Caramella Scarpa

All around the world, trains are back and bigger than ever. From the expansion of night train networks to the resurgence of supremely luxurious rail routes, train travel is proving that alternatives to planes and cars aren’t just greener: they’re often much more enjoyable, too.  When making a list of the best rail journeys in the world, it sort of makes sense that Asia features so heavily. After all, this continent is vast. It’s home to such a mind-bogglingly huge range of cultures and landscapes that it simply cannot help but also be home to an enormous selection of fab train journeys.  So, without further ado, here goes: from luxury hotel rooms on wheels to legendary historical routes, these are the seven best train journeys in Asia.  RECOMMENDED:🚂 The best train journeys in the world🚅 The best train journeys in Europe🚉 The world’s most spectacular train stations

When the binge-worthy series and action films don’t cut it anymore, a good food programme can transport you to beautiful locales and introduce luscious flavours.

Over the last few weeks people all over the world have been spending more time in the kitchen cooking or learning how to. Lockdown baking has become a trend and we’re all about the sourdough starter, banana bread, cookies and elaborate cakes. Get your ingredients delivered from these baking specialists.   Pastry Pro Whether you’re a home baker or experienced chef, Pastry Pro will have everything you need. What started as a small company supplying ingredients to the F&B industry has now grown to become the country’s foremost supplier of baking equipment, tools and ingredients. The list of ingredients is remarkable, and you can get anything delivered in large and normal quantities. Home bakers will be spoilt for choice from bread pre-mixes made with various flours and bakeware to food colouring, sugar and ready-made products including the aptly named Lockdown Chocolate. They offer same-day delivery if orders are received before 10am. https://www.pastrypro2u.com.my/   Bake with Yen Another ingredient institution, Bake with Yen started with a shop in TTDI in the 80s and have now spread across the country with 40 shops. They are available for delivery and collection, and have everything a home baker could wish for including butter, cheese, cake mixes, every kind of flour, nuts, seeds, dried fruit and baking accessories (aluminium foil, baking paper, bread tins, cupcake / muffin liners). Delivery orders must be a minimum of RM50 and delivery time is between four and five days. ht

Order Buka Puasa meals for dining at home from these restaurants. Choose from delicious sets for one or two people to flavoursome feasts for families of all sizes.   Bijan This stalwart of fine Malay dining has an extensive takeaway and delivery menu showcasing the restaurant’s most popular dishes and special sets. For individual diners, there are the Santapan boxes (priced between RM28-30) with dishes like nasi goreng with roast chicken, Kaffir lime mushroom spaghetti, curry laksa and Sekinchan rice with pulled chicken. For larger groups there is a selection of set menus comprising appetisers, mains and a dessert. A la carte items include Rendang Tok, masak lemak udang and sotong hitam manis. https://www.facebook.com/Bijanrestaurant/   De.Wan 1958 The flagship restaurant of Malaysia’s culinary ambassador Chef Wan is offering several options for Buka Puasa dining. Choose either delivery or pick-up for Ramadan Family Sets (4-5 pax), Feast in a Box (minimum of 10 diners at RM58+ each) and a wide selection of a la carte items. The family sets are priced at RM189+ and come with seven dishes and a dessert; while the feast package comes with 17 dishes, dessert and drinks. There are also bento boxes for single meals and Chef Wan’s tea delights with Laksa Johor and Mee Rebus Udang. https://www.facebook.com/dewan1958bychefwan/   Rebung When it comes to a traditional Malay spread, Rebung is always a top choice. The restaurant is now offering delivery and takeaway options comprisin

From fish and scallops to oysters and prawns either freshly caught by local fishermen or imported chilled and frozen – these seafood suppliers will deliver to your doorstep.   My Seafood Mart One of the more well-known online seafood stores, My Seafood Mart has been supplying seafood to shops, restaurants and homes for over 20 years. The company have their own fishing trawlers and run a fish farm in Pulau Ketam rearing Dragon Tiger Grouper, which is a popular dish in Chinese seafood restaurants. They have a wide selection of fresh local and imported frozen fish, shellfish and squid. Refer to their FB page for specials and the daily catch. http://myseafoodmart.com/   Southern Rock Seafood Southern Rock Seafood are an established restaurant and fishmonger with a wide repertoire of ready-to-eat, ready-to-cook and delivery / takeaway items. Their lockdown deals include fish packs of fresh Atlantic salmon fillets, local Tilapia, wild caught lemon sole and Hoki from New Zealand, and shellfish like scampi and tiger prawns. You can also order oysters, smoked salmon / mackerel / haddock and fish burger kits (fish patties, tartar sauce, burger buns). https://shop.southernrockseafood.com.my/   Flying Fish Seafood Company As an independent fish supplier, this is a company who know their fish and are transparent about where everything comes from, prepared, priced and quality control. They buy direct from fishermen and award-winning fisheries; and clean, slice and vacuum pack everythi

