Just another sunset in Chicago

Of all of the cities that were scheduled during America! The Road Trip (yes, I really do use the entire title every time I think about it), Chicago was the one city that I hadn’t really thought all that much about.

Somehow its architecture, food, the ridiculously nice people won me over and it turned out to be my favourite city on our entire holiday (the copious amounts of alcohol we consumed may also have something to do with this).

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Our epic journey

I have a small confession to make. I keep calling my holiday the Road Trip, but the truth is we only actually drove for half of the holiday! After realising that we didn’t actually want to visit any of the cities between Vegas and Chicago, we made the decision to simply fly from Phoenix, cheating yes, but a great decision in the end

In the end our driving route was as follows:

Los Angeles, San Francisco, Redwood Regional Park, Napa Valley, Yosemite National Park, Mammoth Lakes, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon National Park, Monument Valley, Phoenix — a whopping 1486 miles (2391.5km!).

As a point of reference, the quickest direct route from Vegas to Chicago is 1752 miles (2819.6km!!!).

On the road again...

There was a lot of staring at roads like this…

And along the way we got obsessed with the strangest songs ranging from The Book of Mormon soundtrack (mannnnn up!), the Team America soundtrack (so rooonneeery) and… the Dixie Chicks (don’t judge).

My fondest memory of driving is probably speeding through Utah at 160/km while listening to K-Pop (P.S. This is not legal! (The speeding part, not the k-pop part)).

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On the way our journey took us to Los Angeles, San Luis Obispo, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Mammoth Lakes, Las Vegas, Monument Valley, Chicago, Boston and New York.

Take this highway, now imagine staring at it for 6 hours at 160km/hr...

We didn’t drive the entire way, America is too insanely large to cover in only four weeks and as much as I wanted to drive along Route 66, I found out you actually can’t drive the entire way anymore!

I was a terrible blogger along the way, I took no notice of restaurant names, never wrote down any dishes or prices, ate at any random restaurant with a decent rating on Yelp and took photos of anything that took my fancy. It was four weeks of eating, drinking and messing around with friends and it was brilliant.

If I wrote about every restaurant and every stop on the trip I’d be writing for months, so instead I’m just showing off a few of my highlights.

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Thank you so much to everyone who voted for us, it came as a massive shock to hear Eat, Show & Tell called out and to be honest, we’re still in shock *laughs*.

The Awards

This year the Nuffnang Asia-Pacific Blog Awards (NAPBAS) were held at the gorgeous Marriott Putrajaya, with a blogger attendance of over 500 people it was a crush of cameras, gorgeous dresses and some awkward food bloggers (us) cowering in the corner.

With the lovely Liz of Lizosaurus fame

We were paired up with the brilliant Lizosaurus in our category, her vibrant personality, hairstyle and tail-dress were easily the best combination of the night and would have won the award for best outfit, if they were awarding one on the night!

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A few months ago, I had the pleasure of visiting ‘Wellington on a plate’ which is Wellington’s version of our Crave SIFF. This post is long over due, but hopefully it sets the scene for anyone who is considering visiting the event next year.

City Market

The City Market is a weekly market showcasing Wellington’s finest in food and wine. Some of Wellington’s top artisans showcase their talent and fresh goods for the locals.

Martin Bosely, one of New Zealand’s top chefs makes the trip out every week to cook his famous bacon and egg rolls. It’s a nice sight when you see real chefs up close and personal, manning a store when any one of his minions could do the same.

Gorgeous fresh produce

The variety and freshness of fruit and vegetable was amazing. Everything was vibrant and aromatic, and it really inspired me to get into the kitchen after seeing all the fresh produce.

The outdoor market

Outside was an amazing outdoor fruit and vegetable market, run by what looked like local farmers. Locals turned out in the hundreds, picking and choose through baskets of fresh fruit and vegetables. As a spectator, it looked like everyone was genuinely having a good time shopping for their groceries. With fruit and vegetable looking as amazing as this, who wouldn’t be?

Fisher & Paykel MasterClass

The inaugural Wellington Fisher & Paykel Masterclass day is the ultimate festival experience for food enthusiasts. It is very similar to SIFF’s World Chef Showcase, where chefs conduct a ‘masterclass’ which includes tastings and top tips for people to replicate in their own kitchens (if you have the equipment or ingredients).

This years lineup included Desmond Harris, Alexa Johnston, Al Brown, Martin Bosley and Chef Wan from Malaysia. The common theme across all chefs was their passion for their food and cooking style. I was particularly impressed with the honesty of Alexa Johnston and Al Brown. Their philosophy is to cook food which is dear to the heart of New Zealanders, and less focus on world wide culinary trends.

Logan Brown

We also managed to sneak in a dinner at Logan Brown, considered  by many as a dining institution in Wellington. I loved the bistro yet historic feel of the place. The highlight dishes were definitely the Truffled Fries with Reggiano Parmesan!

eatshow&tell was a guest of Tourism New Zealand. Thanks guys.

City Market, Wellington

http://www.citymarket.co.nz

Fisher & Paykel Masterclass

http://www.wellingtononaplate.com

Logan Brown

http://www.loganbrown.co.nz

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New Zealand brings back a lot of fond memories. Not everyone knows this, but I’m actually a Kiwi. I was born and bred in Otahuhu but came to Sydney when I was six (queue kiwi accent joke about sex).  I consider myself Australian now, but there is one thing which I still stand firm on and that is my sporting allegance to New Zealand. Whether it be The All Blacks, Black Caps or Warriors, I’ll always pull the Kiwi card out during a trans tasman rivalry!

