Latest news with #Sophon
Bangkok Post
2 days ago
- Business
- Bangkok Post
Phuket enjoys surprise off-season arrivals hike
Phuket is seeing a shift in tourism patterns as European travellers embrace off-season travel, with tourism revenue expected to grow by over 40 billion baht, or around 10%, this year, says the Phuket Tourist Association. Tourists from the UK, Germany and France have shown rising interest in visiting Phuket during the green season, a period traditionally regarded as the off-peak months, said the president of the association. Direct flights from Europe are increasing, particularly from France and tourism revenue in Phuket could grow by more than 40 billion baht in 2025, up from 498 billion baht last year, the president said. While Chinese tourist arrivals dropped by roughly 50% during the last green season, visitors from India rose by a similar amount. Sophon Suwannarat, governor of Phuket, said attracting higher-quality tourists is essential. "The current number of visitors, 13-14 million a year, is appropriate. The focus now should be on high-spending markets," he said. Mr Sophon said Chinese tourists have begun to return, with recent flights from Bangkok to Phuket carrying many Chinese passengers due to the school holidays in July and August.
Sydney Morning Herald
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
America has some genuinely terrible food. It also has some of the best
But how about the Pacific Northwest, the region that takes in the likes of Oregon and Washington State, of Seattle, Portland and Willamette Valley? Seattle is a surprise winner, with a cuisine based largely around ingredients native to the Puget Sound, upon whose shores the city sits. This is oyster country, though you'll also find Dungeness crabs, geoduck clams, prawns, abalone, salmon and herring. The city's dining scene doesn't begin and end, however, with seafood. At Beast and Cleaver, chef Kevin Smith runs a whole-beast butcher shop that morphs into a whole-beast restaurant on weekends. At Sophon, Karuna Long serves up Cambodian Khmer cuisine. At The Walrus and the Carpenter, star chef Renee Erikson takes much of what makes Seattle great – the fresh seafood, the high-quality meat, the experimental flare – and turns it into something even more beautiful. Oh, and then there's Portland, in Oregon, with its incredible array of craft breweries, its diverse range of South-East Asian eateries, and its wine bars specialising in the fruits of the Willamette Valley, possibly the best wine region in the US, just an hour down the road. Let's continue the gastronomic adventure. Let's go to Las Vegas, of all places, a city in a desert, but a magnet for celebrity chefs drawn by the riches of the famous Strip. The truly great food here, however, is served up in the suburbs, away from that neon catwalk. At Esther's Kitchen, chef James Trees serves up classic Italian soul food that's been tweaked for modern audiences. At the Golden Steer, meanwhile, they're char-grilling artisanal steaks in a historic location on an old strip mall. And Tacos el Gordo does some of the best Mexican food north of the border. There are more foodie destinations around the country. New Orleans is a justifiably famous hub for Cajun and Creole cuisines, though there's also great Italian-American food here, and wine-matched fine-dining at the likes of Saint-Germain. Chicago – known around the world now thanks to cheffy TV series The Bear – has a food scene to back up its new-found fame, with everything from Michelin stars to down-home deep-dish pizza. Honolulu is another crowd pleaser, the home of the poke bowl, among plenty of delicacies native to the state, served up in appropriately relaxed surrounds. And there's Austin, Texas, a sure-fire winner thanks to its deeply ingrained culture of barbecue and Tex-Mex cuisine. Many of these cities specialise in a certain cuisine, or are known for a certain dish. Though sometimes, it's the dish that earns the fame, and which is adapted and copied throughout the country. In fact, in many states, you will find regionally specific versions of certain foods that are often very different to their counterparts in other states. Pizza is one. There's the famed New York slice, a huge pizza with a base that's thin and pliable enough to require folding in half when you pick it up (mostly to prevent it from drooping and dropping all your pepperoni on the floor). But then there's New Haven-style pizza, thinner and more heavily charred than its NYC cousin. There's Detroit-style pizza, rectangular, thick and doughy. Chicago has its famed deep-dish pizza, which is a cheese-lover's dream (and a dieter's nightmare). And in St Louis they have thin, round pizzas cut into square slices. Burgers are another specialty with regional variations: the Frita Cubana in Florida, with crispy potato