Category Archives: Publication

Are these the world’s scariest landing strips? The airport approaches so terrifying even pilots will think twice

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on MailOnline on 10th December 2015:

Heading to a remote paradise seems like a dream holiday but you might change your mind after seeing the airports at some of the world’s most idyllic locations.

On small islands and coastal areas, the runway can feel like it’s flowing straight into the sea – especially when there just isn’t enough land to build a long runway. But even inland, the landing strip can prove to be hazardous if the approach is built precariously close to populated areas, mountain sides and even cliff faces.

Geology aside, some airports are built precariously close to populated areas while others have runways that are cut off by obstacles such as train lines. A few airports have notoriously difficult approached but when the pilots start complaining about these landing strips, you know you should really be worried.

Read more at MailOnline

The freshest seafood and the most lovingly made wines: Why gorging on the sensory delights of Chile’s Aconcagua Valley will leave you absolutely speechless

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on MailOnline on 29th November 2015:

Lush, green grape vines, neatly trellised in cross-directional rows, cut through the landscape. The sun slouched and cast a dim orange hue over the loose soil. Beyond, the snow-capped Andes framed the idyllic view.

It should be beautiful, but it’s not – there’s an unmistakable feeling of desolation in the air.

The soil is dry, cracked and studded with rocks. Sparse grass growing in between the rows resembled a bed of straw. And the only thing that took my breath away was the wind, which threatened to steal my hat at any given opportunity.

Read more at MailOnline

Design in casual dining

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on host.Milano on 27th November 2015:

Picnic basket

Last month I attended San Sebastian Gastronomika, an annual food conference with a focus on fine dining, ingredients and wine. Each year, the organisers focus on a different theme and this year it was the joint cities of Singapore and Hong Kong.

I had hoped that the conference would give me some insights into the food scene in Singapore and Hong Kong as both are destinations I have yet to visit. Instead however, I got thinking about design.

Let me explain.

Each day, several of the world’s best chefs, both from Spain, where the conference is hosted, and from the guest cities, demonstrate dishes or ideas from their restaurant. To accompany their presentations, the chefs also prepared a little tasting sample for the audience. In most cases, the chefs had fine dining restaurants but for the purpose of the tasting sample, all of the plates, bowls and containers were plastic. So the question is, how to elevate the food even if it’s served in plastic containers?

Luckily for the chefs, there were options besides the straight-up box containers. In fact, the containers were in a myriad of shapes that were designed to mimic fine dining plating. For example, one platter was shaped like an oyster and was perfect for holding a small sample of pickled vegetables. It was something that added to the overall aesthetic of the dish and propelled it from being just something ordinary.

But what does this mean for casual dining? Well the answer is perhaps most applicable to street food vendors where containers are inevitably single use.

What if, by simply using a different shaped container, you could make your casual offering a much more marketable product? What if that product could then be sold for a higher price? It could be the difference between a road-side business and a potentially more lucrative events business.

Yes, no doubt, fancy plating costs more but sometimes it’s as much about the presentation as it is about the food.

Is India the most colourful place on Earth? Spectacular images show the Asian country at its most vibrant

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on MailOnline on 20th November 2015:

India has long been associated with colour thanks to its festivals, costumes and food.

It’s home to Holi, a festival that’s entirely devoted to colour. Taking place during the Spring Equinox each year, the Hindu festival celebrates love and life with revellers throwing coloured powder at each other.

The country also boasts numerous colourful temples, like Meenakshi Temple in south India’s Madurai, where the walls are painted in different shades of rainbow. In grand palaces such as Taj Majal, stone inlay is used to add colour to the marble exterior.

Read more at MailOnline

China goes super-sized

by Qin Xie | Leave a comment

Published on host. Milano. on 6th November 2015:

crabs in Shanghai

This year, size is everything in China. Or more precisely, it’s all about food going super-sized. The country, it seems, is on a journey to dominate Guinness World Records.

Naturally, bigger is better and the more the merrier. So far this year, China has presented us with the world’s biggest steamed bun, which was studded with smaller buns, and the world’s largest tofu that weighed a staggering eight tons. There was also the most number of people having breakfast at the same time as well as the most number of people cooking at the same time.

Taking part are cities, festivals, restaurants and even hotels, often at great expense. Luckily, the corresponding publicity has been equally large, both domestically and internationally.

Perhaps that’s why the trend seems to be picking up pace. In September this year, three food related record attempts were made in different parts of China in one weekend alone.

Anhui Province in eastern China tried their hand at creating the world’s largest pot of beef soup. Liaoning Province, which borders North Korea, celebrated South Korea Week with the world’s largest bibimbap. Meanwhile, another part of the province welcomed the crab season with the world’s largest pot of steamed crabs, which had to be lifted with a crane.

Is it simply madness?

Many people do find the waste aspect a deterrent, something of an almost inevitable by-product. That said, so far, these stunts have attracted enough visitors to spare the wastage. What’s more, the resulting publicity has often increased tourists and business to the area.

So in today’s busy food market, is a record attempt the key to gaining business? Well, there are certainly enough people that think so. But how sustainable it will be is anyone’s guess.