Jing Theory photography food culture in china

the chengdu street snack app launches!

April 10, 2012 – 12:03 pm

The Chengdu Street Snack App for the iPhone is finally here!

To get it, download the free Rama Travel app on your phone here, and then search by place, title or author for the “Chengdu Street Snack” by Jenny Gao. The app is just $0.99 and its a really good deal, because I’ll buy you a drink in return ;)

The app includes top things to eat, maps of where to get them, and insider tips for ordering as well as a Chinese characters, pinyin and pronunciation guide. What’s great is that this app includes the ability to view the tour/maps offline once you purchase it. Perfect for overseas visitors and users without a 3G connection who want to explore food spots on the go.

This is my first app, its a work in progress and I will be updating it along the way. So please take a look and recommend it to your friends who are visiting Chengdu. Would love your feedback and ratings!

Thanks for all your support so far, much love xx

Please note the app is only compatible with iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later. Android version is coming out soon!

Tags app, Chengdu, China, Food, iphone, Sichuan, Snacks, street food | Permalink | Comment (0)

Food Restaurants

noma copenhagen

March 21, 2012 – 10:43 pm

Dining at the world’s best restaurant comes with its own set of anticipation and expectation.

I approached this meal the way that I have often approached meals in the past, my frame of reference limited (I am by no means as well-traveled and well-dined as some of my blogger-counterparts) and judgement criterion somewhat skewed by my dining experiences to date. What is a lunch at the world’s best restaurant supposed to deliver? Will every course delight, bursting with transcendental flavours? Will this be the most enjoyable meal of my life to date?

It was immediately evident that the normal dining paradigms are not applicable here. If you come to Noma seeking comfort in taste and contented familiarity, you will likely leave feeling unfulfilled. Each dish in isolation wasn’t always exceptionally tasty, not being imbued with heavy-handed seasoning that has become conventional in North American or Asian cooking, and by which we tend to judge most food we eat.

What Rene Redzepi has accomplished at Noma is revolutionary, pioneering, at times even feeling a bit too experimental. It stands a head above great restaurants because it delivers more than the sheer enjoyment of food. Subjectively, a simple bucatini in a neighbourhood trattoria is immensely enjoyable. Noma achieves something much greater than this, it weaves a narrative through the dishes, making a statement- a manifesto, if you will- of what we have come to know as the New Nordic Cuisine. It is this, among other reasons, that Noma is currently ranked the best restaurant in the world.

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Food Restaurants Travel

eurobinge ’11: paris & copenhagen

March 2, 2012 – 11:23 pm

This, along with many other posts, are dearly overdue. Since around October last year, my life has been a nonstop roller coaster ride of passport stamps, time zones and calories. Excuses aside, here’s what I’ve been up to. read more »

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Food

the chengdu street snack app

December 7, 2011 – 5:18 am

I’ve been working with app company Rama Tours to produce my own iPhone app with recommendations for the best street snack spots in my hometown Chengdu. I’m excited to tell you that it will be launched soon in the App Store!

Here’s an excerpt from the introduction.

Known as the land of plenty, Sichuan’s food history can be traced back thousands of years. Its capital, Chengdu, was a key trade outpost along the Southern Silk Road, and as exotic spices and ingredients were brought in from all over the world, the city’s food culture became second to none.

To this day, Chengdu is a food-crazed city. Locals love to eat, and while there’s constant innovation in food, traditional dishes and flavours have stood the test of time. Chengdu has also made a mark on the world culinary stage, being named a Unesco City of Gastronomy in 2010.

There are literally thousands of mouthwatering dishes in Sichuan cuisine, but some of the simplest ones, which trace their beginnings to street carts, are also the tastiest. Ask locals about their favourite dishes, and the answer is likely xiaochi, the nostalgic street snacks from their childhood.

read more »

Tags app, Chengdu, food tour, iphone, rama | Permalink | Comments (4)

Photography

jing theory tumblr

December 7, 2011 – 1:41 am

I’ve started a new tumblr. Mostly images I’ve captured on recent travels, music that I’m listening to, short snippets of beautiful things to accompany this blog. Check it out and follow me on my journey :)

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Food

courtyard cooking in beijing

October 20, 2011 – 11:33 pm

My friend has opened up a private dining venue and small cooking school in the heart of Beijing’s hutongs. The small courtyard has just been outfitted with a slick Siemens kitchen and is now ready for private events and classes. I dropped by the other day for a tour and here are some photos. So cute! Its located just around the corner from my old courtyard apartment at Dongsishitiao, makes me miss living in Beijing…

For venue bookings and cooking class inquiries, email info@hiasgourmet.com

Tags Beijing, cooking classes, courtyard, Hutong | Permalink | Comments (4)

Photography Travel

halong bay

September 15, 2011 – 6:02 pm

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Food

chinese breakfast

September 12, 2011 – 3:21 pm

One of the things I miss the most about home is breakfast.

Tags breakfast, Chengdu, chinese, congee, pickles, salted duck eggs, Sichuan, thousand year old eggs | Permalink | Comment (1)

Food Recipes

sichuan cold sesame noodles

September 5, 2011 – 6:37 pm

If you recall an earlier post of mine, some of the greatest noodles in the world are also the simplest. Served cold and dressed up with the right combination of chili, sesame and soy sauce, they can be mind meltingly good.

Tags Chengdu, noodles, Sichuan | Permalink | Comments (8)

Food Recipes

nonya fried chicken- a recipe

August 29, 2011 – 6:37 pm

You may have wondered why, since I moved to Singapore 9 months ago, there hasn’t been a single post on the wealth of food found on this island. On the topic of food in South East Asia, one of the first things that pop into mind is the varied and abundant hawker fare this country is known for.