strings piled up inside; the Juicy Lucy in Minnesota, with cheese stuffed into the meat patty; the Oklahoma-style onion burger; and New Mexico's green chile cheeseburger, to name a few. Then you have lobster rolls (different in Maine to Massachusetts), and clam chowder (different in Manhattan to Boston). And finally there's barbecue, surely their greatest gift to the culinary world, a seemingly simple practice of smoking or grilling meat, though one that will be subtly different in every state you visit, with different cuts of meat, different cooking techniques, different sauces and different sides. Enjoy pulled pork sandwiches in Memphis, Tennessee; pork ribs slathered in thick, sweet sauce in Kansas City; whole-beast cookery in North Carolina; vinegar-based sauces in South Carolina; and juicy, smoked brisket in Texas, where powerfully flavoured sauces are considered almost sacrilege, because meat is king. Is this the stuff, you have to ask, of a culinary wasteland? Does this sound like foodie hell? Not quite. Five dishes you have to eat in the US Gumbo, Louisiana This is the classic Creole stew, a hearty mix of meat, sausage and shellfish, bathing in a heavily flavoured broth. That soup is thickened with a rich roux that's made from either okra or file (dried and ground sassafras roots), the choice of which will be determined by where in Louisiana you happen to find yourself. Regardless, the gumbo will be served on rice, and it will be robust and delicious. Loading Pizza, everywhere Pizza is Italian, of course. But it's also American. Think of the classic takeout pizza chains – they're all American. And there are distinctly American styles of pizza too, from the gigantic, floppy New York slice to the Chicago deep-dish, all slathered in sweet, oregano-rich tomato sauce and oddly yellow mozzarella. Wherever you are in the US, pizza is always a good option. Barbecue, everywhere Here's another nationwide cuisine that is rich in variation and local pride. Almost every US state has its own style of barbecue – some with tomato-based sauces, some vinegar-based; some focused on cuts of beef, others pork – and they're all good for their own reasons. This sort of slow, patient gastronomy promotes the idea of community, not to mention passionate cookery, and should be on everyone's hit list. Lobster roll, New England The attraction here doesn't require a lot of explanation: you take your lobster meat, you put it in a soft roll. Keen? Course you are. Lobster rolls, in the north-eastern states that make up New England, are a classic that make use of a readily available though still luxurious ingredient. The only question is, do you prefer yours drowned in butter, or slathered with mayo? Shrimp and grits, South Carolina Here's another classic soul food dish of the south, this one native to the Carolinas and Georgia. Shrimp and grits is a traditional breakfast dish – the grits are dried ground corn cooked in chicken stock and then mixed with cheese, topped with grilled prawns and often sauteed mushrooms. And your day is off to a good start.
The Age
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
America has some genuinely terrible food. It also has some of the best
But how about the Pacific Northwest, the region that takes in the likes of Oregon and Washington State, of Seattle, Portland and Willamette Valley? Seattle is a surprise winner, with a cuisine based largely around ingredients native to the Puget Sound, upon whose shores the city sits. This is oyster country, though you'll also find Dungeness crabs, geoduck clams, prawns, abalone, salmon and herring. The city's dining scene doesn't begin and end, however, with seafood. At Beast and Cleaver, chef Kevin Smith runs a whole-beast butcher shop that morphs into a whole-beast restaurant on weekends. At Sophon, Karuna Long serves up Cambodian Khmer cuisine. At The Walrus and the Carpenter, star chef Renee Erikson takes much of what makes Seattle great – the fresh seafood, the high-quality meat, the experimental flare – and turns it into something even more beautiful. Oh, and then there's Portland, in Oregon, with its incredible array of craft breweries, its diverse range of South-East Asian eateries, and its wine bars specialising in the fruits of the Willamette Valley, possibly the best wine region in the US, just an hour down the road. Let's continue the gastronomic adventure. Let's go to Las Vegas, of all places, a city in a desert, but a magnet for celebrity chefs drawn by the riches of the famous Strip. The truly great food here, however, is served up in the suburbs, away from that neon catwalk. At Esther's Kitchen, chef James Trees serves up classic Italian soul food that's been tweaked for modern audiences. At the Golden Steer, meanwhile, they're char-grilling artisanal steaks in a historic location on an old strip mall. And