Category Archives: Food & Wine

Jamming at the Fruit Garden

“The rule is: jam tomorrow and jam yesterday, but never jam today” So says the White Queen to Alice in Lewis Carroll’s ‘Through the Looking Glass’ For those of us who like jam every day, I would like to introduce … Continue reading

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Volcanoes in Salcedo!

Once upon a time, an Aussie wandered east to California, to train as a chocolatier. Returning to Sydney some time later, he launched a range of chocolate dipped fruit, fresh, dried and glace. He dubbed them Naughty Fruits and supplied … Continue reading

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Drifting Down the Mekong

Flying into Saigon provided a stunning aerial view of immense snaking waterways, twisting and turning through the city and surrounding countryside. Growing up in a South Australian city that boasts only a narrow creek, I am always impressed by the … Continue reading

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Cooking up a Storm in Saigon

Our day started at dawn. We were to meet Chef Bao from the Vietnam Cookery Centre at the Ben Thanh Market in downtown Saigon. Chef Bao proved hard to miss. Dressed in his white chef’s jacket, he was shaped just … Continue reading

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Lu’s

We found Lu’s on a busy, wet Friday night after a string of unexpected turns. Firstly, the rain had prevented us walking to our intended destination, and it apparently prevented the taxis coming our way, too. We ended up walking … Continue reading

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Kapampangan Food Safari

Last weekend I joined a convoy of cars and a small coach bound for Pampanga. It was my first trip further north than Quezon City, and I was wide-eyed with curiosity like Alice down the rabbit hole. As we left … Continue reading

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Chinese New Year in Binondo

Our special Chinese New Year Edition will begin at 8am on the dot from the Binondo church on the edge of Chinatown. We reach the purple fire truck at 8:02am but can’t see a tour group anywhere ~ they weren’t … Continue reading

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Downtown Manila

It was my first adventure into the wilds of Divisoria. Wide, tree lined boulevards along Manila Bay suddenly narrowed into streets choc-a-block with pedestrians and push carts. The car was forced to a slow crawl, and eventually to a standstill, … Continue reading

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Pass the Sawsawan Please

Does anyone remember the movie “When Harry Met Sally”? A quirky, 1980s romantic comedy, it was about the antagonism between two people evolving into acceptance, then friendship and ~ finally ~ love.  Now hold onto that thought. Whenever I think … Continue reading

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Tea with a Twist

The first bowl washed the cobwebs from my mind – the whole world seemed to sparkle A second cleansed my spirit like purifying showers of rain A third and I was one with the immortals. Chao Jen, The Way of … Continue reading

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