Blog
Where I write things out: meals worth remembering, trips, gadgets, and the odd strong opinion.
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Are Airport Lounges Still Worth It?
Asian airline lounges have been much better than the North American card lounges I've sat in: STARLUX in Taipei and ANA at Haneda were somewhere to sit, and the Amex Centurion rooms at LAX and Seattle were not.
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Is Convenience-Store Sushi Ever Worth It?
A pre-packed eight-piece sushi trial outside Philadelphia is priced upwards of USD 9, while 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart hand rolls in Japan are listed at a few hundred yen, and a counter is still the better choice.
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Thai Food Already Has a Mark
Thai SELECT, awarded by Thailand's Ministry of Commerce, is a mark for authentic Thai taste at restaurants in Thailand and overseas and on packaged food, in one-star, two-star, three-star and Casual tiers.
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Is $280 King Crab Worth It?
Joe's at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas lists Alaskan red king crab at US$279.95 for a pound and a half, roughly four times the per-pound price of frozen cooked king crab legs at Hong Kong retail.
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Remembering Steve Jobs, 15 Years On
Steve Jobs died on 5 October 2011; fifteen years on, a look back at meeting him at Apple's booth at Macworld 2005 in San Francisco, the show where the first iPod shuffle launched.
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What Makes a Long-Haul Business-Class Flight Actually Good
What makes a long-haul business-class flight good: a fully flat bed in a dark, quiet cabin, properly hot food, crew who don't hover, and a clean seat that works.
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Why We Never Do Four Countries in Five Days
Why we skip country-stacking trips: fewer places, more nights, downtime on purpose, regular massages and dinner within walking distance make a holiday feel like one.
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A Queensland Wagyu Fillet Is the World’s Best Steak for 2026
A Senku Pure Wagyu fillet from Brisbane’s Paradigm Foods, bred at Torrens Creek in Central Queensland, was named World’s Best Steak at the 2026 World Steak Challenge in Amsterdam.
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Iceland’s Clearest Aurora Skies Are in the Southeast, Not the North
A Guide to Iceland study of 50,087 monthly Icelandic Met Office cloud readings found the southeast, around Djúpivogur and Kirkjubæjarklaustur, has the clearest aurora-season skies, while the Westfjords are cloudiest.
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Wagyu Tataki Over Rice at Idaten, Near Dotonbori
Idaten in Namba, Osaka, serves A5 wagyu tataki over rice in a lidded box from ¥2,430, with no reservations and numbered tickets handed out in order of arrival.
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Where the Sky Actually Clears for Tromsø’s Northern Lights
In Tromsø, coastal cloud kills more aurora nights than a low KP, so the better plan is several nights and an inland drive when the fjord is socked in.
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Dry-Aged Ribeye at the Bar
Dry-aged ribeye at the bar: real crust, pink without blood on the plate, mashed potatoes and greens — no tasting-menu ceremony.
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Two Nights in Cairo on the Way Somewhere Else
Two nights in Cairo as a calm stop with one job: the Giza Plateau, without turning Egypt into a checklist.
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Cooking Wagyu at Home Without Overthinking It
Cook Marble Score 8/9 wagyu at home with a hot pan, a crisp crust, and a pink center, without turning the kitchen into a science fair.
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Eighteen Oysters and Apps — A Simple Shellfish Night
A simple shellfish night is eighteen oysters and a few apps: cold, thick oysters split two ways, without a tasting-menu script.
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Why AI Can't Count the Letters in "Strawberry"
Chatbots often fail to count the letters in strawberry because they see tokens — word pieces, not letters.
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Farmed Oysters Aren't Dirty Filters
I have loved shellfish for a long time. Oysters most of all. So when people call them dirty sewage filters, it gets under my skin.
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Marriott Is Adding Hotels in New Zealand
New Zealand has been on my bucket list for a while. When you stay Marriott like I do, hotel news for a place you want to visit is not just noise. It is useful.