[Singapore Pavilion] Chicken rice has a taste that reflects the diversity of Singapore!

As you walk around the large roof ring near the West Gate, you will see two striking red spheres. One is the Yoshimoto Waraii Pavilion, and the other is the Singapore Pavilion.Singapore is a small country, with an area roughly the same as that of Tokyo's 23 wards. The red sphere was chosen because the country's land area would be hidden by the red dots on the map.
This red sphere is called the "Dream Sphere," and inside the pavilion you can have a magical Experience of turning your dreams into reality.

The inside of the pavilion is decorated with fantastical art, truly futuristic.Inside is the "Dream Repository" (a place where dreams gather), where you can draw your dreams with your finger on the panel of the device.
If you go up to the Dream Sphere on the upper floor, you can enjoy fantastical images spread across a 360-degree dome screen, where the dreams of various people appear and disappear one after another. Of course, your own dreams will also appear!

The Singapore Pavilion also has Restaurant called Shiok! Café, where you can also eat in."Shiok" is Singlish (Singaporean English) that means "feels great" or "delicious!"

In Singapore, coffee shops are called "kopitiams" and can be found all over the city.In Singapore, stray cats are known as "community cats" and are cherished by the local community. This adorable illustration by artist Yip Yew Chong depicts a stray cat appearing at a kopitiam.

At the cafe, I ordered chicken rice, a Singaporean staple also known as Hainanese chicken rice.The cute container is designed to resemble a cat's paw. A portion of the sales from this container will be donated to a dog and cat protection organization.
Boiled chicken and long grain rice cooked in the chicken broth.Served with dark soy sauce, chili sauce and cilantro.

The dark soy sauce is a rich sauce with a slightly bitter flavor, similar to tamari soy sauce, while the chili sauce is spicy with a refreshing acidity.You can enjoy a variety of flavors by tasting the two sauces separately, mixing them together, or dipping them in rice.

I tried this sweet, which is apparently only available at the Expo!The outside is deep fried until crispy, and the inside is filled with custard cream made with salted eggs. It's a slightly strange sweet and spicy bun that allows you to taste both sweet and salty flavors.

There is also an ice cream bar stand outside the pavilion, featuring Marley, the official mascot of the Singapore Tourism Board, based on the Merlion, and six flavors to choose from: calamansi, lychee, mango, dragon fruit milk, milk coffee, and red bean.
This time I tried the calamansi flavor. It has a refreshing citrus flavor like lemon or orange, which will be refreshing even on a hot day!

[Thailand Pavilion] The cuisine of the Land of Smiles is full of spice aromas and gentle flavors

The Thai Pavilion is bustling with energy every day. Shows are performed several times a day on the stage in front of the pavilion, and the content is upbeat and fun, with everyone singing along. I'm sure many people learned the Thai greeting "Sawadeeka" here.

When you enter the Thai Pavilion, you will first be taught how to pronounce the Thai greeting "sawasdee."Then you move to the main floor to watch a powerful video about Thai history and culture, after which the stage show begins.The stage was cheerful and bright, with Staff/staff member of the Thai Pavilion singing and dancing, and there was even a call-and-response segment in which they said the greeting they had learned at the beginning, "Sawasdee."

After the stage performance, we moved to the next area, where Thai medical technology was on display. In line with the concept of "Healing the future with Thai wisdom," there was a comprehensive medical exhibit featuring a variety of medicines, walking aids such as prosthetic limbs, and a model of a skull repaired using a 3D printer.
I went to Bangkok in February this year and enjoyed some delicious Thai food, so Thailand is one of my favorite countries. Let's go to Restaurant!

The Thai Pavilion's shops are take-out only.The menu is simple, with only a few typical Thai dishes.
The "Chicken Khao Soi" I ordered this time is a dish of Thai curry with noodles.When you try it, you'll find a typical Thai coconut-flavored curry. It starts off mild, but then becomes spicy later. It's very easy to eat and has a gentle flavor.What's interesting is the noodles, which consist of two layers of thin dried noodles and thick fresh noodles.