Support local traders and hawkers by ordering your favourite Ramadhan dishes and treats via the FB pages of individual Ramadan bazaars. With the extension of the MCO, official cancellation of bazaars and the fact that everyone needs to be more careful and practise social distancing, the idea of bringing together the small businesses and hawkers that provide so many meals during Ramadan makes perfect sense. There are presently 15 online bazaars operating and a huge choice of traditional Malay dishes, drinks, cakes, snacks and kuih. Go to the page of the bazaar nearest to you, have a look at what’s on offer and contact the vendors directly to order, pay and organise delivery or pick-up. Ampang - https://www.facebook.com/groups/282939596034364 Wangsa Maju - https://www.facebook.com/groups/207153070571790 Subang Jaya - https://www.facebook.com/groups/SJRamadhan/ Kelana Jaya - https://www.facebook.com/groups/682700455605040 Shah Alam - https://www.facebook.com/groups/213001013346661/ Gombak - https://www.facebook.com/groups/246561056463183/ Sungai Buloh - https://www.facebook.com/groups/667652650445410/ Pantai Dalam - https://www.facebook.com/groups/867521770381974 Bandar Puteri Puchong - https://www.facebook.com/groups/700293440739947 Bandar Kinrara - https://www.facebook.com/groups/153783745940402 Puchong Prima - https://www.facebook.com/groups/859634111200253 Putra Perdana Puchong - https://www.facebook.com/groups/445013322965998 Putra Heights - https://www.facebook.com/groups

Known for its riotous nights of comic fun and great line-up of local and international comics, the Crackhouse Comedy Club is bringing its legendary weekend headliner nights online. Prior to the MCO, the club had five weekly events from open mic nights to the big guns on the weekend. These have now moved online to FB where there are virtual stand-up sessions throughout the week. Wednesday is open mic night, and Friday and Saturday sees four headline sets from 9-10pm showcasing the comedic talents of local, regional and international performers. No matter where your taste in humous lies, these comics will have you laughing / sniggering / giggling in the comfort of your own home during the MCO. You can enjoy all this for free, but you can also make a donation of any amount to help keep the comedy club open so that it can continue to operate after the MCO. Your donation will also go towards supporting The Fire Grill’s initiative of providing meals to the underprivileged and Covid19 frontliners. They have already given thousands of meals, which makes this a win-win situation – you get to laugh (amazing stress relief) and do something for a worthy cause. https://www.facebook.com/crackhousekl/

We recommend checking in on these zoos at least once a day to see what the animals and their keepers are up to. London Zoo The London Zoo is considered one of the most famous zoos in the world and is a leading international conservation organisation. While they are momentarily shut, check out their webcams, zookeeper videos and cute snippets of their baby animals. You can also virtually visit the Whipsnade Zoo, which is the largest zoo and safari park in the UK. The site has a dedicated kids’ section with games, videos and activities that can augment home school sessions. https://www.zsl.org/ https://www.zsl.org/kids-zsl   San Diego Zoo This zoo consistently finds itself in the top 10 zoos to visit list and for good reason. As another leader in global conservation efforts, the zoo is home to more than 3,500 rare and endangered animals and are streaming live cams from its grounds and safari park. Watch polar bears, penguins, big apes and pandas, and head to their dedicated kids’ site, Facebook and YouTube channel for more animal antics and wildlife talks. https://zoo.sandiegozoo.org/ https://kids.sandiegozoo.org/   Chester Zoo Another top 10 in the world zoo ratings, Chester Zoo located in Cheshire in England, is a great family favourite. Home to thousands of animals including rhinos, lions, tigers and orang utans; the zoo holds virtual zoo days on their YouTube channel. Their Facebook page has animal updates with keepers giving tours and insider information. Don’t forget t

