Latest news with #Labyrinth
Bangkok Post
01-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Bangkok Post
Cross-cultural mooncakes
The Mid-Autumn Festival is tied to the traditions of the autumn harvest, when cakes were made as offerings to the Moon. Mooncakes have different symbolic meanings across various the Asian countries, where their flavours and forms differ, shaped by local ingredients, climate and culinary heritage. For the first time, three Singapore chefs have collaborated with Asia's Best Pastry Chef 2025, Dej Kewkacha of Kyo Roll En, to launch a limited-edition mooncake collection in Thailand. The one-of-a-kind collab brings together the culinary expertise of the Singaporean-Chinese chefs with Michelin-starred restaurants to deliver Thai, Chinese, Japanese and Singaporean flavours. Chef Jason Tan of Euphoria Renowned for his "gastro-botanica" cuisine that highlights botanical elements in French sauces, chef Tan has chosen to make a quintessential Singaporean-flavoured mooncake. Kaya Toast is inspired by Singapore's iconic snack and features a kaya custard filling with a touch of salted peanut butter. "I am always open to interesting collaborations and I know Kyo Roll En and chef Dej has being doing mooncakes for years. This is my first time creating and making a mooncake. My mooncake flavour is inspired by my childhood breakfast. I used to like eating bread with kaya and butter, which is traditionally Singaporean. However, I used to add peanut butter, too, for the savouriness. "I liked this combination so much that when I was at Corner House [the chef's previous restaurant], I used to have a dessert called 'My interpretation of childhood breakfast' on the menu. I created a dessert called 'Peanut Butter Kaya'. Naturally, for this mooncake collaboration, I thought of these flavour combinations. The filling is kaya and there is a thin peanut butter fritter centre. The pastry is made of brown sugar. "I don't think people usually associate peanut butter and kaya because it's usually just kaya and butter. As a child, a sweet breakfast did not really appeal to me, I wanted something sweet and savoury. "Dej created the prototype and got someone to deliver it to Singapore for me to taste and make sure it's how I wanted the mooncake to be. It went back and forth for a while before we achieved the exact flavour and consistency of the mooncake." Chef LG Han of Labyrinth The first Singapore restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star for modern cuisine, Labyrinth's chef LG, as he is affectionately known, is renowned for his innovative exploration of Singapore's culinary heritage. Mooncakes aren't left behind either, though with an interesting twist. "Doing a Singaporean flavour-inspired mooncake was quite natural to me, the culinary philosophy of how I came up with the idea of the flavours is the same as how I create the menu at Labyrinth. "Being 100% Singaporean, but being half Thai, I wanted to do something that I love and also has crossroads with Thailand. So I chose orh nee, the Teochew yam paste dessert. In Singapore, we cook the yam paste with sugar, coconut cream and ginkgo nuts. I really enjoy eating this at the end of a Chinese meal. "I discovered through my discussions with Dej that there's a Thai version, which has a similar base -- the yam paste -- cooked over fire with water and sugar and ginkgo nuts, which is similar. The difference is that Thais also add water chestnut, salted egg yolk sauce and goji berries. I thought it might be the perfect flavour to introduce to the Thai market, considering the similarity or familiarity. "Getting the balance right was a bit difficult since there is a lot going on in one mooncake. I gave Dej a traditional recipe and we had a back and forth of three to four prototypes before deciding on one. I was quite surprised the flavours didn't overpower each other. The key was the consistency of the yam paste. "I am at an age where I don't like my desserts to be overly sweet and I prefer it to be more natural, which also fits into Dej's dessert philosophy. I wanted to keep that ethos of who Dej is as a chef and who I am as a chef." Chef Zor Tan of Born Known for his skilful blend of French and Chinese techniques for a unique East-meets-West fine dining experience, chef Tan's flavour is sweet potato and oolong tea. A refined blend of Japanese satsuma imo, or sweet potato, and rich Chinese oolong