Tacos el Gordo does some of the best Mexican food north of the border. There are more foodie destinations around the country. New Orleans is a justifiably famous hub for Cajun and Creole cuisines, though there's also great Italian-American food here, and wine-matched fine-dining at the likes of Saint-Germain. Chicago – known around the world now thanks to cheffy TV series The Bear – has a food scene to back up its new-found fame, with everything from Michelin stars to down-home deep-dish pizza. Honolulu is another crowd pleaser, the home of the poke bowl, among plenty of delicacies native to the state, served up in appropriately relaxed surrounds. And there's Austin, Texas, a sure-fire winner thanks to its deeply ingrained culture of barbecue and Tex-Mex cuisine. Many of these cities specialise in a certain cuisine, or are known for a certain dish. Though sometimes, it's the dish that earns the fame, and which is adapted and copied throughout the country. In fact, in many states, you will find regionally specific versions of certain foods that are often very different to their counterparts in other states. Pizza is one. There's the famed New York slice, a huge pizza with a base that's thin and pliable enough to require folding in half when you pick it up (mostly to prevent it from drooping and dropping all your pepperoni on the floor). But then there's New Haven-style pizza, thinner and more heavily charred than its NYC cousin. There's Detroit-style pizza, rectangular, thick and doughy. Chicago has its famed deep-dish pizza, which is a cheese-lover's dream (and a dieter's nightmare). And in St Louis they have thin, round pizzas cut into square slices. Burgers are another specialty with regional variations: the Frita Cubana in Florida, with crispy potato strings piled up inside; the Juicy Lucy in Minnesota, with cheese stuffed into the meat patty; the Oklahoma-style onion burger; and New Mexico's green chile cheeseburger, to name a few. Then you have lobster rolls (different in Maine to Massachusetts), and clam chowder (different in Manhattan to Boston). And finally there's barbecue, surely their greatest gift to the culinary world, a seemingly simple practice of smoking or grilling meat, though one that will be subtly different in every state you visit, with different cuts of meat, different cooking techniques, different sauces and different sides. Enjoy pulled pork sandwiches in Memphis, Tennessee; pork ribs slathered in thick, sweet sauce in Kansas City; whole-beast cookery in North Carolina; vinegar-based sauces in South Carolina; and juicy, smoked brisket in Texas, where powerfully flavoured sauces are considered almost sacrilege, because meat is king. Is this the stuff, you have to ask, of a culinary wasteland? Does this sound like foodie hell? Not quite. Five dishes you have to eat in the US Gumbo, Louisiana This is the classic Creole stew, a hearty mix of meat, sausage and shellfish, bathing in a heavily flavoured broth. That soup is thickened with a rich roux that's made from either okra or file (dried and ground sassafras roots), the choice of which will be determined by where in Louisiana you happen to find yourself. Regardless, the gumbo will be served on rice, and it will be robust and delicious. Loading Pizza, everywhere Pizza is Italian, of course. But it's also American. Think of the classic takeout pizza chains – they're all American. And there are distinctly American styles of pizza too, from the gigantic, floppy New York slice to the Chicago deep-dish, all slathered in sweet, oregano-rich tomato sauce and oddly yellow mozzarella. Wherever you are in the US, pizza is always a good option. Barbecue, everywhere Here's another nationwide cuisine that is rich in variation and local pride. Almost every US state has its own style of barbecue – some with tomato-based sauces, some vinegar-based; some focused on cuts of beef, others pork – and they're all good for their own reasons. This sort of slow, patient gastronomy promotes the idea of community, not to mention passionate cookery, and should be on everyone's hit list. Lobster roll, New England The attraction here doesn't require a lot of explanation: you take your lobster meat, you put it in a soft roll. Keen? Course you are. Lobster rolls, in the north-eastern states that make up New England, are a classic that make use of a readily available though still luxurious ingredient. The only question is, do you prefer yours drowned in butter, or slathered with mayo? Shrimp and grits, South Carolina Here's another classic soul food dish of the south, this one native to the Carolinas and Georgia. Shrimp and grits is a traditional breakfast dish – the grits are dried ground corn cooked in chicken stock and then mixed with cheese, topped with grilled prawns and often sauteed mushrooms. And your day is off to a good start.