The chicken was whole with bones in it, so it was very satisfying!It's a small product, about the size of a cup noodle, so it doesn't feel very filling, but it was delicious and reminded me of the food I had in Thailand.

[Indian Pavilion (Bharat)] Enjoy a hearty Indian curry!

The India Pavilion, which opened late after the opening of the festival, was also a hot topic. "Bharat" means India in Sanskrit and is also used as the name of the country.
There are two sculptures in front of the India Pavilion, which has an appearance resembling a lotus flower.The wheel on the left is a Dharma wheel called Ashoka Chakra, located on the wall of the Surya Temple, a World Heritage Site built in the 13th century.Although it can't be seen in the photo, the hands together on the right side represent the Indian greeting "Namaste." Both of these perfectly capture the Indian atmosphere.

You can enjoy timeless exhibits ranging from ancient civilizations and spiritual cultures to current industry and technology, and even space development.
However, the moment I entered the building, I was hit by the spicy smell of curry. It was so Indian. But I'm sure it wasn't just my imagination!
I followed the scent and found it.

There was a take-out shop on the grounds of the India Pavilion. This is where the aroma of curry hit us!Chicken biryani, butter chicken and rice, samosa, chicken tikka, pani puri...
From this enticing lineup, I chose "Palak Paneer and Rice."Palak paneer is a curry made with spinach (palak) and cottage cheese (paneer). As I love spinach curry, I decided to order it immediately.The combination of the fluffy long grain rice and the spicy yet mildly rich palak paneer is exquisite, truly a local flavour. You'll have such a great dining Experience that you'll forget you're in the Expo site.
Also, as you can probably imagine from the appearance, this bento is quite filling. You'll definitely be full just eating this bento!

I ordered masala tea with the curry.Masala means spice in Hindi, and it is an Indian tea made by blending black tea with spices. Its unique taste took me on a trip to the world of India!

[Malaysia Pavilion] Experience simple, unpretentious, and exotic Malaysian cuisine!

The Malaysian Pavilion's exterior is what will first impress you. The facade is made of a large amount of bamboo, which is said to be inspired by the Malaysian textile "songket." The organic, primitive, yet elegant architecture leaves a strong impression.

Upon entering the Malaysian Pavilion, you are immediately enveloped in the soft aroma of spices, creating an exotic atmosphere. Food stalls and food samples are on display, meticulously recreating the atmosphere of Southeast Asia.
From traditional Malaysian houses to the skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur, rural landscapes captured by drones, and the smart cities of the future, this film shows Malaysia in its current form.

I ordered "Nasi Lama" at Restaurant on the first floor. The reason I decided to order it was because the menu said, "This is the authentic taste of Malaysia."Nasi Lama is rice cooked in coconut milk, and the rice used is long grain rice.The sauce on the top right is rich, sweet and spicy, and tastes similar to miso.To the right of the rice was deep-fried chicken and small fish, which had a crunchy, firm texture.
Apparently the way to eat nasi lama in Malaysia is to "mix" it, so I tried mixing it and eating it.The sauce then mixes with the rice and side dishes, creating a sweet and spicy bento. The aroma of the sauce fills your nose, giving it a truly exotic flavor!

[Korea Pavilion] Seoul's junk food is here. Dig into a chicken burger!

The Korean Pavilion is a huge, impressive sight that overwhelms everyone. The images projected there are also elaborate, and some people may have stopped to watch them to the end.

The Korean Pavilion is an omnibus-style venue where visitors can enjoy three conceptual exhibits in sequence. The first exhibit is a disco-like space where AI creates improvised music based on pre-recorded voices from participants, and many lights are coordinated.

The second exhibit is a space themed "From a ruined city to the restoration of life." When you blow into the pipes of an object reminiscent of ruins, a hydrogen fuel cell is activated, generating electrical energy and producing pure water. This water is not simply discarded; it is visualized as large droplets and bubbles, symbolizing the germination of life. Visitors can Experience the "restoration of life" by touching or breaking the droplets.

