SugarHead

Ogu Ogu

chrisbliss — Tue, 01 May 2012 11:09:47 +0000

Ogu Ogu has won my heart; not even open for a month, serving one of the best Izakaya food in Bangkok with a fantastic range of quality sake, this place at the Park Venture building near the Ploenchit BTS Station is not to be missed! OguOgu is located in the building were the new Okura Hotel just opened but is not part of the hotel. Next-door houses Dean & Deluca Deli with a different crowd altogether. First of all I was really intrigued to taste the sake range offered by Ogu Ogu since there are not many sake bars in Bangkok. The friendly staff do know their sake and therefore it was easy to make the wishes heard; a couple of small sake cups helped to narrow the choice to a dry and fragrant Suijin Junmai Sake from the Iwata Prefecture. Gindara, black code fish or Sable fish, glazed with Miso is always my favourite dish in any Japanese meal and highly popular in Japan. Like the previous dishes this one was prepared to perfection and eating Gindara it makes you wishing for more!

Sliced Pork Belly

Pork Shabu-Shabu

Kimchi with beef on Rice

Spicy Prawn with dried chill and garlic

The tasting tray of a variety of Sake

The two dishes of Shabu Shabu of pork and cabbage and the second dish of Kimchi with beef on rice, a typical winter dish was light and nourishing at the same time, a real hit. Ogu Ogu may need some more time to attract its followers; being in a office building sadly it is closed on a Sunday like the rest of the building. However being open for lunch and dinner from Monday to Saturday will surely attract the office crowd for a quick lunch or a sake session in the evening before going home. As for me I have to mention the fast service; efficient and very personalized. Lunch: 11:30 – 14:00, Dinner: 16:00 – 22:00 Monday – Saturday, Sunday & Public Holiday closed

Songkran 2012, Bangkok

chrisbliss — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 07:01:30 +0000

The most obvious celebration of Songkran is the throwing of water. Thais roam the streets with containers of water or water guns (sometimes mixed with mentholated talc), or post themselves at the side of roads with a garden hose and drench each other and passersby. This, however, was not always the main activity of this festival. Songkran was traditionally a time to visit and pay respects to elders, including family members, friends, neighbors, and monks. Besides the throwing of water, people celebrating Songkran as a Buddhist festival may also go to a wat (Buddhist monastery) to pray and give food to monks. They may also cleanse Buddha images from household shrines as well as Buddha images at monasteries by gently pouring water mixed with a Thai fragrance over them. It is believed that doing this will bring good luck and prosperity for the New Year. In many cities, such as Chian Mai, the Buddha images from all of the city’s important monasteries are paraded through the streets so that people can toss water at them, ritually ‘bathing’ the images, as they pass by on ornately decorated floats. In northern Thailand, people may carry handfuls of sand to their neighborhood monastery in order to recompense the dirt that they have carried away on their feet during the rest of the year. The sand is then sculpted into stupa-shaped piles and decorated with colorful flags. Nowadays, the emphasis is on fun and water-throwing rather than on the festival’s spiritual and religious aspects, which sometimes prompts complaints from traditionalists. In recent years there have been calls to moderate the festival to lessen the many alcohol-related road accidents as well as injuries attributed to extreme behavior such as water being thrown in the faces of traveling motorcyclists. The water is meant as a symbol of washing all of the bad away and is sometimes filled with fragrant herbs when celebrated in the traditional manner. Songkran is also celebrated in many places with a pageant in which young women demonstrate their beauty and unique talents, as judged by the audience. The level of financial support usually determines the winner, since, to show your support you must purchase necklaces which you place on your chosen girl.

N’uovo Italian Chocolate Easter Eggs!

chrisbliss — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 06:39:35 +0000

This coming Sunday, 8.April the Christian world is celebrating Easter holiday to remember the resurrection of Jesus on Easter Sunday. Much has been written about how the world is celebrating and for most people it is all about cute rabbits, chocolate and eggs. I came across a fine Chocolatier from Turin, Italy who produces a rather unusual shape of chocolate egg in his lab, a elongated shape of egg made of the finest Italian chocolate. Milk and a extra bitter chocolate are likely to most favourable chocolates, therefore I made sure I will get those in two sizes, medium and large. Turin has been associated with chocolate for over four hundred years. Today, Guido Gobino carries forward this long tradition with the art of a consumate magician. It was in 1946 when Commander Musso first opened a chocolate and bon-bon production laboratory in Turin’s Via Cagliari. Guido’s father, Giuseppe Gobino, joined the company in 1964 as head of production and became the sole owner in 1980. Focusing on producing quality Turinese products, the family tradition was carried on when Guido joined the team in 1985. Since then, Guido has promoted the renewal and modernisation of the intricate production processes for his chocolate products, and ensured the safety of Turin’s traditional chocolate recipes. Guido Gobino Boutiques Via Lagrange, 1/A 10123 Turin, Italy +39 011 5660707 Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi, 39 Milan, Italy info@guidogobino.it