Cision Canada
27-05-2025
- Business
- Cision Canada
MEXC Announces the Listing of Sophon (SOPH) with $40,000 in SOPH and 50,000 USDT Prize Pool
VICTORIA, Seychelles, May 27, 2025 /CNW/ -- MEXC, a leading global cryptocurrency exchange, will list Sophon (SOPH) on May 28, 2025 (UTC).To celebrate the listing, MEXC is launching a special event for new and existing users, featuring a total prize pool of $40,000 in SOPH and 50,000 USDT. Sophon Network (SOPH) bridges the gap in blockchain mainstream adoption by delivering user-friendly blockchain applications that seamlessly integrate into everyday digital life. As the ecosystem matures, the project leverages Validium technology within the ZKsync Elastic Chain to offer high performance and a smooth user experience, two essentials for widespread adoption. SOPH is the native utility token of the Sophon Network ecosystem, used for gas fee payments and rewarding node operators. With a fixed total supply of 10 billion tokens, SOPH forms the core economic model of the platform, enabling users to engage with a variety of consumer-focused blockchain applications. The Sophon (SOPH) Airdrop+ event runs from May 27, 2025, 11:00 (UTC) to June 6, 2025, 11:00 (UTC) and includes the following benefits: Benefit 1: New users who deposit SOPH will share $30,000 in SOPH. Benefit 2: All users can participate in the Futures Challenge to share 50,000 USDT in Futures bonuses. Benefit 3: All users can invite new users to share $10,000 in SOPH. MEXC has established itself as an industry leader by consistently providing users with early access to promising crypto projects. According to the latest TokenInsight report, MEXC led the industry with an impressive 461 spot listings. During each bi-weekly period, MEXC maintained a high listing frequency, consistently ranking among the top six exchanges and demonstrating its ability to capture market trends quickly. To date, MEXC has listed more than 3,000 digital assets. MEXC will maintain its industry-leading listing efficiency, innovate, and expand its offerings, ensuring users can access the best opportunities in the ever-evolving crypto landscape. For full event details and participation rules, please visit here. About MEXC Founded in 2018, MEXC is committed to being "Your Easiest Way to Crypto." Serving over 40 million users across 170+ countries, MEXC is known for its broad selection of trending tokens, everyday airdrop opportunities, and low trading fees. Our user-friendly platform is designed to support both new traders and experienced investors, offering efficient access to digital assets. MEXC prioritizes simplicity and innovation, making crypto trading more accessible and rewarding. The information provided in this article regarding cryptocurrencies does not constitute investment advice. Given the highly volatile nature of the cryptocurrency market, investors are encouraged to carefully assess market fluctuations, the fundamentals of projects, and potential financial risks before making any trading decisions.
Business Mayor
24-05-2025
- Business
- Business Mayor
World's Top Crypto Exchange by Trading Volume Announces Upcoming Support for Consumer-Focused Altcoin on Binance Alpha
The world's largest crypto exchange by trading volume is announcing upcoming support for an entertainment altcoin on its early-access platform. In a new announcement, Binance says it's adding support for Sophon (SOPH), an interoperable layer-2 scaling solution made for the entertainment industry, on Binance Alpha, a feature of the Binance Wallet which launched in December 2024 that lets users discover emerging web3 projects before they gain mainstream popularity. 'Binance is excited to announce that Sophon (SOPH) will open for trading on Binance Alpha starting 2025-05-28 13:00 (UTC). In addition, Binance Futures will launch SOPHUSDT Perpetual Contract with up to 50x leverage at 2025-05-28 13:30 (UTC).' Sophon aims to create mainstream uses for blockchain technology by integrating it into everyday events, such as gaming. 'Sophon is an innovative ZK (zero-knowledge) chain built on the ZKsync Elastic Chain vision, designed to become the hub of consumer crypto by creating engaging, accessible, and widely-used applications that extend beyond the existing crypto-native audience. As a Validium-based Layer 2 solution, Sophon leverages advanced blockchain technology to offer higher throughput, low transaction fees, and seamless interoperability with other ZK chains, all while maintaining the security of the Ethereum mainnet.' Zero-knowledge proofs allow one party to prove that a cryptographic statement is true without disclosing any additional information. SOPH, the project's native token used to pay gas fees and reward validators, has yet to launch but is slated to debut next week. Follow us on X, Facebook and Telegram Don't Miss a Beat – Subscribe to get email alerts delivered directly to your inbox Check Price Action
