Latest news with #Makoto
The Citizen
a day ago
- Entertainment
- The Citizen
‘My husband didn't believe in foreplay' – Makoto speaks on ‘Married at First Sight' drama
Season two of Married at First Sight South Africa has Mzansi glued to their screens. From baby mama drama to explosive conversations about sex and religion, fans can't get enough. The second season of Married at First Sight South Africa is shaking things up on Sunday nights. Married at First Sight South Africa heats up The show introduces a bold group of singles who marry complete strangers in the name of love. This season's couples include Palesa Mphaki and Tshepo Miya, Makoto Phumodi and Nkuleleko Mahlangu, Themba Khosa and Nelisa Ntabeni, and Portia Baloyi and Bongani Luvalo. Now legally bound, the newlyweds are learning just how complicated love at first sight can be. Makoto on why she joined the experiment Newlywed Makoto Phumodi has since opened up about her journey, her husband and all the drama. Speaking exclusively about her journey, Makoto revealed she took part in the experiment because she wanted to try something different. 'I wanted to look for love in an unconventional way. There's no manual to this experiment, so I went in with an open heart,' she said. Seeing her groom at the altar was also a surprise. 'When I first saw him, I was like, 'I've seen this face before.' It was interesting because I didn't know what to expect.' ALSO READ: Kelvin Momo apologises after missing another gig Wedding night clash over religion Drama unfolded as early as the wedding night when Nkuleleko insisted that Makoto should leave her church and serve at his. 'By the time he started being hyper-religious on screen, I was already upset,' she admitted. 'The Bible says a man must provide and a woman must submit. But how do you submit to someone you don't know will provide emotionally, financially, mentally or physically?' Despite the rocky start, the couple has attempted to move past their differences. Intimacy struggles: 'He didn't believe in foreplay' One of the season's most-talked-about storylines has been Makoto and her husband's approach to intimacy. Fans debated the issue heavily on social media. 'Intimacy is important to me. My husband didn't believe in foreplay or kissing when we first met, so those are the things we had to learn about each other and overcome,' she said. Makoto stressed that emotional and physical connection is a non-negotiable in her relationships. Feud with Tshepo Adding fuel to the drama, Makoto opened up about tension with co-star Tshepo Miya. 'Our argument happened off camera when Tshepo said I shouldn't ask my husband about his whereabouts. He told me, 'Monna ha a botswe o tswa kae.' When I reacted, he called me disrespectful.' She admitted the conflict created friction but insisted she stood her ground. ALSO READ: Sho Madjozi is a mom [PICS] Building friendships on the show Not all relationships have been tense. Makoto shared that her bond with Palesa has been a highlight. 'Palesa is my girl. We talk almost every day. Portia and I still chat here and there, but I don't really have a relationship with Nelisa.' Watching it all back on screen Makoto confessed that reliving the experience on TV has been surreal. 'People think I'm acting, but little do they know, that's just me. I react like that in my everyday life.' Makoto promised fans that the best, and the messiest, is yet to come. 'There's so much drama coming. People love dram,a and this show is packed with it. I'd say it's one of the best reality shows right now, and they do not want to miss out.'
Eater
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Eater
How the Lychee Martini Made a Full-Blown Comeback in D.C.
What's fun, flirty, and decidedly filling up cocktail menus again? You haven't gotten in a time machine, and your eyes (and tastebuds) do not deceive you — the lychee martini is back, and this time, it's better than ever. The comeback cocktail starring the bobbing fruit from East Asia made its first appearance in the early 1990s – around the same time fusion cuisine seemed to be all the rage in big metropolitan cities. For a time, the lychee martini was almost as ubiquitous as the Cosmopolitan — a not-so-distant cousin popularized not by a cooking trend, but rather, Sex and the City. The lychee martini itself, however, often bordered on the overly sweet or overly artificial, especially with additions of flavored liqueurs during its early-aughts rise to fame. 'In the late '90s and early-2000s, the lychee martini was the cocktail that stood out for its originality — lightly floral, elegantly sweet, and visually striking, it was the choice for those seeking something different from the usual offerings,' says John Burns, managing partner at Kata. The months-old supper club in Chinatown devotes an entire menu section to the lychee martini, and even hosted a June workshop on constructing the classic. Chef Nobu Matsuhisa's original namesake restaurant in Tribeca, for instance, opened in 1994 with a lychee martini. More than three decades and over 50 international Nobus later, the cocktail remains a constant classic. (Its current $21 price tag in the West End is a bit higher, however.) Nobu's top-selling lychee martini. Steven Joyce/Nobu But what is old can become new again, and at restaurants across the DMV, you'll find cocktails and mocktails paying homage to a beverage that once may have seemed to be a mere vestige of the past. 