My Time Capsule: June 2013

Warning! Don't read this post on an empty stomach. The risk is all yours. - See more at: http://www.debbzie.com/2012/05/hong-kong-food-porn.html#sthash.Tb1tgKRJ.dpuf

Warning! Don't read this post on an empty stomach. The risk is all yours.

grilled salmon and roe with rice

After my Hokkaido trip, a lot of my friends asking me about the food. "What to eat in Hokkaido? Is the food good? What's the speciality and what's your fave food there?" I seriously had a hard time thinking about how to answer without sounding like a glutton. Because most of the food that I ate in Hokkaido just blew my mind. Too many delicious food that within a week my camera was almost full of food pictures. Yeah, it's not easy either to sort out just a few from hundreds for this food porn post. Are you sure you are ready for this post ? Please don't lick your monitor, okie dokie ?*wink*

prawn ramen in miso soup base in Sapporo


pork ramen with soy sauce soup base in Asahikawa

kaizen (seafood) ramen with scallop

Ramen. You can not say you've been to Hokkaido if you haven't try their ramen. The noodle is thin, curly and springy just the way I like it. There are variations of the soup base between the regions. Sapporo is known for miso based broth, then soy sauce based soup in Asahikawa and salt based broth in Hakodate.

My fave is the kaizen or seafood ramen with scallop in Sapporo. The broth is savoury and sweet because it's added crab. Topped with sweet corn which is crunchy and buttery in the same time. Take a bite of the soft boiled egg and indulge some of the creamy yolk drips onto your tongue. Let the tears of happiness flow on your cheeks :p

nabe

Nabe or traditional Japanese hot pot cuisine. The broth is clear and mild, then it's added fresh vegetables, mushroom, seafood or meat. It's a great and healthy dish to warm up your body during winter.

sushi

Sushi. There's no better place to enjoy sushi than in Japan. I don't usually eat raw fish but while in Japan I can't resist myself to do so. The sliced salmon tastes sweet and melt in your mouth. More please!

grilled hokke

Hooke or mackerel also is very famous in Hokkaido. The meat is thick, firm and flavourful with high fat content. Oh! the seals love to eat this fish :D

tempura stand in hotel buffet

deep fried scallops

kaiseki dinner

one of the dish

Kaiseki. I had this luxury dinner while staying at Lake Akan area. Basically it's like a Japanese style fine dining. All the food is prepared carefully and presented on plates that are chosen to enhance both the appearance and the taste. Everyone get their own table with 10 kind of assorted dishes. Happy tummy guaranteed!

grilled sausage from street food stands

dinner set menu for one person

Hokkaido seafood is well known in the world and the crab in particular is exceptional. Never in my life I saw a crab so big that it looks kinda scary. Depending on the season and location, you can enjoy Queen crab, Horsehair crab, Red king crab or Blue king crab. The crab meat is soft and sweet while the shell is not as hard as the one I usually eat here in Indonesia. In fact I didn't need that scissors, I just bite it to break the crab leg. Or perhaps I have tooth made of steel ? I don't know...

Hokkaido shiraoi wagyu or black beef waiting to be grilled

omurice

Omuraisu or omelet and rice. It's fried rice then wrapped in thin sheet of fried egg. You can choose the sauce among tomato sauce, beef stock, demi-glace sauce or just salt and pepper. Simple dish but never go wrong for me

buta-don, Obihiro pork bowl

Buta-don means pork bowl. Actually I accidentally found this dish while I was in the food court of Mitsui Outlet. I saw a very long queue in front of this stall and decided to join the crowd. Turned out it was sooo good. The sliced pork is quite thick and juicy, it's char-grilled to perfection then seasoned with soy sauce and black pepper. Nom...nom...nom. Do you want a bite of it?

hot food vending machine. I want one at home!

cream puff at Patissier Kitakaro

Hokkaido soft cream

Hokkaido is also famous for its dairy products. So while you're there don't forget to try their milk or even better this soft cream and the cream puff. It's too yummy it will make your taste buds dance with joy.

Pucchin Purrin, custard pudding

Pucchin Purrin. I love this pudding so much that every time I saw a 7 Eleven or other mini mart, I just had to stop by and get pucchin purrin. It reminds me of my childhood in Taiwan, I used to eat this every single day. It's similar to flan pudding or creme caramel. Silky consistency, creamy flavor and bittersweet caramelised sugar flavour. Bliss! Anyone in Japan, pleaseeee send me this :)

Fun fact: Pucchin Purrin has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the world's best-selling pudding, after 5.1 billion units were sold since it hit the market in 1972, according to its maker.

sizzling grilled scallop

grilled life scallop

Hotate or scallop. I save the best for last. You can not leave Hokkaido without trying their famous scallop. I had always love eating scallops but in Hokkaido I tried the grilled live scallop for the first time. It's so so sooo delicious that I saw a unicorn flying over the rainbow every time I ate this. The meat is crunchy, sweet, buttery, and savoury in the same time. I think I spent most of my money to buy scallops. At that time I was thinking to marry a scallop seller in Hokkaido, so I can eat scallops every single day for the rest of my life, lol. I know, I'm just so naive sometime :p
That's a video to show you how they cook the life scallops.

the actual size of that ramen bowl is as big as my head :D

PS: One extra pic to give you an idea, in case you're wondering whether I gobbled up all those food or just took the pictures. Dad told me that he couldn't believe his eyes, every time he looked at me....I was always busy munching, lol. Now while I'm writing this post, I realised that I really eat way too much food in Hokkaido *grins*

Are you hungry yet ?

My other food porn post: Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia

Beijing, December 2011

During my one week trip to Beijing besides the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City, I also explored some other interesting places. And as I was sorting out my Beijing photo files, I was in the mood for editing those photos in oldish style. Even though Beijing is a very modern city now but every time I travel to China, I have an odd feeling as if I travel through the time machine back to the ancient century.

This post is a set of photo collection of random things that caught my attention. I will only put one caption for each pictures and just let your imagination run wild. Because I do believe that sometime a picture speak a thousand words. Here's a one day tour around Beijing for you.....from dawn till dusk...