Martinbourough Town Centre

Its been a good 12 years since my last visit to New Zealand. Its funny how as Australians we love to hop on a plane to travel to Bali or Bangkok but we seem to neglect our Kiwi neighbours who are no slouch when it comes offering things to do as a holiday destination. I’ve been to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Hong Kong, Macau and recently New York and San Francisco but I’ve yet to go back to roots in New Zealand or visit anywhere outside the East Coast of Australia, poor form.(...)
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My Grandmother is a rocking 85ish year old Chinese woman who seems determined to keep dancing into her twilight years, only a few years back she left for a trip to Egypt and Greece with one of my aunties on the RMS Queen Mary 2, the largest ocean liner ever built. As for Chelsea Handler, if you’ve read her autobiography then no more words are required.

The Pacific Pearl

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Linda and I recently went a short trip to the United States. It was our first time visiting the country and its left a lasting impression on us. We visited both New York and San Francisco, both amazing cities with contrasting cultures, people and life styles.

We only had two and a half days in San Francisco meaning we didn’t have much time to do much.  Instead, we kinda winged this part of the trip but still managed to fit in a nice ride over the Golden Gate Bridge and a few decent feeds here and there.

Golden Gate Bridge

It’s a touristy thing to do, but I reckon the scenic bike road over the bridge is a mandatory part of anyone itinerary. It takes at least 2-3 hours, but the ride goes through several parks, along blue waters and then finally over the bridge which involves dodging tourists and fog.

Better yet, you can try doing jet star-like poses.

This is a common sight in San Fran, tall buildings with New York like stair cases on the outside. I can imagine this coming handy when needing to borrow sugar from the neighbour.

Lombard Street

Lombard Street is an east-west street in San Francisco and is famous for its steepness. Its quite easy to get to, just hop on the tram from downtown and its a 15-20 minute ride. Its also walking distance to Fisherman’s Wharf, another tourist trap spot.

Breakfast, Farm Table

After receiving a tip off from a reliable source, we spent most our mornings having breakfast at a downtown cafe called Farm Table. You’d be hard pressed to find better coffee and breakfast in the downtown area. The menu changes every day and the only way to find out what noms they are serving is to follow their Twitter account.

Macchiato

Full bodied, rich and a nice change from the caramel “macchiato” which everyone seems to order from Starbucks. This was the best coffee I had in the US, even trumping New York.

Eggs over baguette, pureed spinach, royal trumpet mushrooms, peas

Eggs over baguette, ham, spinach

Lunch, In & Out Burger and Tacos

Cheeseburger

Just putting it out there, one of the best burgers I’ve ever tasted. A few reasons:

• Made fresh, on the spot. You can see them putting your burger together, even if it is by someone who looks like Gary Coleman.
• Meat is cooked to order, with cheese put on top of the meat patty during cooking
• You can specify how you want your chips cooked. well? well done? soft?
• Cheap. You can get a meal with chips and drink for maybe $6 US?

Tacos on Mission Street.

After eating tacos in San Francisco, it makes me wonder how Mexican food in Sydney got to where it is currently. The tacos on Mission st are on another level, packed full of flavour and fillings. In addition, they are cheap as chips with most average at $2.50 US each taco.

Dinner

Incanto

Once again another tip off from a reliable source, Incanto exceeded all expectations.

The highlight was the seared foi gras dish below which was a daily special. Delicately seared foi gras with toasted macadamias and raw mushrooms.

Simplicity, freshness, kick ass-ness.

Boccalone salumi platter

What makes this salumi platter is the house made pickled vegetables and roast garlic. Melt in your mouth meats, crunchy and acidic pickles and a gentle crush of roasted garlic left us contemplating getting a second serving of this entree, which was more the size of a main.

Commonwealth

Described as a “progressive American Restaurant’, we could see why. We initially didn’t have this restaurant on our radar but I somehow spotted it through the corner of my eye whilst looking for more Taco’s on Mission st, in San Francisco’s Mission District.

crispy young hen, carrots cooked in hay, marble potatoes, dill, buttermilk mousse

lemon sponge cake, thyme ice cream, candied honey, créme fraîche *

San Francisco has a little bit of Sydney and a little bit of Melbourne. One thing I did notice was the abundance of bums roaming the streets. They were harmless, but it was interesting to see the contrast of a beautiful city (albeit being only in Downtown) and the issue of homeless people and how it was being managed.

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Streets of New Orleans

We mainly hung around the French Quarter area, where the city was originally centered around. Now, the city has grown and gourmet & awesome restaurants, bars, b&b’s & cafes stretches out from Frenchman St, in the Maigny area (east of the French Quarter) to the Garden District.

The French Quarter was one of the few areas that was lightly affected by Hurricane Katrina. I read that it’s most of the outer suburbs which were highly affected and many still remain damaged and abandoned, even 5 year after the hurricane. But the French Quarter is still a hustle & bustling area, filled with hotels, restaurants, bars, strip clubs and masses of people walking down closed off streets, drinking gallons of alcohol out of plastic cups, otherwise called “to-go cups”. New Orleans is one of the few cities that allow drinking on the streets, only in plastic cups or bottles.