'I think the original appeal of the lychee martini is the fruit itself … that's versatile, floral, tropical and refreshing,' says Alahin Mentado, bar lead at downtown's multi-part Love, Makoto, which recently introduced a lychee martini to its cocktail lineup. And while early versions of the drink may have played up the sugar content of the lychee, more modern interpretations are instead looking to balance the fruit with complimentary flavor profiles and ingredients. Love, Makoto's lychee martini. Love, Makoto The beverage is fundamentally very simple; the version at SPIN DC is perhaps the truest to the original: your choice of Grey Goose La Poire or Bombay Premier Cru, plus lychee, St-Germain elderflower, and vermouth. The quality of ingredients is crucial, as is the 'right amount of citrus – because the lychee itself is already very sweet, the best way to create balance is to play with the level of citrus,' Mentado says. For example, at Kata, the Lycheetini combines HAIKEN Lychee Vodka with freshly squeezed lemon and a dash of dry vermouth to keep the cocktail tart and fresh. Perry's DC also leverages HAIKEN Lychee Vodka, but adds Nigori Sake, Daiyame shochu, and lemon for a boozier take on the beverage. Modan also has a stronger version, introducing lychee to a Vesper variation featuring Nikka vodka, Roku gin, Giffard lichi-li, St. German, and verjus. At Nobu, the lychee martini has withstood the test of time, having been a mainstay on the menu since its first appearance in 1994. But that doesn't mean the recipe hasn't changed to reflect imbiber preferences. 'More recently, we blend the lychee fruit with the lychee juice, which adds an aromatic quality that highlights the floral characteristics of the cocktail,' says Ray Perrin, assistant beverage director at Nobu DC. The same floral notes are prioritized at Silver Lyan, with a 'Press Gang Daisy' begins with a base of Roku gin, 'which brings soft notes of Sakura blossom,' says Sam Nellis, Silver Lyan's senior bartender. 'We then support that with a little elderflower liqueur and Aperol to offer depth and character without betraying the spirit of a traditional lychee martini, while a touch of shochu adds a bright minerality,' he adds. Meanwhile, at Dupont's new Press Club, the Paris, Tokyo cocktail marries vodka with lychee, yuzu sake, lemon, and bergamot for a decidedly botanical finish. Still other institutions are opting for a more savory take on the cocktail. At chef Tim Ma's new Lucky Danger in Penn Quarter, the Dirty Lychee Martini adds papaya salad brine – which contains fish sauce, sugar, and citric acid – to its blend of lychee and vodka. Meanwhile, nearby Vietnamese restaurant Moon Rabbit offers the 'Ant, Are You Okay?' cocktail takes Siete Misterios mezcal and introduces pink peppercorn alongside lychee shrub (with the option to add ant salt). The lychee martini at Kata. Kata Surprisingly, across the board, beverage teams cite popular demand as the primary reason for introducing a lychee martini to the menu. 'Initially, I wanted to avoid having lychee martinis on the menu because they're notoriously too sweet, but we were met with such a demand from our guests that we had to add something unique and fun,' says Sunny Vanavichai, beverage director at Lucky Danger. And increasingly, the lycheetini seems to be hitting modern classic status, with a nostalgic appeal upped by reimagined sophistication. 'The lychee martini [at KATA] reflects our global influences and desire to offer something distinctive,' says Burns. 'Our goal to turn a familiar cocktail into something unexpected—like a passport stamp in a glass. When our guests leave saying, 'That's the best lychee martini I've ever had,' we know we've accomplished what we set out to do.' Eater DC All your essential food and restaurant intel delivered to you Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Time Out
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Chef-owner of Singapore's AMI Patisserie wins Pastry Talent of the Year Award 2025 by La Liste
If you haven't already savoured the delectable creations at Japanese dessert café AMI Patisserie – arguably Singapore's most scenic – then here's some news that should convince you to travel down for a bite. Its chef-owner Makoto Arami, an established third-generation sweets master hailing from Japan's Shiga prefecture, has just been crowned the Pastry Talent of the Year 2025 by global gourmet ranking guide La Liste, under the La Liste Pastry Special Awards. Take that as a testament to just how much his bakes are worth the calories. Chef Makoto is the only Singapore-based chef and one of the very few from Asia to be recognised in this year's La Liste Pastry Awards. In last year's edition, chef Janice Wong did our nation proud by being the first Singaporean to score the Pastry Innovation Award. Started in 2021, AMI Patisserie had humble beginnings as an online fine pastry business during the Covid-19 pandemic. After seeing fast success and a surge in popularity, Chef Makoto ventured out to start his current brick-and-mortar concept, marrying European pastry techniques with fresh seasonal Japanese ingredients. And this isn't any other Japanese sweets café, because AMI Patisserie is rooted in tsudo – a concept where desserts aren't simply meant to be the finishing touch to your meal, but rather, something to be enjoyed as and when you want, perhaps even as a meal on their own. As such, there is much emphasis placed on the whole experience of dining at AMI, and its zen, wood-furnished Kyoto-like space within the grounds of a colonial bungalow at Scotts Road is a reflection of that. Instead of being crammed in for the sake of profit maximisation, tables are spaced within comfortable distance of each other, and the floor-to-ceiling windows create an illusion of seamlessness between the indoors and the greenery outside. AMI Patisserie is located at 27 Scotts Road, a seven-minute walk from Newton MRT station. It's a stone's throw from other F&B establishments including The Bar Kakure, Iru Den, and Buona Terra. and see the full list of La Liste 2025 Pastry Special Award winners.
