Independent food and travel notes from an Indonesian software engineer who keeps chasing Japan, great meals, and the trips that linger.
No sponsorships or affiliate links, just personal stories, practical guides, and the occasional strong opinion about ramen.
Cherub Score 9.0 Tai Er — the Sichuan chain with 650+ locations across China — opened its first U.S. dining concept in downtown San Mateo. Their signature sauerkraut fish is the dish to come for. Honest first impressions.
A few curated paths into the archive if you are new to Plate & Passport.
Useful, opinionated notes for planning the trip before the good meal.
A no-nonsense guide to getting from Narita Airport to central Tokyo — trains, buses, taxis, and the tips I wish someone had told me before my first trip.
I grew up in Indonesia and keep coming back to Bali. Here's an honest guide to the island — the parts tourists get right, the parts they get wrong, and the spots I actually recommend.
Two days in Kyoto — the Shinkansen ride from Tokyo, the Silver Pavilion at Ginkaku-ji, and a kaiseki dinner at Mame-cha, a tiny restaurant tucked down an alley with no Google Maps pin.
The meals that stuck around in memory long after the table was cleared.
A Shinkansen ride to Kobe for fusion cuisine that smashes Japanese and Western traditions together — and an A5 wagyu steak that nearly brought me to tears.
I woke up at 5am, took the train to Toyosu Fish Market, stood in line for an hour, and sat down at Daiwa Sushi. Seven pieces of the freshest fish I've ever eaten — and a tamagoyaki that made me rethink eggs entirely.
A Hakata Nagahama-style ramen shop in Tokyo that looks like nothing from the outside and serves a bowl of tonkotsu that made me sit in silence for a full minute.
Cabins, lounges, suites, and stays where the details made the trip.
Part 1 of my Suites Class trip from Jakarta to New York. First Class from Jakarta, then the unmarked Private Room lounge at Changi — the most exclusive airline lounge I've ever set foot in.
Part 2 of my Suites Class trip. Inside the A380 Suite — Krug champagne, foie gras, a real double bed, Japanese kaiseki breakfast, a Frankfurt transit lounge, and Boston Lobster Thermidor on the way to JFK.
I booked an ANA business class ticket from the US to Jakarta on miles three days before departure. The economy redemption cost more miles than business. Here's what 24+ hours of ANA service looks like.
A no-nonsense guide to getting from Narita Airport to central Tokyo — trains, buses, taxis, and the tips I wish someone had told me before my first trip.
Cherub Score 9.0 A Shinkansen ride to Kobe for fusion cuisine that smashes Japanese and Western traditions together — and an A5 wagyu steak that nearly brought me to tears.
Cherub Score 9.0 I woke up at 5am, took the train to Toyosu Fish Market, stood in line for an hour, and sat down at Daiwa Sushi. Seven pieces of the freshest fish I've ever eaten — and a tamagoyaki that made me rethink eggs entirely.
I grew up in Indonesia and keep coming back to Bali. Here's an honest guide to the island — the parts tourists get right, the parts they get wrong, and the spots I actually recommend.
Cherub Score 9.5 A Hakata Nagahama-style ramen shop in Tokyo that looks like nothing from the outside and serves a bowl of tonkotsu that made me sit in silence for a full minute.
Cherub Score 8.5 Molecular gastronomy, dishes disguised as everyday objects, rain inside the restaurant, and a price tag to match — Namaaz Dining in Jakarta is unlike anything I've experienced.
I used Marriott points to book the Ritz-Carlton Bali and got upgraded to a 145 sqm suite. Here's an honest look at what you get — the stunning parts, the practical trade-offs, and whether it's worth the trip.
Same airline. Same brand. Two completely different products. A side-by-side comparison of United Airlines domestic and international Business Class — from the meal service to the lounge to the seat itself.
Built atop one of Jakarta's most prestigious malls in the heart of the financial district, the Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place is the rare city hotel where convenience and luxury are equally well-considered. A review.
For three fleeting weeks each spring, the fields around Brenham transform into one of America's most spectacular wildflower displays. Here's how to experience Texas bluebonnet season at its best.
I booked an ANA business class ticket from the US to Jakarta on miles three days before departure. The economy redemption cost more miles than business. Here's what 24+ hours of ANA service looks like.
Two days in Kyoto — the Shinkansen ride from Tokyo, the Silver Pavilion at Ginkaku-ji, and a kaiseki dinner at Mame-cha, a tiny restaurant tucked down an alley with no Google Maps pin.
Cherub Score 9.8 Part 2 of my Suites Class trip. Inside the A380 Suite — Krug champagne, foie gras, a real double bed, Japanese kaiseki breakfast, a Frankfurt transit lounge, and Boston Lobster Thermidor on the way to JFK.
Cherub Score 9.8 Part 1 of my Suites Class trip from Jakarta to New York. First Class from Jakarta, then the unmarked Private Room lounge at Changi — the most exclusive airline lounge I've ever set foot in.
Cherub Score 9.0 A hidden Thai spot in Midtown Houston — attached to a Texaco, easy to dismiss from the street, and home to the best Pad See Ew I've had in the city.
Cherub Score 10.0 After countless phone calls and a Ritz-Carlton booking trick, I got a reservation at Sukiyabashi Jiro's Roppongi location. 20 pieces of the best sushi I've ever had — and a photo with chef Ono Takashi.
Cherub Score 9.8 The most famous barbecue in Texas requires a 4-hour wait, limited supply, and zero shade. The brisket and beef ribs made me forget all of that. Here's why Franklin lives up to the hype.
Cherub Score 6.5 A new ramen shop opened in Houston's Westchase area and I waited almost three hours on opening week. The gua bao was decent. The ramen was not.
Cherub Score 9.0 A wood-fired Neapolitan pizzeria in Greenway Plaza that outclasses every other pizza spot I've tried in Houston — thin crust, wet mozzarella, and add an egg on top.
Cherub Score 9.6 A tonkotsu ramen shop in Tokyo where you eat alone in a booth, customize everything on a form, and walk out wondering why all ramen doesn't taste like this. Here's what Ichiran at Ueno Station is really like.
Cherub Score 8.0 An omakase-only sushi bar in Los Angeles where the chef decides everything, the wasabi is real, and you don't touch the soy sauce. Here's what it's like to eat at Sushi Zo.
Cherub Score 9.5 A Korean drama sent me down a rabbit hole. A Japanese restaurant in Houston gave me one of the best bites of my life. Here's how foie gras sashimi at Kata Robata earned a 9.5.
Cherub Score 9.0 A tiny, packed Korean restaurant in LA's Koreatown with soondubu that lives up to the Anthony Bourdain hype — and bibimbap that might be even better.
Cherub Score 9.5 A head-to-head comparison of two of Austin's best ramen spots — one a former food truck turned brick-and-mortar, the other a tiny, authentically decorated gem worth the wait.