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Jetsetting with Adam Liaw

SINGAPORE — TV chef-testants have become the new celebrities. Just take a look at the winner of MasterChef Australia season 2, Adam Liaw. The talented, affable Aussie went from being a lawyer to a cookbook author and host of his own TV travel food series, Destination Flavour. And he is currently collaborating with tortilla wrap-maker Mission Foods to come up with more recipes involving the wrap, which by the way, he thinks is a great meal on its own if you are travelling — especially when you are out with kids.

Ouishi! Of course Adam Liaw loves the food in Japan.

Ouishi! Of course Adam Liaw loves the food in Japan.

SINGAPORE — TV chef-testants have become the new celebrities. Just take a look at the winner of MasterChef Australia season 2, Adam Liaw. The talented, affable Aussie went from being a lawyer to a cookbook author and host of his own TV travel food series, Destination Flavour. And he is currently collaborating with tortilla wrap-maker Mission Foods to come up with more recipes involving the wrap, which by the way, he thinks is a great meal on its own if you are travelling — especially when you are out with kids.

“Kids like to eat with their hands. It’s good that they have something to do and that gives you like five minutes to yourself while they’re occupied,” laughed Liaw, a father of a boy who is turning two. He reckons wraps are pretty good as an alternative for food on the plane as well. “I sometimes pack my own food, like wraps and fellow passengers would say they wish they’re eating that instead. Thing is, you don’t have to eat the food on the plane — you’re not a cow, so there’s no need to be forcefed food if you bring your own.”

Q: What’s the best way to avoid a bad meal when you’re overseas?

A: Plan ahead. There are many easy ways to find good food nowadays — but I don’t really use the user-generated sites. So many of those are filled with people who just want to complain about a waiter who’s rude to them or something. Social media sites where you’re already connected with people are more reliable. Click on an Instagram hashtag and you can see pages of food and decide what you feel like eating. But I know it can be stressful getting good food when you’re travelling. Do you spend another 20 minutes hunting down a place when you’re tired and the kid is crying or do you just go to the nearest restaurant? Then you take one mouthful (of food) and you realise you should have spent another 20 minutes looking for it.

Q: You were based in Tokyo for seven years before returning to Australia. What are your favourite restaurants there?

A: I don’t think anywhere can compare to Tokyo when it comes to food. The food there is generally of a high quality; the competition is intense and there are 80,000 restaurants in Tokyo, so if you get a bad meal, it’s really your own fault. (Laughs) I love Torishiki — best yakitori I ever had. The chefs here deliberately time the arrival of the yakitori on your table so the skewers don’t reach at the same time. Two Rooms Grill in Aoyama is the best place for an afternoon drink where you get a nice view of Shibuya. Shirube is another izakaya I enjoy — it’s nothing fancy, it’s where I like to hang out with friends and people I bring there all seem to like it.

Q: How do you make Destination Flavour stand out since there are so many similar shows on TV?

A: I really try to focus on the cultural aspects of a destination. It’s not only about eating something delicious, which many food and travel shows tend to have. The people, food and land have got to all come together for something tangible. That makes it more interesting. For the upcoming season of Destination Flavour, we went to Scandinavia where we hear from experts in taxation, for example. In Denmark, we chatted with the director of the Happiness Research Institute on what make Danes so happy.

Q: What is it about food in Scandinavia that makes it the hottest cuisine these days?

A: Yeah, Scandinavia is currently the most influential place when it comes to food. People are inspired by Scandinavian food all over the world. The new Nordic cuisine is really a new way of looking at food — there’s a shift in the way people think about food by focusing on sustainability and economy. It’s taking basic and seasonal ingredients and showing how they can be as sexy and delicious as truffles. SERENE LIM

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