tea, are flavours derived from the chef's signature dessert at the Michelin-starred Born. "The dessert at Born has Japanese sweet potato, different textured sweet potato, an oolong Chantilly and sea salt ice cream. I wanted to make a mooncake of these flavours that connect to me and to Born," said chef Tan. "As a child, I loved sweet potato, my mum always cooked it with rock sugar. Mooncakes always have three layers, the crust, the filling and the inner filling. My crust is potato and oolong, then oolong tea and the inner filling is baked sweet potato." Chef Dej Kewkacha of Kyo Roll En Asia's Best Pastry Chef 2025, chef Dej's mooncake this year will be a Yuzu Lava, which has the aromatic yuzu from Kochi in Japan, and when warmed, presents molten "lava". "This year, the highlight for me is the mooncake crust, which while you're eating it will taste more like cake and less like a mooncake," said chef Dej. The limited-edition mooncakes are packaged in a handbag-style gift box with a bamboo-shaped handle, wrapped in traditional Singaporean batik fabric, a national textile pattern symbolising joy and friendship. The box is refined with intricate laser-cut detailing that frames illustrated scenes inspired by the Mid-Autumn Festival. With each box comes premium yuzu Sencha tea from Kyoto, Japan, infused with yuzu peel, a perfect pairing for the mooncakes. Traditional mooncakes Chef Dej is also offering a traditional Cantonese mooncakes, apart from the limited-edition mooncakes. "For these, we use millennia-old recipes of classic flavours that can be kept for a longer period [max 60 days] at room temperature," he said. The flavours are Cookie Crust, which is Thailand's first ever crispy cookie-crusted mooncake filled with almond and cheese; Pistachio Lava, buttery pistachios with flavour notes reminiscent of the viral Dubai chocolate; Lava Custard, which is a traditional Cantonese style with oozing salted egg yolk; and the Thai favourite, Durian Lava, where Monthong durian is used for the filling. Presented in two sizes, the eight-piece is a two-tier jewellery box with a clear acrylic lid and includes two pieces per flavour. The four-piece comes in a chic, handbag-style hard paper box, adorned with illustrations of a Full Moon and rabbits, longstanding symbols of abundance and prosperity in the Mid-Autumn tradition. The mooncakes are open for orders with delivery beginning from Aug 25 to Oct 12.
Buzz Feed
26-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Films And Shows That Awakened Viewers' Sexuality
We recently asked members of the BuzzFeed Community to tell us about the TV show, movie, or other piece of media they consider responsible for their sexual awakening. Some of the results really made me giggle. Here's what folks revealed: "The Hex Girls. Dusk, the angsty drummer, just did something for me." —monikap6 "Val Kilmer as Madmartigan in Willow. The hair, the declaration of love to Sorsha, holding Princess Elora Danan…Top shelf Daikini, that one." —luxahoy "Leah Remini on The King of Queens. She's still gorgeous, but in those early seasons, she was my first celebrity crush, and I realized what I wanted my wife to look like even when I was just a child. Now, that's still my type." —edgysealion411 "David Bowie in Labyrinth. I'm sure I really don't have to say much more than that." —padawanryan "The Bangles' video for 'Walk Like an Egyptian' was the first time I remember getting the tingle feeling. Susanna Hoffs' eyes and Debbi Peterson dancing with the tambourine. It still gets me!" —theplunger10 "Alan Rickman in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. And Alan Rickman in anything else. But that was the start." —pastelbutterfly37 "Possibly a bit weird, but Lola Bunny in Space Jam has to be up there. The eyes, the voice, the athleticism were —Anonymous "Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas in The Mask of Zorro. Especially when they spar in the stable and he slices off her clothes!" —Anonymous "Vanilla Ice, when he first came on the scene." —pepperopigeon "I must have been about 10 when I watched The Thorn Birds. I tried to watch it anytime it came on, just so I could watch Richard Chamberlain and Rachel Ward slow burn until they finally had sex. That was the only thing I cared about through the whole movie!" —ssstege11573 "Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. Both the horse and Little Creek. But I think mostly