3Diana
Hubbell
WRITER
“Tokyo Dreaming”
Page 46
—
“With billowing pastel
ruffles, Tomo Koizumi’s
dreamy designs are instantly
recognizable. They look
straight out of Lady Gaga’s
closet—probably why she’s a
fan. He’s down-to-earth and
has been sewing since he was
a teenager,” says the New
York-based writer. “For dinner
in Tokyo, Narukiyo Izakaya
is something special. Sit at
the counter and let the chef
pour you sake and dazzle your
palate. Then, stumble around
the corner to Ryuku Chinese
Tama, an after-hours spot
popular with food-industry
people, for natural wine
and killer Okinawan eats.”
Instagram: @diana.hubbell. FROM TOP: COURTESY OF CHARLES DHARAPAK; COURTESY OF AARON JOEL SANTOS; COURTESY OF DIANA HUBBELL; COURTESY OF LESTER LEDESMA4Lester
Ledesma
WRITER AND PHOTOGRAPHER
“New Take on an Old Brew”
Page 28
—
“Barako is a unique coffee
with natural sweetness that
makes it easy to drink black.
Liberica is fruity, has great
body and can have intriguing
notes that range from cocoa to
licorice. There’s nothing like
it,” says the Singapore-based
Philippines native. “Let’s just
say that starting a farm was
the first step in my wife’s and
my retirement plan. It is a
very slow process, and your
city-bred sense of urgency
has no place in this endeavor.
But the sheer joy of seeing
my plants grow through the
years—I feel like a proud
parent every time somebody
compliments my coffee.”
Instagram: @skylightimages.2Aaron
Joel Santos
PHOTOGRAPHER
“A Turn in the South”
and “Return to the Roof of
the World”
Pages 22 and 76
—
“I’ve always lusted after those
gorgeous Royal Enfields, so
a south Thailand roadtrip
was perfect. We swam in a
hidden waterfall near Khao
Sok National Park,” says the
photographer, who also went
to Nepal for this issue. “I loved
getting lost in Kathmandu’s
alleys. I enjoyed Boudhanath
Stupa at sunrise, before the
tourists and touts arrived.
Locals were saying morning
prayers and feeding the birds
and for a brief moment it felt
timeless and infinite.” Favorite
meal? “Momos, hands down,
every single time.” Instagram:
@aaronjoelsantos.2311Charles
Dharapak
PHOTOGRAPHER
“Uni, Deux, Tropical”
Page 66
—
“It is so easy to get to Phu
Quoc from Bangkok, where I
live—wonderful since I love
Vietnam.” The former White
House photographer for AP
describes his time at JW
Marriott Phu Quoc: “I’d walk
past the same spot and would
see something that I hadn’t
seen previously. The details
seemed random but I then
realized that designer Bill
Bensley was being deliberate.
I was a jazz aficionado
nodding in enjoyment to a
creative artist’s solo. Colors
and artifacts contrasted and
beautifully clashed, visually
popping, telling the story
of the fictional university.”
Instagram: @charlesdharapak.10 4
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