Streets of New Orleans

Other than great food, New Orleans is best known for Jazz music. I’m not a fan of jazz, or I mean I WASN’T a fan of Jazz music until I experienced New Orleans. I found the best place for Jazz music was on Frenchmen Street, especially at The Spotted Cat or dba. I went to The Spotted Cat twice to see the performances, and loved it both times! The upbeat energetic music really gave life to the area. People danced on the streets, strangers greeting one another, bead necklaces were exchanged. (Speaking of bead necklaces, New Orleans is second to San Francisco for gay friendliness. Mardi Gras bead necklaces were everywhere! In stores, the sidewalk, bins, etc… Leave a comment if you know what meaning of the Mardi Gras beads are.)

Let’s get back to the food… Trying to take advantage of the public holiday, I packed what most people would eat over a week, in just 3 days. For me, I had 3 things I NEEDED to eat in NOLA: jambalaya, crayfish & po-boys, all popular N’Awlins foods. I definitely ate more than my share over the 3 day eating adventure, so here is part one…

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Post tags: cajun, Hello from NYC, New Orleans, Southern

Ever since discovering Momofuku, I’ve always wanted to try the Bo Ssam. In the Momofuku cookbook, the Bo Ssam seems very time-consuming to make, no wonder why it costs $200 for the Bo Ssam at the restaurant! Momofuku recommends 6-10 people, so I had to muster up some friends willing to eat enough pork that would turn us into vegetarians for at least the next week. Lucky for me, I have 7 food-loving friends willing to take the dive with me so I could share this experience with you.

Inside Momofuku Ssam Bar

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Every time I told anyone of the length of the stopovers, they’d pull a face, but as we found out, layovers just fly by when you’re sufficiently distracted. And with Singapore, there’s plenty to distract you with for a good handful of hours (if you’re willing of course).

Merlion and Monobrow Building

Naturally, we had to visit the Merlion (it being R’s first trip to Singapore and all), which was actually quite convenient as the restaurant we were about to have dinner at was nearby.

I had enlisted the help of the Ninja himself and he graciously scared up a table for us – during Chinese New Year nonetheless! (Yes, it’s been a while since then, I do apologise). We arrived a tad early for our booking, but the staff bade us to sit down anyway. Bright-eyed and brimming with badly concealed excitement, we ordered the famous Singaporean Chilli Crab.

Unfortunately for us, what we didn’t count on was the scarcity of crab due to Chinese New Year… unless of course we were willing to eat Alaskan Snow Crab at $180 per kg. As much as we love crab, it was just a bit too much to chew. I don’t know what we would have ordered instead had Ninja not been there with his quick wits, but sure as all heck it wouldn’t have been the delicious dinner we had!

Crispy Cereal Crayfish and Salty Fish Fried Rice

Last time I was in Singapore, I had crispy cereal prawns and I remembered them to be too perfect for words. In switching it up, Ninja had ordered Crispy Cereal Crayfish and it was better than what I had remembered. The cereal oats added a crispness to the juicy and succulent crayfish, as well as a well-balanced sweetness. Though we did find out the hard way that if you eat too many oats by itself, it can get to you a bit.

The Salty Fish Fried Rice would have been a dish we wouldn’t have chosen, but Ninja knowing his stuff, chose the perfect rice dish as a counterpoint to the sweetness of the crayfish dish, as well as the richness of the Deep Fried Butter Prawns.

Deep Fried Butter Prawns

R and I have never had this dish before and just thinking about it now makes me wish I had a plate of it. For something that sounds like a heart-attack-on-a-plate (and most probably was), the deep fried butter prawns didn’t taste like it: you know… the overtly greasy feel, the quickening of the heart. The prawns were nothing like that.

They were still extraordinarily juicy with an utterly crispy batter and the stringy butter (what I originally thought were egg for some reason) tasted quite creamy. It is definitely a dish I would order again.

Sadly that was all we could fit in and while Ninja was off on an assignation during our second stopover, R and I determinedly came back to try their Singaporean Chilli Crab.

We got there super early (we had skipped a couple of destinations we had planned) and ended up reading our Kindles at one of the outside tables for about an hour, as they got ready for service.

While we were trying to decide what else to order (besides the Chilli Crab), our “waitress” came over to take our order. I say “waitress” because she seemed more like a “madam” than anything else.

Seeing that there were only two of us and what we were going to order, she quickly advised, in a matronly bossy way, that was we should get the banquet for two at SGD$139: “best price. 100%. Guaranteed.” With such an endorsement, we could not say no.

Salad Lobster

Our reactions to the salad lobster was a bit mixed. My eyes lit up when I saw the presentation, while R made a slightly horrified face. I asked her if everything was okay and she spun the dish around so I could see what she had seen: I made a face. It looked a bit like an alien and we both got a bit creeped out (if somehow still being amused by it).

We weren’t sure what the sauce was, but it was light and creamy with a very slight tang. It paired so well with the succulent lobster meat and diced apples. We were a bit sorry to see it all go, but we were already looking forward to the crab dish that we’ve been waiting 2 weeks for. And now, we were two dishes closer…

Garlic Fried Vegetable and Shark Fin Soup with Conpoy and Scallop

R and I both love our veggies, so we were glad to have some greens on the menu and I think it’s pretty telling when a restaurant excels at making a simple dish taste so divine.

Although R adores most seafood, she actually doesn’t like shark fin soup, citing that it tastes a bit too fishy for her. I didn’t know this until we were eating the soup and I felt slightly bad that there was something she didn’t like on the menu, but then she added that she quite liked this version.

