ForkInk

English Version | 中文版本 When a hawker dish moves into airline food, taste isn’t the hardest problem. Identity is. Santan has put real care into rebuilding confidence around inflight meals, and it shows. This piece looks only at one dish, Uncle   Sai's Char Kuey Teow , and what happens when a Penang hawker reference is asked to travel far beyond the conditions that formed it. When Santan introduced Sai Char Kuey Teow onboard AirAsia, the conversation quickly moved beyond whether the dish tasted good. Questions around authenticity, halal adaptation, and cultural ownership followed, not because the dish failed, but because it worked well enough to matter. This is not a review. It is an attempt to understand why this dish carries so much weight. Char Kuey Teow travels easily as a name, but much less easily as a taste. Taking a Penang-referenced Char Kuey Teow onto a plane is not trivial. Airline food operates under hard constraints: reheating, holding time, safety, scale, and a diver...

English Version | 中文版本 At AKKEE Thai Delicacies & Tasting Counter , insects are not framed as a stunt. They are handled with the same seriousness as any other ingredient. That clarity comes from the hand behind the kitchen: Sittikorn Chantop . View this post on Instagram A post shared by AKKEE อัคคี (@akkee.thaidelicacies) Chef Sittikorn’s work with insects is not a one-off experiment. It comes from years of using them in the kitchen and understanding how different species respond to heat, fat, and transformation. His focus is on how texture changes, how aroma develops, and how flavor behaves once insects are processed into pastes, powders, or sauces. In this context, insects are treated as part of Thailand’s pantry, handled with the same technical attention he applies to herbs, ferments, and fire. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AKKEE อัคคี (@akkee.thaidelicacies) The Edible Insect Tastin...

English | 中文 Kome to Circus （米とサーカス） has announced a New Year seasonal dining event themed around the 2026 zodiac sign, the Horse , introducing a limited-time in-store campaign known as the Horse Festival . View this post on Instagram A post shared by 米とサーカス 高田馬場店 (@kometocircus) The activation takes the form of a time-boxed menu event , featuring horse-meat dishes offered exclusively during the campaign period. Rather than a permanent menu update, the festival is positioned as a New Year–only dining experience , aligning zodiac symbolism with the brand’s established focus on rare and unconventional ingredients. モツ入り桜すき鍋   Sakura sukiyaki with assorted offal 馬チ〇コ丸焼き   Whole-roasted horse penis 馬脳みそ 塩焼き or 天ぷら   Horse brain, salt-grilled or tempura 馬シビレ塩焼き   Salt-grilled horse thymus (sweetbread) 桜ユッケ   Horse meat yukhoe (Korean-style raw beef dish) 馬大動脈のコリコリ刺   Crunchy sliced horse aorta (sashimi-style) 馬大動脈のコリコリ刺   C...

English | 中文 Jakarta’s dessert scene has always been vibrant, but few openings signal a shift in how the city experiences flavor . When Pierre Hermé Paris opened at Grand Hyatt Jakarta , it wasn’t about spectacle or selfies. It was about how people connect with craft, ritual, and taste , and how desserts can spark curiosity and conversation. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Grand Hyatt Jakarta (@grandhyattjakarta) Layers of Craft Hermé’s macarons are celebrated worldwide for precision. Each cookie is a delicate balance of texture, aroma, and flavor , where a single bite tells a story. Patrons notice this immediately. One young foodie remarked, “It’s not just sweet - each layer feels like a chapter.” Creators sharing on Instagram or TikTok focus on the colors, shapes, and floral scents , capturing an experience rather than a brand name. This approach resonates with urban diners who value intentional enjoyment over mass trends . Café culture in Ja...

 In Bangkok’s fast-paced dining scene, premium fast food is quietly becoming a new urban highlight. As international culinary concepts find their way onto everyday tables, diners are looking for more than just taste — from texture and ingredients to presentation, expectations are evolving. Recently, a champion-level Wagyu burger from Japan made its Southeast Asian debut, catching the attention of food enthusiasts. The arrival signals a shift in how burgers are experienced locally, blending everyday convenience with a touch of gourmet precision. DAISHOGUN BURGER , winner of the 2022 Japan Burger Championship , opened its first Southeast Asian outlet at KINGSQUARE Rama 3, Bangkok , operated by Saha Osha Company under the SAHA Group . The flagship burger features A4-grade Wagyu beef patties , Japanese-style buns , and a proprietary sauce , offering a refined interpretation of the classic burger. Beyond the original creation, the menu includes a pork burger adapted for local tastes a...