AsiaOne
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- AsiaOne
Singapore-based Ami Patisserie chef Makoto Arami wins French Pastry Talent of the Year award, Lifestyle News
Chef Makoto Arami, of Singapore-based Ami Patisserie in Scotts Road, has received the Pastry Talent of the Year Award 2025 from French gastronomy guide Le Liste on Monday (June 16). The Japanese chef shares the award with four other chefs and is the only chef from Asia to do so, with the other recipients based in London, Paris, Los Angeles and Dubai. La Liste's World's Best Pastry Shop Selection was introduced in 2022, as a tribute to the passion and artistry of pastry chefs globally and the growing prominence of pastry and desserts in the gastronomy world. The 36-year-old chef was Singapore's sole representative at the awards. Local chef Janice Wong won La Liste's Pastry Innovation Award in 2024. Chef Makoto shared a heartfelt thank you upon receiving this award, in a statement via Ami Patisserie's social media account on June 17. He said: "This recognition means more than I can express — it embodies not just my own journey, but the dedication and spirit of the entire pastry and service team at Ami Patisserie. "It reaffirms our shared commitment to crafting each creation with sincerity and soul." Hailing from Hikone in Shiga prefecture of Japan, Makoto comes from a long line of pastry chefs with his father and grandfather sharing the same profession. The chef's career has taken him across the globe, with stints at Michelin-starred restaurants such as Beige Alain Ducasse in Tokyo to international pastry institutions like Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York. In July 2021, he launched Ami Patisserie as a fine pastry online shop, combining European-style pastry creations with natural flavours of Japanese produce. It wasn't until January last year that Ami Patisserie launched its first physical concept at Scotts Road in Orchard. [[nid:576158]] amierul@
Pink Villa
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Pink Villa
My Hero Academia Vigilantes Episode 9: Pop Pretends To be Koichi's Girlfriend—Recap, Release Date And More
In 'Major,' Koichi and Pop meet Captain Celebrity, a flashy ex-American Number 1 Hero now working in Japan after scandals. Koichi dislikes his arrogant, glory-hogging style, especially after Celebrity steals credit for defeating a Kaiju Villain. Makoto, revealed to be in contact with Celebrity's estranged wife Pamela, tries to help him reform. She later revamps his image with a co-ed cheer squad. Koichi panics after learning his strict mother, Shoko, is visiting and lies about having a girlfriend—prompting Pop to storm off in embarrassment. Expected plot in My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 9 My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 9 will feature the arrival of Koichi's overbearing mother, Shoko. Trying to maintain his lie, Koichi asks Makoto to pretend to be his girlfriend, though Shoko will quickly see through it. As Koichi's blunders pile up, Makoto will propose a sightseeing trip to ease the tension. However, their tour bus will suddenly go out of control, prompting Pro Hero Ingenium and his team to respond. During the chaos, Makoto will get accidentally left behind on the rogue vehicle, putting her in serious danger. My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 9, titled 'Mom Descends,' will be premiering in Japan on Monday, June 2, 2025, at 11:00 pm JST. Due to time zone differences, most international viewers can expect it the same day, around 2:00 pm GMT / 7:00 am PT / 10:00 am ET. Exact times may vary by region. In Japan, My Hero Academia: Vigilantes Episode 9 will air on Tokyo MX, BS NTV, and Yomiuri TV and stream on services like ABEMA, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Hulu, and Disney+. Internationally, it will be available on Crunchyroll. For more updates from the My Hero Academia: Vigilantes anime, stay tuned to Pinkvilla.