The third exhibit is a completely different one, with a K-Pop-themed screen. A futuristic video is shown, centered around music and dance, depicting the process of Korean high school girls living in the year 2040 completing a song left behind by their grandfather.
There is Restaurant on the left side of the Korean Pavilion, opposite the entrance.

When it comes to Korean food, yakiniku, kimchi, and soondubu are well-known, but chicken dishes are actually quite popular.
Restaurant in the Korean pavilion is produced by Camaro Chicken, a fried chicken specialty restaurant in Korea. I ordered this dish hoping for the authentic taste that only a specialty restaurant can offer!

The set includes a Chico Burger, fries, Chilsung Cider, and a cup of ice. Can you get a sense of just how big the Chico Burger is?

The Chico Burger is a large piece of fried chicken topped with a fried egg, tomato, onion, lettuce, and cheese. Let's bite into it!
The chicken thigh meat is crispy on the outside and soft and juicy on the inside. The sauce is spicy and has a Korean flavor. There are plenty of ingredients, so you won't get bored of eating it until the very end.The Chico Burger at the Korean Restaurant is highly recommended for junk food lovers!

[TechWorld] Let's try Taiwan's soul food, Lu Rou Fan!

Although it is not an overseas pavilion, the pavilion "TechWorld" produced by Yushan Digital Tech exhibits Taiwanese content.

TechWorld uses the latest technology to express the island's natural beauty, history, traditions, present and future.
The most impressive sight is the main theater, where images depicting the majestic nature of Taiwan are projected onto a screen made in the shape of a giant tree, while countless tablets on the ground move organically, rotating freely in sync with the images.You will be overwhelmed by the exhibits, which are typical of Taiwan, a world leader in semiconductor and other technologies.

Located inside TechWorld, Shennong Life is a Taiwanese select shop that sells not only merchandise but also food and drinks, making it a must-see for Taiwan lovers.

Lu rou fan is Taiwanese soul food. It is a dish of pork belly and shiitake mushrooms simmered in a soy sauce-based soup with five-spice powder, served on top of rice.Shennong Life's original Lu Rou Fan has ingredients and rice separated by a partition, so you can place them on the rice just before eating.
While some Lu Rou Fan in the US has a strong smell, Shennong Life's Lu Rou Fan is easy to eat and has a flavor that anyone can enjoy. The boiled egg and pickled radish also add a nice accent.

Bonus: Ekisoba Maneki - The one and only Ekisoba! A taste unique to the Expo

Finally, as an extra, I would like to introduce something from Japan. Many Japanese Restaurant are set up at the Expo, but one that has attracted a lot of attention is Ekisoba Maneki, which is fully booked every day.
Ekisoba Maneki was founded in 1888. It began as the first restaurant in Japan to sell "makunouchi bento" inside Himeji Station.Currently, the restaurant operates mainly in Hyogo Prefecture as an eki-soba and ekiben restaurant.

When you think of Maneki Eki Soba, you think of this limited edition product, "Ultimate Eki Soba," which will be exhibited at the Expo!I still remember how everyone was blown away by the price.
First of all, Maneki's "Eki Soba" is not a Japanese soba, but a Chinese soba made with kansui (alkaline water). In other words, it is ramen noodles.This dish is based on Eki-soba noodles, with a broth made from scallops and clams, and is luxuriously topped with Kobe beef shoulder loin.It's truly a traffic jam of deliciousness.
When you crack hot spring egg, the mellow yolk envelops the Kobe beef. This is truly sukiyaki!It was an assault of deliciousness like nothing I'd ever tasted before, truly the ultimate.

What did you think of Restaurant Asia edition of the Osaka-Kansai Expo? Although these countries are relatively close to Japan, they have cultures that are completely different from Japanese food. My impressions were the use of long-grain rice and the skillful use of spices in the seasonings.
There are only two months left until the Expo. Let's enjoy it until the very end!

OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resorts: A hotel where you can fully enjoy the Expo

At OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resorts, we have prepared special content to help you enjoy the Expo even more. You can be sure to enjoy yourself to the fullest, not just during the Expo itself, but also before and after you go.
▶ OMO7 Osaka by Hoshino Resorts | Five tips to fully enjoy the Expo