Asia Blog: China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam

Making spherical balls of ice is critical to a good whiskey or scotch on the rocks, because the minimized surface-area to volume ratio means it cools your drink without diluting it as quickly as regular ice cubes. For example, a 15mL sphere takes up 4.6 in², while a cube of the same volume takes 5.7 in². So you get 25% slower melting ice, which might not seem like a lot, but I’ve heard makes all the difference.

I’ve found two sources for buying spherical ice cube trays / makers. One is expensive, from Japan. For $177, you can buy Ice Ball Mold for Perfect Ice Spheres, a set of heavy molds which squeeze melting ice into a spherical shape, letting the excess runoff as water.

The other option is local to NYC thanks to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa), who sells the Spherical Ice Tray Set out of their giftshop for $16, with free shipping:

I just put in an order for two trays, and I’ll update with the results when I have them!!

You might not know it, but Pizza Hut in China (必胜客) is strictly a black-tie affair. The western pizza joint is significantly more upscale in Shanghai than back home, with elegant staff and fixings and a pricier gourmet menu.

The first store was opened in 1998 in Shanghai. There are now more than 200 restaurants in China, even some in Mongolia and Uyghur regions!

Crown Bakery, an Asian manufacturer of delicacies, makes a very delicious white cream-filled wafer, which Wendy was darling enough to mail me from Shanghai! The only regret is that she didn’t send me several large boxes!

I am going to eat them now. MMMMmm!

I found the following fortunate cookie my dinner last night, it’s a little strange, but I get a positive impression from it. It’s wishing me well:

“Age can never hope to with you while your heart is young.” If you can figure out what the missing verb is, let me know.

If you’re interested in a “Cool Calpiss Drink” you must already be living in Japan, which offers cucumber flavored pepsi soda, real chilled breast milk, and black vinegar juice:

Check out this list of The Top Ten Weird and Bizarre Japanese Soft Drinks. You’ll never look at coffee the same way again!