Spirit and Rain's 'romance' really did it for me." —Anonymous "The Rocky Horror Picture Show exposed me to bisexuality AND introduced me to Tim Curry. Perfection!" —Anonymous "Walking past Le Senza in the mall (I'm Canadian) had me wanting to kiss girls, so I was then pretty confused when Don Juan DeMarco came out and got me wanting to kiss boys. Turns out, I'm bi!" —Anonymous "The Phantom of the Opera film." —Anonymous "I saw the movie Hellraiser at a slumber party when I was around 13, and DID NOT expect the wild sexual energy that this movie has. In retrospect, it's a pretty well-known fact that Hellraiser explores a lot of pain/pleasure dynamics, but at the time, I was just really confused about why this random horror movie was making me feel so many THINGS. Also, I had an immediate hard crush on both Pinhead AND Kirsty, so there's the added bonus of realizing I was bi." —mcrivellokhan "Jasmine and Aladdin kissing on the magic carpet." —Anonymous "I was watching Hackers with Angelina Jolie. She was so tough, cool, and sexy. I didn't even notice the guys in that movie. My fiancé commented on her beauty and then tried to pressure me into a threesome with another woman. I said I'd rather break up with him and just date a girl like Angelina. I still think about her in that film in ways I never think of my ex. That's when I knew I was not only bisexual, but also not into assholes." —Anonymous "Jacob Black from New Moon. To this day, I'm still Team Jacob. Those abs, man, SWOON!" —Anonymous "Leonardo DiCaprio in Titanic." —Anonymous "It was an early TV show called T.H.E. Cat. The leading man was a handsome cat burglar and wore lots of black turtlenecks and black leather gloves and was always tying up bad guys. I wanted him to tie me up because it made me feel funny. I found out later that the leading man was Robert Loggia, who was the 'dancing boss' in Big." —Anonymous "Seeing Gillian Anderson as Dana Scully in The X-Files being a badass medical doctor and even more badass FBI agent when women in male fields weren't nearly as common. She was sassy, smart, and a bad bitch! She is also still one of the hottest women alive. Scully forever!" —Anonymous "Watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 3, with Eliza Dushku as Faith. I already knew I was straight and attracted to women, but seeing Faith kick ass in leather pants cemented the type of woman I'm interested in. And I am now married to one." —Anonymous "Jim from Treasure Planet. At the start of the movie, when he's flying on the hoverboard, something about the ponytail and ear piercing had me obsessed for years." —Anonymous "Elvira: Mistress of the Dark." —Anonymous "'Cecilia' by Simon & Garfunkel has a line, 'Making love in the afternoon with Cecelia up in my bedroom.' As a 12-year-old, I was shocked to learn that people had sex during the day. Everything I had been told up until then said it was a nighttime affair." —Anonymous "Star Trek: Voyager. Jeri Ryan joined the cast just before my 12th birthday. That was the first time I felt the stirrings of sexual attraction. No nudity, no sex scenes. Just a beautiful woman in a suggestively tight body suit. That was the first twinge." —Anonymous And: "Sting semi-naked in Dune. Lean but a little muscular guys are still my type!" —Anonymous What do you think is responsible for your sexual awakening? Was it a suggestive movie scene? A swoon-worthy TV character? Tell us in the comments or share anonymously using this form. Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
These 3 Vintage Cereals Are Back and Better Than Ever
Calling all Jim Henson fans! We can't tell if we've hit that part of the pop culture lifecycle where everything old is suddenly new again, or if we're all craving a serious dose of childhood nostalgia. But brands are diving headfirst into retro revivals lately, and we're here for it. From McDonald's rolling out a collection of old-school Happy Meal toys to Diet Cherry Coke making a comeback in its vintage packaging, everyone's leaning into that old-timey charm—even if it's just for the aesthetics. So when we heard General Mills had a throwback surprise in store, we practically reserved a spot in our shopping carts. And this time, the blast-from-the-past product comes with a fun, new twist we never saw coming. General Mills Launches Monsters Cereals x Jim Henson's Creature Shop As you may have guessed from the return of pumpkin spice