We’ve always loved sake – since we used to hit the karaoke bars with friends in Sydney’s Kings Cross years ago. We wouldn’t think of eating Japanese food with anything but sake*, but, unlike wine, we knew very little about the drink until recently. Being in Tokyo seemed to be a good excuse to learn, … Read more
Demystifying Tokyo’s pop culture was one of my missions after discovering Tokyo’s cuisine beyond sushi and ramen. But I knew we were going to have to recruit some local experts in all things anime, otaku, otome, and yokai to help us make sense of Tokyo pop culture. Evidence of Tokyo’s exuberant pop culture is everywhere … Read more
Lessons in Venice on wines of the Veneto was a priority for us during our two week stay. The wines found in Venice are as misunderstood by most travellers as the city’s cuisine – which is probably why we see more Sicilian chardonnays than Veneto soaves on restaurant tables. Of course wine isn’t produced in … Read more
Cooking with the Countess in Venice should be at the top of your Venice to-do list. A full day spent shopping Rialto markets, doing a Veneto wine tasting, and cooking and eating in the home of Countess Enrica Rocca could just become the most memorable thing you do in Venice. Because it was definitely one … Read more
Bookbinder Paolo Olbi and his typesetter Beppi may be Venice’s last great artisans, making every component of their beautiful products by hand in Paolo’s atmospheric workshop in Castello, Venice. We met these generous Venetians when we settled into a Grand Canal-side palazzo apartment for two weeks to get an insight into how locals live in … Read more