Cliff(y) Goes Dining

Came for the parfait, but even more amazed by the 'cha soba'! Kyoto is synonymous with that finely ground green tea powder known as matcha . In the heart of Uji, a town distinguished for producing high-quality matcha , lies a traditional tea house called Nakamura Tokichi that's been around since the Edo period. Though we didn't have the chance to visit the main outlet, my family and I managed to get a table at the Isetan branch that's conveniently linked to Kyoto station.

Fancy some winter-exclusive soup curry? Although CoCo Ichibanya can be found in Singapore, I've always been interested to try it in Japan. Started from a shop in the suburb area of Nagoya in 1978, the restaurant chain specialising in Japanese curry has grown to over a thousand outlets, going as far as Hawaii and Los Angeles in the USA.

Deep-fried 'hamo' (lit. conger eel), anyone? Kyoto was the first destination on our eagerly anticipated family trip. After dropping off our luggage at Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kyoto-Hachijoguchi, we made our way to the food court at the basement level of Kyoto Tower. Among the various options, it was the stall by Nishiki Uoriki, a restaurant founded in 1919 at the bustling Nishiki Market, that piqued my interest the most.

Tasty beef lasagna by Brahim's Food Services, but no more... After so long, I finally managed to have a family trip again in December 2022 with Japan as the destination. Unfortunately, just like the last part of my Azerbaijan travel series, I've lost all photos during this trip, save for the ones that I managed to post to my Instagram feed. Let's take a look at what I had onboard Malaysia Airlines MH52 from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Osaka, Japan.

Lavender apricot for the win! Happy birthday to Pikachu! With Mid-Autumn Festival on the horizon, and Melon's birthday in exactly two weeks' time, it's customary for the two of them to celebrate with mooncakes. This year, we shall look at the snowskin mooncakes from the sweets boutique by Janice Wong, a Singaporean chef, chocolatier and artist.

Go to Orchard Towers for... Thai food! I can count with the fingers of one hand the number of times I went inside Orchard Towers. No, not to engage in sleazy activities in what used to be colloquially known as "Four Floors of Whores", of course, though authorities began forcing the nightclubs to shut down in August this year. Located on the third floor is a rather popular eatery serving Thai cuisine.

Welcome to the world's highest urban microbrewery! Situated on the 33rd storey of Tower 1 of Marina Bay Financial Centre, LeVeL33 is a restaurant-cum-sky bar that offers a splendid view of the bay in the downtown area of Singapore. The four of us agreed on their signature whole table  ContemBrewery Menu , priced at  S$148.00 per person, which incorporates "beer ingredients and brewery processes into creatively curated restaurant dishes".

Serving allergy-free granola products since 2015! The Oatberry Café is known as a plant-based, allergy-friendly granola specialty café, but it also serves delectable all-day breakfast items. I first chanced upon it near Telok Blangah MRT station while looking for a brunch spot after a hike at Mount Faber Park. However, it has since moved to Scotts Square along the bustling Orchard Road.

Addictive deep-fried squid appetiser with lots of garlic and chili! Even though it probably doesn't sound like one, Folks Collective is a Thai restaurant located at Cross Street Exchange near where I used to live. It's said that the inspiration behind the restaurant "stems from a Bangkok night market that grew out of an abandoned railway station" with 'every corner [revealing] a sentimental surprise from bygone days".

Will the supply of Italian food ever exceed its demand? Welcome to the first post on the Singapore food scene for the year! One fine day while wandering about the Esplanade Mall, my uncle and I decided to go to Supply & Demand, a modern Italian trattoria with a rooftop bar, for dinner. Here's a fun fact: I didn't take Economics when I was in Junior College, but at least I'm aware of supply and demand curves.

Yummy yam and coconut cake for dessert! After the delectable meals onboard Austrian Airlines OS25 , let's take a look at the catering onboard Thai Airways TG409 in the Economy Class from Bangkok, Thailand to Singapore. Alas, I lost all photos that I took during the flight, so I'm borrowing those taken by my BFF to feature here. This post shall finally wrap up my Azerbaijan travel series.