Slow travel writing from across Asia.
Long-form guides to mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Korea and Southeast Asia. Written after the trip, not during.
Three good places to start
Shenzhen: The Mainland China City Almost No One Writes About (Properly)
My first taxi ride in Shenzhen, the driver nodded at the Futian skyline and asked if it was bigger than London , a fair question. This is the long…
Japan's Hardest-to-Eat Foods: A Ranked Guide
Fifteen Japanese foods ranked from surprisingly fine to genuinely hard, from pickled plums and giant raw oysters to fermented squid guts and kusaya…
Bangkok Street Food: Where to Eat and What to Order
The Bangkok street food scene , Yaowarat after 9pm, Victory Monument boat noodles, Go-Ang khao mun gai in Pratunam , mapped by neighbourhood and …
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The Japan food deep-dive
Eighteen long-form guides, from Tokyo neighbourhood food maps to Hakata tonkotsu, Osaka kuidaore, Fukuoka yatai stalls and the fifteen Japanese foods that were actually invented somewhere else. Start at the hub and wander.
Open the hubLatest long-form guides
A Short History of Japanese Food (Not Really Short)
Fourteen thousand years of Japanese eating, told through the dishes a traveller actually meets today. Tempura began as Portuguese fasting food in 1…
The Yakitori Guide: Every Cut, Every Tare, Every Counter Worth Sitting At
A field guide to Japanese yakitori, the full vocabulary of named cuts (over twenty, from momo and negima to chochin and tama-himo), the binchotan c…
Eating at Tokyo’s Michelin-Starred Restaurants: How to Get In, What to Order, and Which Stars Are Worth the Wait
Tokyo has been the most-Michelin-starred city on earth since 2008, and the 2026 Guide lists 160 starred restaurants across the city. This is what I…
3 Days in Beijing: An Itinerary That Actually Works
A working three-day Beijing plan with imperial axis on day one, Mutianyu Great Wall on day two, and hutongs plus the Summer Palace on day three. Re…
Hong Kong Day Trip: A Working Plan from Shenzhen (or a Cruise Ship, or a Layover)
A working one-day Hong Kong plan, written from the perspective of a Saturday-morning regular on the Shenzhen-to-Hong Kong run. Three border-crossin…
The Forbidden City: How to Walk a 600-Year Palace Without Hating the Crowds
A practical, opinionated walk through the 600-year palace at the centre of Beijing. Forget the central-axis death march; this is the half-day plan …
Mutianyu: The Great Wall Section That’s Actually Worth Going To
The Great Wall section worth taking a Beijing day trip for. Why Mutianyu beats Badaling, how to get there from central Beijing for ¥80 to ¥1,000 …
Thai Desserts and Sweets: A Guide from Mango Sticky Rice to Khanom Krok
A friend who does not eat sweets came back from Bangkok talking about one mango sticky rice. Fifteen Thai desserts worth the detour, from street-ca…
Thai Curries: A Regional Field Guide from Green and Red to Khao Soi and Jungle
Thai green curry at a London takeaway and Thai green curry at a Bangkok street stall are not the same dish. A regional field guide to fifteen curri…
Food, place by place
Must-Try Food in China: The Regional Map Nobody Gives You
If the most interesting thing you can say about Chinese food is that you have eaten sweet-and-sour pork from a takeaway carton, this is the article…
Thai Curries: A Regional Field Guide from Green and Red to Khao Soi and Jungle
Thai green curry at a London takeaway and Thai green curry at a Bangkok street stall are not the same dish. A regional field guide to fifteen curri…
Must-Try Foods in Korea: A Field Guide to Seoul and Beyond
A Seoul-first field guide to Korean food: samgyeopsal etiquette, the kimchi spectrum, Gwangjang Market at night, dolsot bibimbap, chimaek, and the …
The Regional Ramen Map of Japan: From Sapporo Miso to Hakata Tonkotsu and Everything Between
A bowl of ramen in Sapporo looks like a completely different dish from a bowl in Fukuoka, because it is. A regional field guide to fifteen styles a…
Penang Hawker Food: The Street Canon of Malaysia's Food Capital
George Town has the specialist stall, the duck egg upgrade, and the loose-egg oyster omelette. A Penang hawker food guide with street names, ringgi…
Chinese Dumplings: A Regional Field Guide
A working map of Chinese dumplings by region , jiaozi, xiao long bao, sheng jian bao, wonton, har gow, siu mai, baozi, guotie, zongzi, and the Sil…
Travel tips for Asia
The practical stuff. Currencies, crossings, rail passes, the one food in each country you should try on arrival, and the handful of things that go differently than first-timers expect. Short, honest, no padding.
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