True it was slightly different to the usual shark fin soup I’ve had at wedding banquets; the flavour was a tad milder, but not by much. There were something extra in the soup though – a moreness to it – that really made it one of the best shark fin soup I’ve had, though I can’t pinpoint what exactly.

Two more dishes down, next up… Chilli Crab!!!

Chilli Crab and Agar Jelly with Lychee

So we finally managed to eat the chilli crab and oh, it was well worth the wait. Apparently we were noobs and we had it with rice instead of bread, but it was still so very good. Not as spicy as I had imagined it would be (thankfully), but still spicy enough for it to have a good kick.

I couldn’t believe just how much meat there was on the crab and it felt like we were eating forever – digging out all the nooks and crannies for the delectable crab meat.

Fully sated, satisfied and perhaps even a little bit messier than we first started, we moved onto dessert. It was a simple affair, which I think after a large lunch, we were grateful for. The lightness of the dish was refreshing after all that food and was the perfect top-off.

Inside No Signboard

No Signboard, as I understood it, is a very sought after restaurant where their chilli crab is considered to be one of the best (if not, the best) in Singapore. We happened to dine there perhaps a little too early for their normal clientèle, so I can’t truly say that their service was quick, but they were quite attentive and fulfilled our orders with speed and efficiency.

Art Installation and ... Ninja Sighting??

Our first stopover was during Chinese New Year and it was pretty cool to see various art installation dedicated to or inspired by the holiday. We took some pretty silly photos over the course of our stay and while I think it’d be hilarious to show you guys, I don’t think R nor Ninja would be equally as pleased.

Paradise (SGD$18) and Flower Blossom (SGD$20)

Oh! I almost forgot. We had some time to kill and needing a dessert fix during our first layover, Ninja took us to Haagen Dazs, which just hit the spot. I think ice cream would make anyone smile, but great ice cream can make any grumpy person happy.

Finally, I could not not show you something that boggled our minds when we first saw it.

R and I visited the Monobrow Building Marina Bay Sands building during our second layover and as we meandered around in the mostly closed shopping centre (it was 10am, way early by Singaporean standards I think) that had a lot of expensive and posh stores in it, we rounded the corner and was greeted by this:

Indoor Canal!

It’s an indoor canal. Like what the heck!!! I mean, you could hire canal boats complete with a boating person to paddle you up and down the strip. Although we know that places like Abu Dhabi would be a lot more extravagant than this, it was our first time actually experiencing something like this (well, for me any way). It fairly blew our minds.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my somewhat sporadic blogging of my trip to Japan (with a mini, side-trip to Singapore)… thanks for bearing with me!

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Post tags: Dessert, Seafood

Nikko

Nikko was so serene, beautiful and intensely cold. I was wearing two socks but even so, I could feel my feet quickly turning into blocks of ice in a matter of moments without my shoes within the temples and shrines. I was really grateful that M warned us how cold it would be and we at least had the foresight to wear our snow jackets. So note to anyone visiting Nikko in the winter: dress warmly, wear super thick socks (possibly with one of those heater pads inside), be wary of ice (cramp ons are a safe bet) and be ready to print out information on the places you visit as there are very little English translations of why something is so important. (I really feel like I missed out there).

Outside Junkadelic

We’ve passed Junkadelic several times on our way to the Metro, it’s cheery exterior (and it being Mexican of all things) piqued our interest. Also, M mentioned in passing that they served pretty decent Mexican fare, so we felt that we should at least try it before we left.

Nachos (Regular, 750 Yen) and Empanada (700 Yen)

The nacho chips were wonderfully crunchy and I loved the abundance of melted cheese. There was not, however, enough of that awesome guacamole. We had to ask for some more, which we also polished off. I still rave on about that guacamole – it was just simply fantastic: bright flavours, not too salty and dreamily creamy.

The empanadas looked a bit different to what we were used to and it tasted a bit different too. However, the description on the menu should have tipped us off that it was a bit different: seafood in bechamel sauce rolled into tortillas and fried.

Inside Junkadelic

Junkadelic was pretty cool, being so cheery outside and in, and the staff was really friendly. It’s a pity we didn’t get to try more dishes (it would appear that when you’re tired, the appetite is also affected – who would have thunk), I would love to come back and try their quesadillas!

Junkadelic
2-21-2 #102, Akasaka
Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Ph: 03-3224-0750
Web: junkadelic.jp/

Outside Akasaka Ittenbari

On our first day in Tokyo, M insisted that we try his favourite ramen place, which he touted to be the best in Tokyo. Best ramen in Tokyo? I was instantly sold.

Spicy Miso Ramen (750 Yen)

Unless it’s a meat dish, R would most certainly pick the spiciest dish on the menu. It looked pretty spicy too! I was told that the ramen was deliciously spicy and had a pretty decent kick to it.

Look how big that bowl is! That’s the standard bowl ramen comes in – there’s also “jumbo” bowls available as well and they are unbelievably huge. Who can possibly eat all of it?! Crazy. But I digress.

Awerse Ramen (700 Yen + Men-ma, 200 Yen)

I’m not sure why, but the rest of us ordered the same ramen – we differed in our toppings though. There’s quite a few on offer such as bean sprouts, more meat slices, seaweed and pickled bamboo (but I think they’re pretty staple add-ons?) for a few bob extra.

