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Who needs bread when you have fried chicken? Try all of your comfort foods revamped by KFC

Meg Murphy
Jul 15, 2015
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Does anyone out there still adhere to the low-carb diet? You know, the one where you have to give up all sorts of bread-y goodness under the presumption that carbohydrates make you fat, and that upping the protein in your diet would somehow help you to lose weight? Well, if you’re in to that sort of torture, fast food chain KFC may have something for you, as stores worldwide have put out various twists on old favorites by replacing burger and hot dog buns with chicken, and now KFCs in the Philippines are upping the game with their new, extremely limited crustless chicken pizza.

And sorry, low-carbers, we lied. As breaded, deep-fried chicken isn’t exactly a proper alternative, you may want to turn away now to avoid temptation. Everyone else, you may proceed to the wonder that is the “Chizza“.

Japan, Korea, SE Asia
(chicken crust pizza • Chizza • crazy • fast food • food • KFC • pizza)

Uniqlo introduces special range of “modest clothing” for Muslims in Singapore and Malaysia

Evie Nyan
Jul 8, 2015

We’ve spoken a little before about how Japanese fashion retailer Uniqlo has (arguably) kind of a dorky image in Japan. But you can’t fault the brand’s dedication to functional fashion, as well as their market savvy. By bringing out a range of Muslim-appropriate clothing for its stores in Singapore and Malaysia, Uniqlo has demonstrated once again why they should be everyone’s go-to place for stocking up on wardrobe essentials.

Let’s check out the new range!

Global, Japan, SE Asia
(fashion • islam • Malaysia • muslim • Singapore • Uniqlo)

Hanoi man lets dog drive motorbike, police say “Bad boy!”【Video】

Jessica
Jul 8, 2015

The SPCA has taught me that dogs can technically drive. But that doesn’t mean we should be handing them the keys and making them designated driver for Katy’s hen do. I mean, besides the fact they don’t even have thumbs, lovably distractable dogs are likely to veer off the road in pursuit of squirrels, other dogs’ butts, a weird shadow and pretty much anything they can put in their mouths. They’re clearly a hazard to other drivers.

And that’s why the police in Hanoi are looking for a man filmed speeding down the road at night letting his dog steer the bike.

SE Asia
(dogs • driving • video • Vietnam • weird)

Thailand’s biggest Batman fan opens a museum with his own 50,000-piece collection

Meg Murphy
Jul 3, 2015

There are some people out there who aren’t afraid to take their fandom to a whole new level. Take Somchai Nitimongkolchai from Thailand, for example, who opened up a museum dedicated to his most favorite superhero of all time – the one and only Batman.

The unique thing about this exhibit, though, is that everything in the museum is part of Somchai’s very own private collection of over 50,000 pieces, including one-of-a-kind figures, posters, a LEGO-replica of Gotham City, and yes, of course, even the Batmobile.

SE Asia
(Batman • Batman museum • collectors • fans • Superheroes • Thailand)

Our Japanese reporter offers up some safety advice for anyone traveling to Southeast Asia

Krista Rogers
Jul 1, 2015

‘The other day, I felt a tap on my back while at a Japanese-style shopping mall in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I turned around and there was a beautiful, wide-eyed woman smiling at me. She asked me a favor in broken English: “I don’t have any friends in this city, and I’d like to hear more about Japan. Won’t you get dinner with me?”

I was surprised at myself by my cold reaction–“Ah, not another one.” Despite my efforts to ignore her, she continued pestering me, this time asking how long I was planning to stay in Cambodia. When I responded, “I’ve lived here for over 15 years, she promptly disappeared with a creepy cackling noise.’

Read More

Japan, SE Asia
(Cambodia • crime • fraud • Phnom Penh • scams • theft • travel)

Businessman ‘wins’ 4-year battle with Singapore Airlines after being downgraded to economy class

Jamie Koide
Jun 24, 2015

Anyone who is a frequent traveler has probably had their share of ups and downs when flying. But just how far would you go to make an airline pay for a minor inconvenience?

One Mr. GRK Reddy, an Indian businessmen, felt that he was so damaged by Singapore Airlines’ sudden decision to downgrade him from business to economy class back in 2011 that he decided to take legal action against the airline, demanding compensation of approximately US$83,000.

Four years later, Mr Reddy has finally been awarded his compensation, but it’s slightly less than the amount he originally requested…

SE Asia
(flying • India • lawsuits • legal • Singapore Airlines • wtf)

Fan shows how to snap a picture of you and your 2-D crush sharing a passionate embrace

Casey Baseel
Jun 23, 2015

Last weekend the inaugural CharaExpo, a celebration of Japanese animation, comics, and video games, was held in Singapore. The event hosted artists, musicians, and voice actors, plus independent dojinshi producers and cosplayers, and also had an array of exhibit booths from a variety of game and anime companies.

