The Accidental Tourist

I never thought I will see the day i blog about this but I got kinky friend with fetish. To be exact, fetish with Ispahan. In case, you’re wondering what is Ispahan, it’s rose, lychee and raspberry. 

For the past hour, Miss FO has been trying to convince me that once i get to Tokyo, I must march myself to a PH outlet and at least, get a bite of the famous Ispahan macaroons. To quote her “ so i’m telling u to spend ur hard earned $$ to taste these yummies”.  I secretly suspect she’s feeling a bit unbalanced since she had to share her PH sweets with her BF in Paris. 

I’m more amused by her reaction than the macaroons. Yes, I will try to get a bite of the macaroons and try to achieve nirvana with it……and yes, I’m heading Japan! Woohoo!! Time to put my half past six Japanese to use! 

When not guzzling down alcohol by the glass, you could also drink it from the bag via an IV drip. Alcohol goes directly into blood stream. Woohoo!

What the f*** is that? That’s the question EVERY newbie to Anhai asks at the dinner time. As a prank welcome ritual, tuo suan tangs always ordered for the new kid in town. Why? ‘Coz it’s a delicacy in Anhai and only found in Anhai.

Here’s what it looks like.

And still, what the f*** is that again?! There is NO English term for it. The best that I could have dragged out of the locals is that it’s the equivalent of sea ginseng to them. And exactly, what the f*** is it?

It’s actually sea worm jelly……..

ok, I’ll admit it. I have an unhealthy obession with all things Japanese. I think it started with mum dragging me to Japanese classes when I was 10. Just because they needed an extra headcount to start a class. I’ve only managed to pass JLPT Level 4, the lowest level. Mum has JLPT 3. I remember she would paste the copies of vocabulary all around the house when it was almost exam time. She would also drive me a bit crazy with the excessive conversations in Japanese. It’s been 18 years and all i remember are the A, E, U, EH, Os.
Our teacher, Koh San, was a half Jap (Chinese Father). His classes were fun as he loves talking about the culture. We learned Japanese by singing Nursey Rhymes and he would show us slideshows of his pictures from Japan. I learnt abt that strange strange custom of Japanese worshipping the giant wood penis from a very young age but of course, back then, I had no idea what the giggles in class were about. Mum was the star student in class. Her Kanji dictionary, well used as a result of her digillence in studes, was often held up by Koh San in class as he praised his favourite student.

In my teens, i would read up travel books on Japan and dreamt about travelling to Japan. Maybe this year. This year, I could fulfuill my dream to go there.
Meanwhile, here’s some Japanese snacks from Muji.

Sakura mashmallows with red bean paste.

Fish chips with sesame seeds.

The previous post had me thinking abt the yu tiaos found commonly along the roads in Kumming, Yunnan. Toasted on a charcoal grill, it’s wrapped in popiah skin and chilli, fermented bean sauces and sweet sauces are smeared generous. And it only costs a few cents! Disclaimer : Eat at own risk.

I’m not much of a food critic as you can tell. But when a beverage is listed as patented and the site of a major chick flick (think Serendipity), I knew I had to head there.

What can i say? The maitre d was spaced out and a smirk. I was standing there in line for a good 5 mins before I realised that I had to ask him for a table. Otherwise, he would have just stood there and stare into space. Isn’t the Maitre D’s job to find me a seat? Snooty for a place that serves hot chocolate….

The place was cramped. Yes, the famed tiffany lamps that hung from the ceiling were charming but i thought that it just made the restaurant looked smaller. Fortunately, the waiter was nice. I ordered the famous Frozen Hot Chocolate and the waiter seems to read my mind and knew with that giantantic glass of chocolate that’s meant for two, I was going to need a light lunch and recommended the Chicken Little Soup.

My verdict: The Frozen Hot Chocolate made the snooty maitre d and the tight space worth it. It’s richer than frozen milo and definitely very yummy. It was so smooth that you don’t get tiny pieces of ice in it. It wasn’t as sweet as i thought it would be but the blend of whipped cream and frozen chocolate balanced the taste.