The broth was pretty rich and hearty, though a touch too salty for myself, but the noodles were perfect and the meat so wonderfully tender. It was however, surprisingly spicy. There wasn’t a lot of heat to it, but the heat built up as I ate and I found myself gulping down lots of water. My friends looked on with amusement as they didn’t think it was spicy at all. Sigh.

Inside Akasaka Ittenbari

Akasaka Ittenbari is a tiny, tiny restaurant where the ramen is dished out by a no nonsense wait staff and made by quick and efficient chefs. It seemed like one of those places where you order your usual, eat and then leave. No loitering, no shenanigans. A place where you go to sate you ramen craving and leave very well sated indeed. I think I need a ramen fix after this!

At Pierre Herme

On our last day, I dragged R to Pierre Herme. I was determined to visit his Tokyo store, as I missed out when I was in Paris a couple of years back. Determined as I was, when we got to Shibuya I quickly realised, despite looking at the map for a whole week, I had forgotten to write down the directions on how to get there. Geez. It took us a while, but we finally found it and it was like finding gold at the end of a rainbow.

We weren’t allowed to take photos inside (sadness, our waitress came out with this massive silver platter with the entire pastry range arranged just so that made our eyes pop), so sadly I had to make do with this shot.

While R went for a pastry that was accompanied with a chocolate mocktail concoction, I had two pastries and oh my goodness, it was like we had died and gone to heaven – they were so amazing! You could taste all the individual components, delicious on their own, but made perfect harmony when eaten together. Nothing was out of place or seemed unnecessary.

I gamely bought 6 macarons to take home for F, hoping that it would last the two days of being in transit. (It did, much to my relief and our tastebuds.)

Pierre Herme
5-51-8 Jingumae
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Ph: 03-5485-7766
Web: http://www.pierreherme.com/content/FR/EN/boutiques/index.cgi?&cwsid=6463ph0A000108ph6824407

Pastries and Bagel from Pompadour

We could not believe just how many pastries and bakeries there are in Tokyo. It’s like there’s one on every corner! And of course, we found it hard pressed to not go in and sample a little of their wide selection.

In the end, our favourite bakery was Pompadour. We were lured in with all the bread and pastries in the display window, then we were made giddy with the wonderful, sweet, warm smell of freshly baked bread and cakes.

Pompadour was not all show and no-go: the sour cherries in custard danish, the flaky and sweet pear and (what we think is) rhubarb pie, and the slightly sweet blueberry bagel were absolutely amazing. The flavours were just spot on and the pastry! Oh.. so good. Just so you know, we had gently heated them in the grill for breakfast the next day, but managed to burn a bit of the pie – so it wasn’t their dodgy baking skills, it’s more like ours haha.

We also had a gooey chocolate-centered brownie-muffin top hybrid topped with chocolate chips, but we kind of ate that deliciousness before I got around to taking a photo of it (sorry).

Pompadour
6-2-35 Roppongi
Minato-ku, Tokyo
Ph: 03-3401-5695
Web: http://www.pompadour.co.jp/

From Monjya Izakaya Smile Kojyo Shinjuku Nishiguchi branch

On our last night in Tokyo, we squeezed in a quickie dinner with some friends before dashing off for a midnight flight back to Sydney via Singapore.

Monjya Izakaya has a massive range of food (which I can’t detail here because I had no idea what we ordered), either a la carte or as a set menu. One of the set menus is an all you can eat for 3,500 Yen. You get an appetizer, salad, 3 types of teppanyaki, okonomiyaki, monjya, dessert and all you can drink. That’s right… All. You. Can. Drink. This includes alcoholic beverages, which my friends most certainly took advantage of.

It was my first time having okonomiyaki and it was so much fun to make, as well as eat! I can’t wait to do something like this in Sydney (if we even do have an okonomiyaki place that is).

Monjya Izakaya is a cheerful restaurant with enthusiastic and friendly wait staff. The food was quite delicious and with an all you can eat and drink set menu for 3,500 yen I know I’ll be back to properly take advantage of enjoy such a feast.

Monjya Izakaya Smile Kojyo Shinjuku Nishiguchi branch
Atlas Nishishinjuku building 5F,
1-15-8, Nishishinjuku,
Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023
Ph: 03-5339-7277
Web: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/g622511/lang/en/

So, here ends my brief foray into Japan. It’s more like a toe-dip than anything else, I know, so I just can’t wait to go back to try more scrumptious food, snacks and take in the history and culture that Japan has to offer!

© squishies for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 16 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dessert, pork

So it was a bit of a rude surprise that when we got to Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport, I realised that I wasn’t so organised after all. I had our friend’s apartment address, but not much else; no directions, no idea which part of Tokyo where it was. Nada! I think we spent 2 hours working out where we needed to go and trying to get there.

When we finally met up with our friend M, we were a little tired, but rather pleased we made it and maybe also a little bit hungry. Not really sure what we wanted to eat, we roamed around Akasaka for a bit before M made an executive decision and took us to “Watami”.

I actually don’t know where we ate (I stupidly lost their business card), but he said it was “Watami or something like that” and stated that it was a chain restaurant, not worth blogging about. R and I actually quite liked what we had, so I’m going to have to ignore his advice (even though I don’t really know what it’s really called).

