And he threw the knives and utensils into the air, juggling and tapping the pointy steels in a rhythmic pattern on the iron grill. I watch, cringing and hoping he won’t make a mistake. It lasted only for a few seconds but it was enough to capture our attention and awe. It’s the chef’s way of saying, the show is about to start at Akira: The Art of Teppanyaki and Sushi restaurant. We’re on the front seat, or rather, by the side table fronting the grill in anticipation of the art of teppanyaki in the making.
Feeling at home at Bawai’s
It’s way off the main road and open only for lunch and dinner three days of the week. But the gathering buzz on Bawai’s is proof that good news do travel fast. To paraphrase Kevin Costner in “Field of Dreams”, if you cook good food, they will come. And visitors do hie off all the way here to dine. We visited one hot Sunday afternoon as part of a small contingent of Summit Ridge’s Tagaytay weekend getaway.
Fun dining at Madam Kwan’s
Ahhh, those Malaysia, truly Asia commercials running endlessly on the cable channels. Catching them every so often, you can’t help but wonder about the sightseeing, shopping and of course, the eating over there. By a stroke of luck, Happyfoodies got an invite from AirAsia Philippines and Tourism Malaysia for a look-see, look-buy and look-taste in Kuala Lumpur. One of our memorable food stops was Madam Kwan’s at the upscale Pavillion Mall which is a good opportunity to see why the place is popular.
A Culinary Performance at Antonio Restaurante
There are Portuguese Restaurants, and there are Portuguese Restaurants with style. And the latter is where I would put this small homey restaurant called Antonio Restaurante at Taipa Island’s Old quarters, owned by Macau celebrity chef Antonio Coelho. We tagged along him that morning while he bought the ingredients he would use for the dishes he would serve that evening.
Great food needs No Signboard
I know foodies friends in Singapore who has been living there for years and they were just happy enough to show me around their favorite places to eat. Say Singapore, we can heavily expect a chili crabs and prawns in the mix. We trooped to the back of esplanade and entered a restaurant facing the bay for me to discover that a really good restaurant really needs No Signboard to say how good their seafood is.
A Taste of Nyonya Heritage at Seroni
Malaysian food is as rich as its history. In between our exploration of the heritage sites in Malacca, we got a chance to experience Peranakan Cuisine where it originated — Malacca. Recipes dating as far back as the 15th century still exist, evolving to what is now known as Nyonya Cuisine. In a restaurant tucked beside the hidden side street of Taman Melaka Raya, we found Seroni Nyonya Cuisine Restaurant. The establishment is owned by one of the last descendants of the Baba-Nyonya family, so we’re expecting to taste authentic Nyonya Cuisine.