everything, fall is officially in the air—and for General Mills, that means it's time for Monsters Cereals. Since 1971, Count Chocula, Boo Berry, and Franken Berry have been seasonal icons—but this year, they're back earlier than ever, and with a makeover that makes perfect sense. This season, the monster trio is debuting limited-edition boxes featuring puppet-fied versions of each character—crafted by none other than Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Yes, that Jim Henson. The creative geniuses behind 'The Muppets,' 'Labyrinth,' and 'Fraggle Rock' have lent their legendary puppet-building skills to bring the Monsters to life in a fuzzy, delightful new way. Think: cereal box meets spooky Saturday morning puppet show. Of course, the cereal inside the box is just as you remember—chocolate-frosted bites from Count Chocula, blueberry cereal with monster-shaped marshmallows from Boo Berry, and a sweet strawberry crunch from Franken Berry. That's the kind of throwback we want to taste. But when it comes to packaging? We're all in on a refresh. 'Jim Henson Company you've outdone yourselves yet again!' one fan wrote. 'This is the most excited I've been in a while,' added another. Some fans are dreaming even bigger, hoping the puppets come off the box—literally. 'If they make figures or—GASP!—puppets, I'll plotz,' one commenter shared. While the collab doesn't go quite that far (yet), General Mills is giving collectors and puppet enthusiasts something to get excited about: a special edition Franken Berry box with a fuzzy, fleece-like texture, just like the puppets themselves. It'll be available exclusively on starting Tuesday, October 7. Whether you were a Monsters Cereals kid or just a fan of Henson magic, be sure to grab this mash-up as soon as it arrives in late August. Considering how fast Halloween hits grocery aisles these days, you should take every excuse to stock up early. Read the original article on ALLRECIPES
West Australian
19-07-2025
- West Australian
Five showstoppers in France's lovely Languedoc
While perhaps not as globally well known as neighbouring Provence, the historic Languedoc region of France — since 2016, swallowed into the new, larger Occitanie region — is packed with breathtaking sights. Exploring here on our Albatross tour of France, we're especially beguiled by this quintet. As the inspiration for bestselling board games and mystery novels — have you read Kate Mosse's Languedoc trilogy, beginning with Labyrinth? — Carcassonne seems familiar even before you've first clasped eyes on the fairytale turrets of its imposing citadel. While the tight winding lanes of its historic core can feel like a tourist theme park — visitors heavily outnumber local residents and there are countless tourist-orientated gift stores, bars and eateries — there's more room and thrills on the ramparts. Running around the citadel for 1.6km, and punctuated with watch-towers, the walls offer fabulous vantage points over this hilltop old town and its brooding castle. You also overlook Carcassonne's sweeping, vineyard-blessed countryside and the bastide Saint-Louis, a lower-lying city district wedged between the River Aude and the Canal du Midi. Most of Carcassonne's present-day population reside, shop, eat and drink there and it's worth the walk down from the citadel. As well as French, you may hear Occitan, an endangered language spoken in chunks of southern France, northern Spain and Italy. There are bigger ancient amphitheatres on the planet, but none are as well preserved and beautifully restored as the corker gracing the centre of Nimes (formerly the Roman colony of Nemausus). A guided tour here showcases the heritage, including tales of gladiators battling wild animals before 24,000-strong crowds. Not just an incredible piece of architecture — with its symmetrical arches curving over two levels — the amphitheatre plays a key role in Nimes' cultural calendar, staging everything from live music concerts to sporting events. Other Roman relics dot the streets and squares of Nimes, which also has fetching medieval landmarks, contemporary museums and galleries, pretty parks with canals and fountains, and picturesque side streets and squares teeming with bistros, boulangeries and boutiques. Constructed to bring water to Nimes in the first century AD, the Pont du Gard is another magnificent remnant from the Romans' time in ancient Gaul (as France was known