Prawn and Avocado Spring Roll (523 Yen) and Salmon Sashimi (500 Yen)

I don’t know about the other guys, but I was a little surprised when the spring roll came out; I was expecting something fried, not wrapped up in what looked like tofu skins. Not that it was a bad thing, it was quite yummy and refreshing. Kinda like a healthy spring roll option.

Scallops and Homemade Crispy Gyoza Dumpling (313 Yen)

After the odd scallops we ate in Niseko, I wondered what these scallops would turn out to be like (kind of hoping that it wouldn’t be too much like what we had). Happily they were pretty normal, if a little over done.

The gyozas made an impression on us when they came out.. they were upside down! They were also wonderfully crispy and piping hot.

Edamame (313 Yen) and Cheesy Rolled Egg with Mayonnaise sauce (523 Yen)

Funnily enough, we’ve been in Japan for a whole week already and we haven’t had what I consider to be an essentially Japanese dish: edamame. It was of course delicious with its light saltiness, though then again, I don’t think edamame can ever be bad.

Meanwhile, the cheesy egg roll was marvellously creamy and a total hit with the table. Definitely R’s favourite dish of the night.

Deep Fried Chicken Wings (363 Yen) and Barkeeper's Homemade Pasta Salad (373 Yen)

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve had so many deep fried chicken before… until I came to Japan and I’m starting to find that I miss the crunchy goodness and succulent meat.

I think the salad was more of an after thought than anything else, but it was quite nice and creamy.

Chocolate Fondant with Frozen Yoghurt and Ice Cream (600 Yen)

We had a little dilemma when we came to dessert. Ideally, three people dining usually means at least 2 different desserts, 3 at best. However, we all had our eye on the chocolate fondant and not really willing to try any other dessert just in case it wasn’t as good as the fondant (terrible, I know).

In hindsight, it’s always good to have a back-up. Not that it was bad – it was awesomely chocolate-y, just not oozing, gooey chocolate like we had expected and for some reason, that disappointed us more than I had thought it would. The fondant not only came with ice cream and cream, but frozen yoghurt! Yum. I thought that kind of made up for the non-gooey-ness… almost.

Walking into “Watami” was kind of funny – it felt like an international incident as I almost blundered into the restaurant with my shoes on and my friends behind me hissing, “Shoes! Shoes! SHOES!!!!“. The offending shoes were placed into a locker and we were given the wooden locker tag block thing before being ushered to a cosy booth; all of which I thought was rather interesting and cool (clearly I’m such a big tourist).

Studio Ghibli!

R and I are massive fan of Studio Ghibli’s works, so it was a no brainer that we would go to its museum in Mitaka (on Valentine’s day no less). We excitedly pointed out recognisable inspirations to each other (almost but not quite squealing) and were equally disappointed that we couldn’t go into the cat-bus; it was strictly for kids (toddlers, even). Although it was smaller than we expected, it was such an awesome experience – seeing the inspirations of our much adored Studio Ghibli animations, learning how they create them and appreciating just how much work goes into one feature. A definite must for any fans of animated movies / Studio Ghibli fans.

Museum of Nature and Science

The next day found us at the Museum of Nature and Science. We figured that it will take us about 2 to 3 hours to get through (like our Australian Museum back at home), but no… we were there for 6 hours. Yes, six!!! I know it sounds crazy, but the museum had more than six levels (across two buildings) and the amount of detail they put into their displays was amazing; half of one of the levels was modelled after a woodland scene (the bottom image), complete with stuffed animals and insects found in the woodlands like deer and warthogs. It was just insane. Also their collection of dinosaur bones (real and replica) was spectacular! There were so many dinosaurs… I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many ever!

Okay, okay… I’m likely to keep raving on about this museum, so I’ll leave it there.

Hatos Bar

That night, M took us to his favourite bar. He is currently obsessed with the ribs there, which he vows are the best he’s ever had. A pretty big claim, as I’ve had some pretty awesome ribs.

We travelled for what seemed like forever – going underground, through back streets – but we finally made it and feeling quite ravenous.

Chips and Salsa (700 Yen) and Baby Back Ribs (Half, 1000 Yen)

Hatos Bar’s menu doesn’t quite cater for pescetarians (or vegetarians), so R went with the chips and salsa, which wasn’t like the nachos she was told to expect, but it was still rather tasty.

Meanwhile, M and I tucked into the scrumptiously smoky, fall-off-the-bone ribs. It was seriously divine and crunchy shoestring chips were the perfect finishing touch to the dish. Did it meet my friend’s outrageous claim of it being the best? Mmm, almost; it’s definitely in my Top 3 in any case (and M’s probably feeling a little indignant after reading that haha… Sorry M! Just saying it like it is).

Pulled Pork with Cheese (900 Yen, 100 Yen for Cheese)

The pulled pork look absolutely fantastic and it tasted better than it looked, if that was possible. The pork was wonderfully moist and tender with the perfect amount of smokiness and then topped with that gooey cheese? Definitely yumsters.

M told us that this would be his standard order: half rack ribs with pulled pork and a glass of refreshing beer to chase it all down. It would be perfect had I the stomach space for all of that deliciousness – the ribs itself was surprisingly filling.

Corn Bread (500 Yen) and Brownie with Ice Cream (500 Yen)

To accompany the chips and salsa, R ordered corn bread, which she loved. It came out toasty and with the melted, creamy butter, the corn bread would make her moan with satisfaction (that sounded a bit dirty didn’t it? Sorry… totally unintentional, but it did!).