There are so many books waiting to be read during your time at home. Check out these local online bookstores with their wide array of fiction and non-fiction titles.   Lit Books This independent bookstore is run by a husband-and-wife team who used to be journalists and are clearly passionate about books. Critically acclaimed fiction across genres is available from the classics and Asian literature to historical biographies and unique cookbooks, each title has been carefully selected to appeal to bibliophiles, casual readers and non-fiction enthusiasts alike. https://www.facebook.com/mylitbooks/   Areca Books Areca Books is a niche publisher located within Penang’s heritage zone focusing on mostly non-fiction works covering architecture, social history, biographies, cultural heritage, visual arts and the environment. Most of the books here revolve around Penang and the island’s rich and vibrant past. If you’re looking for a more substantial read or a literary gift, this site is worth a look. https://arecabooks.com/   Bookalicious An established independent bookstore located in Subang Jaya, Bookalicious also does roaring online trade. They have an extensive selection of books covering many genres from young adult reads to Asian literature to global bestsellers, collectible editions and great non-fiction titles. Prices are competitive and there’s always some discounts available especially for the book bundles. https://www.facebook.com/bookalicious   Gerakbudaya Known as a soc

Why did you decide to become a chef and what inspires you? I was inspired by a good friend who worked in a restaurant and I decided I wanted to follow in his footsteps. My favourite aspects of the job include speaking to guests and telling them about our special menus and educating them about Japanese cuisine. I also really enjoy seeing how the kitchen staff improve and learn about how authentic Japanese food is prepared. How did you end up working in Malaysia and what are your thoughts on Malaysian diners in general? For example: are they knowledgeable about Japanese cuisine and have their tastes changed over the years? I came to Malaysia 20 years ago to set up Zimpangu at the Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur. This was an exciting opportunity as I had always been interested to work outside Japan. In the beginning, it was quite difficult to educate Malaysian diners about authentic Japanese cuisine as there were limited Japanese restaurants in the Klang Valley and less exposure. These days Malaysian diners are more adventurous and willing to try new dishes, and there are so many more Japanese dining options available. What do you enjoy most about your being a chef? My favourite part of being a chef is being part of the process of preserving the authenticity of the cooking, and trying new ways of improving flavours, recipes and types of cooking. By doing this, I help ensure that the new generation of diners are well versed on how and what to eat. What would you suggest diners order at M

As far as fine dining in the city goes, Cantaloupe should be at the top of your list. From the wraparound views across the city’s iconic skyline to its intriguing menu created by very talented people in the kitchen, this is where you come for the kind of meal that surprises and satiates at the same time. Cantaloupe’s weekday set lunches are an eight-course affair that looks slightly daunting on paper but is a perfect balance of fresh local produce, French cooking techniques and a melding of different cuisines. The set lunch menu changes monthly so there’s always something new to try. August sees a fascinating mix of premium ingredients like smoked eel, salmon and herring roe; scallops combined with classic sauces like a beurre blanc; and unique accompaniments like honey duck bacon chips and dashi fettuccine. The courses are named after the star ingredient, so the smoked eel course begins the meal and is a combination of marinated tomato, smoked eel cream, caviar, tomato pearl (a little nod to molecular gastronomy) and vanilla jelly – delicious and so pretty to look at. L-R: Seared scallop; sous vide Russet potato This is followed by the equally attractive seared scallop with pickled cauliflower, dashi fettucine, black tuille and ikura. Potatoes come next but not as you know them – sous vide Russet potato with a caper beurre blanc, and salmon and herring roe. The honey duck bacon chips with a whipped burnt onion compote and cured egg yolk is a rich, unique dish pre-empting the

This isn't your usual morning train to work; we're talking trains with all the trappings of a luxury hotel room, trips that cover over 4,000km (and takes 47.5 hours) and champagne breakfasts, all with fantastic views as you zip past scenic landscapes. Hop on these best rail journeys in Asia for old world charm.

Get fresh local produce, zero-waste products and sustainable food and household items delivered to your doorstep. We must stay put to stay safe during these challenging times. While your normal routine is going through this temporary disruption, here are some delivery options offering wholesome ingredients and products, plus you get to support local businesses. Everleaf Calling itself a grocer with a conscience, Everleaf delivers nutritious, zero-chemical produce and products sourced from several carefully selected farms. Suppliers are certified organic by the relevant regulatory bodies and you can order fresh local vegetables and fruit, microgreens, mushrooms and home brewed soy sauce. Order by Tuesday and Friday by 5pm for delivery on Monday and Thursday from 12midday–4pm and 4pm-6pm https://www.everleafstore.com/   BMS Organics With 41 stores located across the country and a popular chain of organic vegetarian restaurants, BMS Organics is the best place to get vegan, vegetarian, and organic produce and products. They carry a wide range of supplements, frozen food, vegetables, condiments, grains, snacks, seeds, whole foods and household products. Stock up on pantry and fridge essentials and take advantage of their free shipping for orders over RM100 delivered within peninsular Malaysia from now till 14 April. https://www.bmsorganics.com/    Signature Market With over 500 natural, wholesome products ranging from gourmet snacks, essential oils, honey, sauces and dried frui

