Putian's produce: Harvesting Duotou clam, loquat, yellow croaker and salt in the Chinese coastal city
PUTIAN – With diners paying more attention to what they eat, it has become very common for menus, especially those in high-end restaurants, to list where their ingredients come from.
Whether it is scallops from Hokkaido or lamb from the Pyrenees mountains in France, naming the source is both a badge of quality and safety. Some, like the Silver Hill Farm duck from Ireland, even name the ranch.
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Straits Times
21 hours ago
- Straits Times
Food Picks: LeMa Dumpling at Jewel Changi Airport offers jumbo dumplings from $3.95
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox LeMa Dumpling is a new comfort food concept by Paradise Group. SINGAPORE – Large juicy dumplings with thin, translucent skins are the draw at LeMa Dumpling by Paradise Group , which opened in June . They come poached or pan-fried in portions of five. You must order at least two portions of the same cooking style. The 34-seat eatery adds to the myriad food choices at Jewel Changi Airport, offering an array of dumplings at pocket-friendly prices. The menu also includes a tight selection of noodles and rice dishes. The poached Prawn And Corn Dumpling ($4.95++ for five) features sweetcorn-studded prawn filling with a sweet crunch. The Pork And Cabbage Dumpling ($3.95++ for five), also poached, uses Taiwanese flat-head cabbage for natural sweetness. Prawn And Corn Dumplings and Pork And Cabbage Dumplings at LeMa Dumpling. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO For pan-fried dumplings, the Pork And Chives ($4.45++ for five) edges out the Prawn And Corn ($5.45++ for five) for top pick, thanks to its crisp bottom and aromatic chives that complement the pork. Pan-fried Pork And Chives Dumplings and Pan-fried Prawn And Corn Dumplings at LeMa Dumpling. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Dumplings are served piping hot, so take care when biting into the pork-filled ones as the juices tend to spurt. Worth ordering is Shredded Pork With Pickled Vegetable Soup ($4.90++), which comes with lean but tender strips of meat. The salted vegetable lends a homely taste to the soup and is perfectly controlled without overwhelming saltiness. Shredded Pork With Pickled Vegetable Soup at LeMa Dumpling. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO The Signature 'Dan Dan' Noodle ($5.90++) comprises slippery smooth and chewy noodles in a mildly spicy nutty broth made with peanut paste. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business Singapore banks face headwinds in rest of 2025, but DBS is pulling ahead: Analysts Asia Southern Taiwan shuts down ahead of Typhoon Podul's arrival, hundreds of flights cancelled Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line back to full service: SBS Transit Asia From Van Cleef to Vacheron, luxury gifts at centre of probe into South Korea's former first lady World AI eroded doctors' ability to spot cancer within months in Lancet study Singapore Yishun man admits to making etomidate-laced pods for vaporisers; first Kpod case conviction Sport New Hui Fen becomes first Singaporean bowler to win PWBA Tour Player of the Year Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story Signature 'Dan Dan' Noodles at LeMa Dumpling. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Ham Egg Fried Rice ($7.90++) is so expertly fried, it is a surprise to learn that the dish is cooked using a semi-automated stir-fry machine. The ham adds salty accents to the fragrant rice. Ham Egg Fried Rice at LeMa Dumpling. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOOs Customers can help themselves to complimentary beverages such as soya bean milk and water chestnut drink from dispensers placed next to the sauce station. The eatery offers complimentary soya bean and water chestnut drinks. ST PHOTO: HEDY KHOO Where: B2-232 Jewel Changi Airport, 78 Airport Boulevard MRT: Changi Airport Open: 11am to 10pm (Mondays to Fridays), 10.30am to 10pm (weekends and public holidays)
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Possible 10-day October break in South Korea fuels record travel rush
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox A rare alignment of three national holidays could give South Koreans a rare 10-day stretch off. SEOUL – A rare alignment of three national holidays, including the Chuseok autumn harvest festival, could give South Koreans a rare 10-day stretch off in October, if the government designates Oct 10, a Friday, as a temporary public holiday. The possibility has already sent overseas travel bookings and airfares soaring, even as business groups and policymakers warn that such a move may drain money out of the local economy rather than boost it. The government has not taken any official position on adding the extra day off. Still, travel demand has surged in anticipation. In October, there is already a seven-day holiday from Oct 3, starting with National Foundation Day, followed by the Chuseok holiday from Oct 4 to 7, a substitute holiday on Oct 8, and Hangeul Day on Oct 9. If Oct 10 is included, the weekend of Oct 11 to 12 would extend the break to 10 days, making it South Korea's longest public holiday since 2017. According to local travel agency Kyowon Your Travel Easy, overseas bookings for Oct 3 to 9 are up 28.7 per cent compared with the Chuseok period in September 2024 . The agency said popular destinations include Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan and other South-east Asian countries. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line back to full service: SBS Transit World AI eroded doctors' ability to spot cancer within months in study Singapore From survivable to liveable: The making of a green city World US trade team will meet Chinese officials in two or three months, Bessent says Multimedia World Photography Day: Celebrating the art of image-making Asia DPM Gan kicks off India visit in Mumbai as Singapore firms ink investment agreements Business CDL H1 profit rises 3.9% to S$91.2 million; declares 3 cent per share special dividend Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story Airlines are responding with large-scale capacity increases. Jeju Air plans 234 additional international flights, adding more than 42,000 seats, while Jin Air, T'way Air, Eastar Jet and Air Busan are also expanding routes, particularly to Japan and South-east Asia. Flight prices have climbed sharply. Skyscanner data show round-trip tickets from Seoul to Da Nang, Vietnam, which could once be found earlier in the year for around 200,000 won ($185) , now range from 600,000 won to 1.2 million won. Direct flights to New York are selling for around 3 million won. Domestic tourism is also feeling the effect. Local media reports hotel bookings in Jeju and other major destinations are already over 90 per cent for the holiday week. Incheon International Airport Corp said on Aug 6 it expects international passenger numbers during the early October holiday period to surpass the current record of 2.14 million set during the Seollal New Year holiday in January. Economic data from earlier in 2025 is feeding doubts about the plan. During the Seollal New Year holiday, when an extra day off created a six-day break, outbound travel rose to 2.97 million people, up 7.3 per cent from 2024. Statistics Korea's Nowcast data shows domestic credit card spending during the January break fell 34 per cent compared with the previous week. The National Assembly Research Service reported in June that recent temporary public holidays have shown limited benefits for domestic demand while cutting production and exports. There are also equity concerns. Businesses with fewer than five employees, which employ about 35 per cent of South Korea's workforce, are not required by law to grant temporary public holidays. Schools could also face schedule disruptions, as many plan midterm exams shortly after Chuseok. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Straits Times
a day ago
- Straits Times
Southern Taiwan shuts down ahead of arrival of Typhoon Podul
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox TAIPEI - A large swathe of southern and eastern Taiwan shut down on Aug 13 and hundreds of flights were cancelled ahead of the arrival later in the day of Typhoon Podul, with thousands of people evacuated. Taiwan is regularly hit by typhoons, generally along its mountainous, sparsely populated east coast facing the Pacific. The mid-strength Typhoon Podul, packing wind gusts as strong as 191kmh, was heading for the south-eastern city of Taitung as it intensifies and was expected to make landfall nearby on the afternoon of Aug 13, weather officials said. "Destructive winds from typhoon expected. Take shelter as soon as possible," read a text message alert issued to cellphone users in parts of Taitung early on Aug 13. The alert warned people of gusts above 150kmh in the coming hours. Nine cities and counties announced the suspension of work and school for Aug 13, including the southern metropolises of Kaohsiung and Tainan. In the capital Taipei, home to Taiwan's financial markets, there was no impact. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Sengkang-Punggol LRT line back to full service: SBS Transit World US trade team will meet Chinese officials in two or three months, Bessent says Singapore From survivable to liveable: The making of a green city Asia DPM Gan kicks off India visit in Mumbai as Singapore firms ink investment agreements Multimedia World Photography Day: Celebrating the art of image-making World Ukraine, sidelined in Trump-Putin summit, fights Russian grab for more territory Opinion Singpass use in dating apps raises difficult questions Singapore SG60: Many hands behind Singapore's success story Authorities are also working to evacuate those whose homes were damaged by a July typhoon that brought record winds and damaged the electricity grid in a rare direct hit to Taiwan's west coast. The government said almost 5,000 people had been evacuated ahead of the typhoon's arrival. All domestic flights were cancelled on Aug 13, while Taiwan's two main international carriers China Airlines and EVA Air cancelled a handful of international flights as well. After making landfall, the storm is expected to hit Taiwan's much more densely populated western coast before heading for China's southern province of Fujian later this week. As much as 600mm of rain was forecast in southern mountainous areas over the next few days, the Central Weather Administration said. More than a year's rainfall fell in a single week in August in some southern areas, unleashing widespread landslides and flooding, with four deaths. REUTERS