I’m not sure if the brownies are a fad in Japan right now or if they’ve always sold them, but they’re everywhere! And of course we couldn’t resist the chocolate goodness.

Old school smoker

To get that really authentic, smoky flavour, the guys at Hatos Bar uses a totally old school smoker, which I thought was pretty awesome. I think they said that they’re the only restaurant in Tokyo to use such an old style smoker.

Hatos Bar

Hatos Bar used to be a small art gallery displaying local artists until one idea lead to another and now it’s a cozy place where you can kick back with great food and interesting beer, surrounded by artwork that you purchase. Make that affordable artwork – some pretty neat looking pieces were going for 1,000 Yen! A must visit when you’re in Tokyo – I know I definitely will be back (in any case, I’m sure M would drag me there if I don’t hehe).

Hatos Bar
Prince Corp. 1F. 1-3-5 Nakameguro,
Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Ph: 03-6452-4505
Web: www.hatosbar.com

© squishies for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dessert, pork

After two disappointing visits in which we were turned away from a fully booked Restaurant Rin, we were finally seated inside (bookings are a must, it would seem!).

There were quite a few choices on the menu and it took us a while to decide what to get, but a short time after we had ordered, the food started to roll in.

Salmon Carpaccio (900 Yen) and Agedashi Tofu (600 Yen)

The fresh salmon carpaccio was deliciously delicate in flavour and balanced so well with a citrus-y tang. Meanwhile the agadashi tofu was wonderfully silky and soft on the inside, encased in a slight crisp shell; the sauce adding a lovely salty flavour to the subtleness of the tofu.

Torikush, Lamb Kushi, Butakush and Torikawa

Eating at an izakaya place without having some yakitori would be simply incomplete. We had Chicken Skewers (Torikush for 300 Yen, 2 skewers), Lamb Skewers (Lamb Kushi for 400 Yen, 2 skewers), Pork Skewers (Butakush for 300 Yen, 2 skewers) and Chicken Skin Skewers (Torikawa for 420 Yen, 2 skewers).

The skewers was scrumptiously salty and perfectly cooked, though the lamb did taste a bit lamb-y.

As much as I love chicken skin on chicken, I wasn’t too sure about eating just chicken skin; it seemed a bit… odd. While it was quite tasty, it also tasted surprisingly fatty (well, fattier than we expected) and was quite heavy / rich.

Tebasaki - Chicken Wings (500 Yen) and Tsukune Ume Shiso - Chicken Meat Balls with Sour Plum (470 Yen)

The chicken wings were pretty tasty, but I kind of half-wished there was more bit more marinade to give it some more oompf. The chicken balls, were interesting – quite moist and well-seasoned.

Karikari Chicken - Crispy Chicken Garlic Sauce (650 Yen) and Torimen - Japanese Noodle Soup with Chicken (600 Yen)

The crispy chicken was scrumptiously crunchy, yet succulent and even more delicious with some tangy garlic sauce (though honestly, nothing could really beat El Jannah’s garlic sauce).

The noodle soup was incredibly tasty and it made me feel so… at home; soup perfectly seasoned and noodles done just right, it was comfort food at its best, I thought. Definitely something I would crave for on a cold winter’s night… or if I was sick (like now… it would be sooooo perfect, right now).

Gobou Sticks - Crispy Burdock (500 Yen) and Ikayaki - Grilled Squid (700 Yen)

Funny thing about the deep fried burdock. V was determined to order the burdock, declaring that they were these little fish he’s had before (while we had no idea what the heck it could be). I think we were more than a little dubious, looking at its picture in the menu, and even more so when it came out. The burdock had a satisfying crunch and it became evident the burdock was not any sort of small fish but unmistakeably that of some kind of vegetable. It was also strangely addictive.

I think we were all surprised when the squid came out – I think we weren’t expecting it to look almost whole (despite being chopped up, that is). One bite was all it took to remind me of why I love squid; its soft chewiness and subtle flavour, enhanced by a mildly tangy mayonnaise.

Hotate Butter - Scallops with Butter (600 Yen) and Kakifurai - Deep Fried Oyster (700 Yen)

The scallop itself was okay, maybe a little bit too “fishy” for me, but the others seem to enjoy it.

I wasn’t feeling too adventurous that night and so couldn’t bring myself to tasting the deep fried oyster. Again, the others seem to enjoy it.

Mmmm Sake

I guess if there was one drink you should have while you’re in Japan, it should be sake; we had ours warm and a little sweet. I thought it was cool that the menu indicated how dry or sweet each sake was and loved that we could choose our own cups!!

Brownie Ice Cream (600 yen) and Ice Cream with Blueberry Sauce (600 Yen)

V ordered just the vanilla ice cream with lashings of the sweet blueberry sauce. It looked delicious and I felt a slight pang of envy at the mound of ice cream.

Don’t get me wrong the chocolate brownie was scrumptiously chocolate-y and moist and of course, it would have been even more perfect if I had that much ice cream with it as well. Haha I’m such a pig.

Inside Restaurant Rin

Restaurant Rin is cozy, wholly welcoming (unless they’re booked out, which they usually are) and offers a wide range of delicious dishes.

Yosaku

On our last night in Niseko, we decided to treat ourselves to an hour long massage at this spa massage place (which was a-ma-zing). Hungry but not knowing where to go, we asked the staff where they would recommend for us eat at. Seeing how cold it was, we took the closest recommendation: an izakaya just around the corner.