At one booth, fans could take photos with some of the characters from Touken Ranbu, the computer game that’s been winning the heart of female otaku for the way it turns historical Japanese swords into handsome young samurai hotties. But while taking a picture with a flesh-and-blood celebrity crush means he might affectionately put an arm around you as you smile for the camera, you can’t ask a cardboard cutout to do the same. However, one attendee has shown that with a little creativity you can take a photo that makes it look like you’re in the passionate embrace of your inanimate anime crush.

Japan, SE Asia
(anime • funny • otaku • Touken Ranbu • trick photography • video games)

Culturally confusing Vietnamese Burger King found selling Japanese food

Master Blaster
Jun 16, 2015

Recently our Southeast Asia correspondent Kowloon Kurosawa took a trip from his current residence in Cambodia to the neighboring country of Vietnam. Following standard RocketNews24 foreign travel protocol he soon made his way to a Burger King in Ho Chi Minh City.

However, what he found surprised even our cholestorol-hardened reporter. This Burger King has a special combo menu called Rice King. Not only that but it contained a teriyaki tonkatsu combo!

SE Asia
(Burger King • fast food • Rice King • tonkatsu • Vietnam)

Artist reimagines alternate universe of Captain America: Civil Wok

Krista Rogers
Jun 10, 2015

In an alternate universe envisioned by Singaporean artist Tan Kwang Yang, it looks like the Avengers have ditched the whole “saving-the-world-act” and decided to pursue other lines of business.

Check out Tan’s neatly drawn little glimpse at such a world after the jump!

SE Asia
(Avengers • Comics • Marvel • Singapore • Tan Kwang Yang • wok)

Anime idols going abroad as Love Live! movie announced for release in U.S., 12 other territories

Casey Baseel
May 19, 2015

Not so long ago, being a Japanese idol singer was purely a domestic gig, with even the biggest stars of the genre remaining more or less unknown outside their home country. But thanks to the spread of Japanese pop culture around the world over the last decade and a half, that’s not really the case anymore. These days, it’s not uncommon for J-pop idols, especially those with an anime connection to boost their foreign exposure, to make appearances overseas.

Now, in a case of animated art imitating life, the high school idols of Love Love!, Japan’s biggest current idol anime hit, will be heading abroad as the upcoming Love Live! theatrical feature has been announced for international release.

Australia, China, Global, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, SE Asia, Taiwan, USA
(anime • love live • movies)

Japanese restaurant in Thailand hangs lanterns announcing “I love boobies” and other philosophes

Casey Baseel
May 11, 2015

Even after living in Japan for more than a decade, I still get excited when I see a restaurant with paper lanterns hanging out in front of it. The mix of vibrant colors and bold calligraphy is just so uniquely Japanese that it instantly fills me with a sense of excitement.

Of course, just a bit of the eroticism has faded over time, especially now that I can read the calligraphy and tell that it usually doesn’t say anything more dramatic than “draft beer” or “grilled chicken skewers.” But while those lanterns are usually giving the menu highlights in Japan, at this Japanese restaurant in Thailand, they’re instead plastered with non sequiturs, gags, and the occasional philosophical declaration and/or love letter to women’s breasts.

SE Asia
(crazy • funny • Japanese language • restaurants • Thailand • weird)

Boxers in the Philippines fight blindfolded, show us why they shouldn’t 【Video】

Casey Baseel
May 8, 2015

One of the best scenes in any martial arts movie is when a skilled fighter shows off just how powerful he is by fighting blindfolded. After all, a true master of hand-to-hand combat should be able to utilize his other senses to defeat his opponent.

But if one blindfolded pugilist is cool, two blindfolded combatants going against each other must be even more awesome, right? Not always, but it does make for plenty of physical comedy, as this video of blindfolded boxing shows.

SE Asia
(boxing • crazy • funny • Philippines • sports • weird)

Cuddly koalas pose in business class as part of trip to celebrate Singapore’s 50th birthday

KK Miller
Apr 20, 2015

To celebrate Singapore’s 50th birthday, Australia sent four koalas to the Singapore Zoo for what is possibly the best birthday present ever. As one of Australia’s national animals, these four fuzzy marsupials were given top-notch treatment as they were upgraded from the cargo hold to “Koala Class”. Pictures appearing on Qantas’ Facebook page showed exactly how good people and bears have it in business class.

Australia, SE Asia
(airplanes • animals • cute • koalas • present • Qantas • travel)

Taiwanese student self-immolates after argument with father over video games

Mike
Mar 13, 2015

A Taiwanese college student tragically chose to set himself on fire recently after an apparently pretty harsh argument with his father over video games.