back in the day). You can admire this three-storey stone jewel from several perspectives, including on the footpath-laced cliffs above and down by the pebbly banks of the Gardon River, which the bridge spans. You can walk across it, too, peering up at the arches of a structure that formed part of an aqueduct stretching 50km. A modern visitor centre here has films and immersive exhibits detailing the construction of Pont du Gard, which, at 49m, was the highest Roman aqueduct in the world and ensured the people of Nimes had fresh water to drink and bathe in. This extraordinary viaduct was completed in 2004 and holds the title of the world's tallest bridge (for now at least; it will soon be usurped by China's Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge). Rising 343m above the Tarn Valley, taller than the Eiffel Tower, this cable-stayed stunner stretches nearly 2.5km, devised with steel and concrete by British architect Sir Norman Foster and French structural engineer Michel Virlogeux. Several lookouts offer breathtaking views of the viaduct, including an elevated platform accessible by a snaking, ascending path from the exhibition centre. Inside that you'll discover the technical aspects of the bridge and exactly why it was built here. Comprising four lanes, it gives drivers a much quicker route across the Tarn, which divides central France and the Mediterranean region. Previously, motorists would have found themselves gridlocked around the old stone bridge in the nearby town of Millau. Enclosed by over 1.5km of fortifications, this is one of France's best-preserved walled medieval port towns, perched at the cusp of the Camargue coastal region where Languedoc meets Provence. Its grid-like, mostly pedestrianised streets are a pleasure to stroll around, many lined with craft stores, cafes, restaurants and pretty houses with colourfully painted doors and window shutters. But it's also worth exiting one of the town's many gateways for a stroll on the boardwalks that thread towards the network of lagoons, canals and salt marshes that fringe Aigues-Mortes (which translates to 'dead waters' in English). Keep your eyes peeled for birds, including flamingos, flying above, and you may spot wild horses grazing or galloping in the nearby fields. Steve McKenna was a guest of Albatross Tours. They have not influenced this story or read it before publication. + Everywhere mentioned here is on the itinerary for Albatross' La Grande France tour, which begins in Paris and ends in Nice. The 2025 tour lasts 16 days and is priced at $10,987 per person (based on two sharing) or $14,087 (solo). There are departures on August 17 and August 31, 2025. For the 2026 itinerary, which has three extra nights and starts on May 17, June 7, August 23 and September 13, the tour costs $15,887 per person (twin) and $20,887 (solo). See + To help plan a trip to France, see
Time Out
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025: Odette at the National Gallery Singapore ranks 25th globally
We got a little taste of the World's 50 Best Restaurants 2025 list earlier this month, when the extended 51–100 rankings were released, and yes, local favourites made the cut. Burnt Ends, known for its modern Australian barbecue, and contemporary Singaporean restaurant Labyrinth secured spots 93 and 97 respectively. Now, the full list is out – and Odette has once again earned its place among the world's culinary elite. The elegant French restaurant, tucked within the National Gallery Singapore, comes in at number 25 this year. No stranger to the top 50, Odette has consistently appeared on the list since 2018, though it slips slightly from last year's 24th place. Helmed by chef Julien Royer, Odette is named after his grandmother, whose influence can be seen in his personal approach to French cuisine. While rooted in classic techniques, the menu carries subtle Asian flair, a nod to Chef Julien's time in the region. The restaurant's muted, light-toned interiors exude a sense of calm and quiet luxury, while the extensive wine list and impeccable service complete the dining experience. Here are the top 10 restaurants in the world in 2025: Maido (Lima) Asador Etxebaarri (Atxondo) Quintonil (Mexico City) Diverxo (Madrid) Alchemist (Copenhagen) Gaggan (Bangkok) Sézanne (Tokyo) Table by Bruno Verjus (Paris) Kjolle (Lima) Don Junio (Buenos Aires) View the full list here. Find out more about Odette here.
