Ramen-bot, robots make noodles in Tokyo restaurant from YeinJee's Asian Journal

It took the Kimuras three years to create the perfectly heart-shaped fruit; the couple managed to ship out 20 of the watermelons for the first time this year.

Five of those were for sale at Fukuoka’s Iwataya department store at 15,750 yen (160 USD) apiece [news and image from Asahi, via Japanprobe]

Heart-shaped watermelons in Japan from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Tipping is not common in Asia though; so I guess the staff would probably sing along whenever they feel like it. Sharing some videos of the staff in action from Cold Stone Creamery outlets in Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan…

Japan – Forget ice cream, the girls are champs…

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Cold Stone Creamery, East Asian style from YeinJee's Asian Journal

The name of the dish is Ghana Miso and will be available until February 15th in honour of Valentine’s Day, where Japanese women would give give men chocolate as an expression of love or friendship [via Cscoutjapan]

Chocolate ramen for Valentine’s Day? from YeinJee's Asian Journal

The Testicle Cookbook – Cooking with Balls from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Image by Shoreline, who said the kangaroo meat was so amazingly GOOD!

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Eat kangaroo, save the planet from YeinJee's Asian Journal

A kilogramme of rat meat increased to around 5,000 riel (USD1.28) from 1,200 riel last year. It’s still cheaper than other meat though… beef for example costs about 20,000 riel a kilogramme.

Some communities in Asian and South American countries have long history of eating rats or other rodents, but food shortages and inflations have pushed others to try rat meat in recent years.

Earlier this month, a state government in eastern India encouraged its people to eat rats in an effort to battle soaring food prices and save grain stocks.

Sometimes it’s hard to relate to poverty around the world. Here we are, using high tech gadgets and surfing the web while at other corners on earth people are eating rats because they can’t afford other meat… and it’s far from being the worse scenario yet. It’s kinda sad actually.

Rat meat in demand in Cambodia from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Pig innard congee, takeout from a shop in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur

The pig innards congee in Hong Kong is a bit different from those we have in Malaysia. The pork innards (liver, kidney, intestine, lungs, stomach etc.) in Hong Kong are normally cooked fresh with the congee, whereas in Malaysia the innards are pre-cooked and seasoned before adding into the congee.

Both style has its pros and cons… but the essence of the congee is with the rice porridge itself. The smoothness and thickness of the congee is often more dictating than the pork innards. The one I had in the photo for example was a bit too watery.

Chinese and some other Asians are quite accustomed to this dish, but westerners might take this as one of those bizarre food adventure.

Pig innards congee, Malaysian style from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Sushi wedding cake

Sushi wedding cake… (Image from Christina, via Xoryst)

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Sushi, chillies, bulls, penguin, turtle from YeinJee's Asian Journal

First gold medals

Katerina Emmons from Czech

The Chinese didn’t get the first gold medal of the 2008 Olympic Games as hoped… the honour belongs to Kateřina Emmons of Czech Republic in the women’s 10m air rifle event.

The Chinese’s disappointment didn’t stand long as weightlifter Chen Xiexia captured the first gold for the country in the women’s 48kg class weightlifting event moments later.

LEGO Sport City

An exhibition is currently running at Grand Century Place in Hong Kong with the major Beijing Olympics venues being recreated in LEGO.

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Beijing Olympics roundup (3) from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Koreans protest against dog eating (Image from Chosun)

Dog meat is a common food in Korea; Koreans have been eating dog meat for thousand of years. One of the popular dishes is Bosintang (literally ‘invigorating soup’), a traditional Korean soup with dog meat as its primary ingredient which is very popular during summer season.

It’s estimated that over a million of dogs are slaughtered every year in Korea to meet market demand. The younger Korean generations however are beginning to ditch this tradition.

Koreans protest dog eating from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Japanese love eating eels, I can understand that… as I love their Unagi dish too. But an eel-drink? That’s like… Eerrrwwwwww??

Japanese Tobacco Inc is mass producing the canned drink called Unagi Nobori (surging eel) just ahead of Japan’s annual eel-eating season.

The fizzy, yellow-coloured drink contains extracts from the head and bones of the fish and loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, D and E. [via Mainichi]

The drink is said to be tasting like boiled eel, and cost 140 yen (~USD1.30) per bottle.

It reminds me of the cucumber drink which Pepsi introduced last summer… but in terms of bizarreness, the eel drink triumph by miles.

Eel drink in Japan from YeinJee's Asian Journal

I always thought that the business idea won’t last long; but with the huge exposures by media and bloggers… seems that these eateries are becoming a bizarre food icon from Taiwan, something like fugu in Japan and live octopus in Korea.

Below are pictures from Modern Toilet, a food chain that operates 12 toilet themed restaurants in Taiwan; these pics are from its outlet in Shilin, Taipei…

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Taiwan Modern Toilet Restaurant from YeinJee's Asian Journal

Sounds generous, but there’s some catches as pointed out by Stippy… turned out its more of a brilliant marketing campaign by Nestle instead of a genuine effort to help Yubari city.

Still, if the product does provide a bit of relieve for the city, I don’t think the folks there would mind if it’s genuine or not. It’s probably easier though, to spend a cool two million yen to buy two of their famous melons instead.

Yubari melon flavoured Kit Kat to save the city? from YeinJee's Asian Journal

I wonder how it would taste like… a vegetable juice or Pepsi soda with cucumber flavour? Doubt that I would fancy it either way; it’s not like I have any chance to try it anyway lol.

Pepsi Ice Cucumber coming soon in Japan from YeinJee's Asian Journal