Xue Zhenjun, a student of Taiwan’s Chienkuo University of Technology, reportedly chose to end his own life in one of the more horrific ways imaginable because his father told him to get some sleep instead of staying up all night playing an online game.

SE Asia
(Asia • entertainment • video games • youth)

The defrosted reality of 24 frozen meals at Thai 7-Elevens [Photos]

Scott R Dixon
Mar 9, 2015

The frozen food section at the local convenience store may not hold any lofty culinary treasures, but it does hold the key to saving time and energy after a long day. All around the world, people value frozen foods for their convenience and, sometimes, their deliciousness.

But can you really trust the picture on the front of the package to be what comes out of the microwave? One Thai netizen went on a quest to demystify the frozen food section of Thailand’s 7-Elevens and posted photos of 24 heated up meals to see how they compared to people’s expectations.

SE Asia
(7-Eleven • convenience store food • cooking • food • frozen food • frozen meal • microwave • Thailand)

KFC’s Double Down evolves into a fried chicken-wrapped hot dog in the Philippines

Casey Baseel
Jan 28, 2015

KFC launched its Double Down menu item in 2010, and after it sunk in that the fast food chain was serious about making a bacon and cheese sandwich with two pieces of fried chicken substituting for the bread, reactions were split between horrified and hungry. All agreed though that the decadent offering was in no way to be mistaken for a healthy dining option, and many commentators declared it the sort of thing that could only have been birthed in response to the extra-gluttonous fast food culture of the U.S.

Except it turns out that Americans aren’t the only ones who occasionally like to go crazy and stuff themselves with as much KFC-cooked meat as their mouths and stomachs can hold. The Double Down was also a sales success in Korea, and this week, KFC launched an evolved version in the Philippines called the Double Down Dog.

SE Asia
(awesome • crazy • Double Down • fast food • fried chicken • hot dogs • KFC)

Filipina singing sensation Charice is back with a short clip of ‘Let it Go,’ karaoke style!

Krista Rogers
Jan 28, 2015

This one goes out to all our readers in the Philippines–Charice is back, and she’s telling everyone to “Let it Go!”

We haven’t heard much about Charice for about a year, so it was a pleasant surprise to see the talented singer belting out the iconic song from Disney’s Frozen in a short YouTube karaoke clip. Also, we love that short new-ish ‘do she’s sporting!

Internet, SE Asia
(Charice • frozen • karaoke • Let It Go • Philippines)

Indonesian Muslim cleric declares selfies a sin, youths reciprocate with new selfie trend

Audrey Akcasu
Jan 27, 2015

While Islam is practiced worldwide, many of us tend to only think of the Muslims in the Middle East, looking past those in Southeast Asia. However, with over 87% of its people identifying as Muslim, Indonesia actually has the largest population of Muslims in the world.

The young adult Muslim culture in Indonesia is not that much different from youth culture anywhere else in the world these days: everyone has smartphones and, like them or not, selfies are the norm. A previously celebrated young Muslim cleric, however, has recently proclaimed that the act of taking a selfie is a sin – a claim which many young Muslims in Indonesia have taken great offense to.

How did they respond to the condemnation of their smartphone snaps? By taking even more selfies than ever before.

SE Asia
(Indonesia • islam • religion • selfie • sin • twitter)

Autistic teen artist creates masterful sketches with help of photographic memory

Mike
Jan 26, 2015

Sixteen-year-old Yap Hanzhen of Malaysia apparently suffered through a childhood in which even the most simple of communications was difficult. Hanzhen’s parents say he barely spoke through most of his adolescence.

Like many children who display difficulties communicating during early development, Yap turned out to have a form of autism – a fact that his parents struggled to convince doctors and child psychologists, who were apparently quick to presume simple bad parenting as the source of young Yap’s speech difficulties.

In taking the special needs care of their young son into their own hands, Yap’s parents gave him a sketch book and pencil to help him associate thumbnail drawings with words for everyday objects, inadvertently nurturing a latent talent that would eventually see Yap touring the world, showing off his extraordinary drawings.

SE Asia
(art • autism • cool • education)

Fly-kicking good?! KFC Malaysia apologises after employees brawl in front of customers

Fran W
Jan 24, 2015

KFC Malaysia has launched an investigation after a fist-fight broke out between employees in a branch of the restaurant in Kuala Lumpur. The fight, which happened directly in front of customers, was captured on camera and uploaded Facebook, where it has been shared and viewed thousands of times.

A video of the punch-up, which appears to show one member of staff verbally abusing another before a third employee dives in with a flying kick, was uploaded on January 17. KFC Malaysia was surprisingly quick to respond.