Having food delivered or ordering ahead and picking it up yourself with minimal contact is the new norm for now. Food and beverage outlets that are closed for the duration of the MCO are offering delivery and takeaway; and this is also a great way to support the industry during this time of uncertainty.   KREATE Photo: Kreate Café style offerings include create-your-own rice or noodle dishes (base, sauce, protein, vegetables), hearty mains (roast chicken, grilled salmon, fish and chips), pasta dishes and sandwiches. Kreate is currently running their own delivery channel and there’s free delivery and a 30% discount on all orders. www.kreatedelivery.com   Kohi Yatta Photo: Kohi Yatta This Japanese- inspired café is known for its cheesecake, cold brew coffee and cold steeped chocolate. They are offering meal packages for delivery and takeaway and all you have to do is order via WhatsApp. There are two meal deals at RM15 and RM20 comprising a main dish and choice of drink. Deliveries are made between midday and 2pm and is free for orders above RM50. https://www.facebook.com/KohiYatta/   Ali, Muthu & Ah Hock Ali, Muthu, Ah Hock If you’ve got a hankering for Nasi Lemak and all its tasty additions (fried chicken, squid / cockle sambal, chicken curry / rendang), this kopitiam is delivering. You can also pick it up yourself from their outlets in Bangsar South or Oasis Damansara and get a 15% discount. Other takeaway and delivery menu items include all kinds of fried and soup noo

Wine, craft beer, spirits and cocktails delivered by your favourite bars. The MCO has been extended, but this doesn’t mean you have to become teetotal. We’re not suggesting you use the stay in order to warrant an intervention when this is all over, but by ordering from these bars, you are supporting local businesses while they are unable to stay open. So, this is a win-win situation – you get your favourite drinks and contribute to the local economy!   Concubine KL This funky Chinatown establishment has come up with a takeaway and delivery menu featuring their signature fusion dishes like Bulgogi beef short-rib don, Korean style chicken wings and double cheeseburger gyozas. The drinks section has bottles of wine, beer, spirits (gin, vodka, tequila and rum), and bottled cocktails. These come in 500ml or 1l bottles from a classic Negroni to exotic choices like Jackfruit, which sinfully combines gin, absinthe, jackfruit, clarified milk. https://www.facebook.com/concubinekl/   Three X Co This BSC speakeasy has created care packages featuring whisky or gin accompanied by mixers and garnish. The Whisky Care Package is priced according to the brand - choose from eight labels including Glenfiddich 12/15/18 years, Kura and Balvenie 12/14/17 years. This comes with four bottles of East Imperial soda. The gin option comes with five bottles of tonic and garnish and you have a choice of Hendricks, Gin Mare, Ki No Bi Kyoto, Giniversity Botanical and more. https://www.facebook.com/threexco

  The end of the year is upon us, which means school holidays, the festive season, and wondering how to keep little minds and hands busy! One of the easiest ways to spend time together is going to a family-friendly mall, particularly if you have younger kids. Between the shops, cafés, restaurants and kids’ enrichment and play centres, you can easily while away a day at any of these malls.     While we’re on the subject of shopping, one of the many reasons we hit the shops is to buy birthday/Christmas/please-stop-hitting-your-brother gifts. And there are times when it’s just so hard to think of something useful, unique and doesn’t involve something electronic. Our concise gift guide will give you some ideas across the age groups.    And while we’re still at the shops, has anyone noticed how stationery has evolved so much over time? Where once a couple of 2B pencils, a simple eraser and a wooden ruler would do, kids now can choose between macaron erasers and neon feathered pens to chic pencil cases and washi tapes in every colour. Check out these stationery shops for the best selection of back-to-school supplies (there are some fun stuff for the adults too).    As it’s the school holidays, take a look at our definitive guide to historical destinations within the region – all within three hours of flight time, all with family-friendly accommodation and enough activities to keep the kids busy for at least three days!  We also have a selection of good reads, an interesting cr