing concept, the cookies fail to deliver on their promise — much like a coconut-flavored tea that tasted of sunscreen, they’re a one-time curiosity not worth revisiting.

After previously lamenting the end of his Sam Khok insect diet, the author excitedly discovers a Bangkok street vendor selling fried baby frogs and mantis insects for just 20 baht total, recommending English brown ale or German dunkel as the ideal pairing for the soy sauce and black pepper-seasoned frogs.

During Thailand’s rainy season, indulging in coconut and sticky rice desserts makes for a perfect indoor activity, including coconut crepes, banana leaf-wrapped sticky rice with coconut custard, and a coconut pie from Chiang Rai’s Phu Chaisai resort that stands out for its pure, simple coconut flavor.

A new two-rule “Tautologously Edacious Diet” is introduced, built around choosing only the most delicious foods and preferring locally sourced options — a framework the author claims lets them eat whatever they want while traveling through Thailand.

The author concludes his Sam Khok diet experiment in Thailand, having tried local delicacies like fried insects and rats but unable to find the elusive fried baby frogs, ending with a fusion meal of summer rolls with pork, tofu, and fresh herbs.