Outside Yosaku

Yosaku was smoky and bustling. To fit us in, she asked a couple at a table for six to scoot over so we could be seated. It was right at that moment that two people vacated their spots at the bar. Hastily, we asked if we could be seated there instead, seeing how grumpy the couple were.

There wasn’t a wide range of dishes, but there were enough to interest us.

Eggplant Spring Rolls (300 Yen) and Tori - Chicken (180 Yen)

The eggplant spring rolls were wonderfully crispy and so tasty! The teriyaki chicken skewers were succulent and tender.

Shishitou - Peppers (130 Yen) and Shiitake Mushrooms (160 Yen)

R loves chilli and when she ordered the green peppers, she was a surprised (and perhaps a little disappointed) to find that they weren’t spicy at all. Strange but true; they even look like chilli! They tasted more like capsicum than anything else actually.

The shiitake mushrooms were deliciously juicy and smoky, with maybe a bit too much cracked pepper for me, but R ate it with gusto.

Noodle Salada (750 Yen)

Originally that’s all we ordered… until we saw the two ladies next to us chowing down some really awesome looking noodle salad; it was very much of a “we’ll have what she’s having” order hehe.

And boy, was it delicious. Sure the ingredients were super fresh and the noodles cooked perfectly, it was the dressing that really made the salad: refreshingly tangy with a slight bite and a touch of sweetness.

Inside Yosaku

The warm smoky air completely envelopes you when you enter Yosaku – kind of like a giant hug that’s been puffing away at some pork-flavoured cigar. The staff are so friendly and while the menu is not extensive, the dishes were made with obvious love and care.

We departed Niseko the next day in flurries of snow and with heavy hearts. “To have one more day to snowboard!” we sighed and gazed at the retreating sight of the mountain that would majestically loom in the background as we powered through powder snow and trees. Oh Niseko, how I miss you.

Mt Yotei.. heart!

© squishies for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 8 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Dessert, lamb, pork, poultry, Seafood

For the thousands affected by the terrible natural disaster in Japan, please give generously. It doesn’t matter how small the donation may be, every dollar counts.

I’ve never been to Japan before, though most of my friends have been there multiple times. So many of them have gone to the Land of the Rising Sun (and so many times) that they thought I surely must have gone too. Sadly, that was not the case… until now… YAY!!!

The first half of my trip was up in Niseko, Hokkaido, where the snow was re-don-ku-lous – perfect for the main objective of my trip: snowboarding on the much lauded about sweet, sweet powder.

We stayed at Grandpapa Lodge (the sweetest people you would ever meet) and while it wasn’t in the centre of town, it was walking distance to some pretty delicious restaurants.

Redonkulous Amounts of Snow

See! The snow was really crazy!! Our room was on the second floor, so you can see just how high it’s all piled up. And then trying to snowboard whilst it’s snowing was a little tough, but rather exhilarating with the low visibility. Much <3

Tozanken

Inside Tozanken

Anywho, so the first restaurant we went to after a hectic first day of snowboarding was Tozanken, a cheerful ramen place close to the centre of town (just down the road from the Welcome Centre at Hirafu).

Fries (?? yen) and Rice with Green Tea with Toppings (500 yen)

Who orders fries in a ramen place?? Well, it would turn out, that D does and we would come to expect an order of fries at least once a day during the entire trip. I love potatoes, but that was dedication right there.

R, being our resident pescetarian, ordered the rice with green tea. I’ve never heard of such a thing and stared at it in wonder. It was really rice with green tea!!! R lamented that she didn’t get to pour the tea into the rice, like this other restaurant she went to on her last trip. Despite the initial disappointment, she loved the dish and ordered it each time we came back.

Pork Cutlet and Rice in a Bowl (900 yen) and Small Ramen (600 yen)

D adored the pork cutlet and being too busy with eating, I couldn’t get anything else from him hehe.

Looking around, I noticed that the ramen bowls were maaaassssiiiivveee (later I found out, this is totally usual) so I opted for the small ramen. I adore ramen and wondered how much different it would taste in its homeland. Turns out, while overall it might be a bit tastier than back at home, it’s the little things that made the dish a lot better. Like the consistency and texture of the noodles and the rich broth, just naming a couple of things. Maybe it being super cold outside and having something so hearty just plucked at all the right heart strings while cocooning one in its warmth at the same time.

In any case, it’s hard to describe what made it so delicious good, but oh man, Japan definitely has made me love ramen even more (hard to imagine). This bowl of ramen was most definitely the first of many! Yumsters.

Specially Made Asahikawa Ramen (1100 yen)

Tonzanken

Tozanken resides underneath a souvenir store (which is opened til late) and is wonderfully welcoming with food definitely made with love.

Tozanken
Down the road from the Welcome Center
Hirafu-Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan
Ph: 0136-23-4549

Yummy’s Restaurant and Bar

It was kind of funny how we ended up at Yummy’s. There’s a izuyaki restaurant about a minute’s walk from our accommodation, but found out rather disappointingly that they were full. Just as we were about to leave, two elderly gentlemen came in seeking a table as well.

Seeing that getting a table was impossible, one of them wondered out loud if they should go to Yummy’s instead. Although we really didn’t know where we were going to go, we joked with them that we’ll go to Yummy too and steal the last of the tables. I don’t know if it was accidental or one of the guys had guided us, but we found ourselves at Yummy’s 5 minutes later and were ushered upstairs. About 10 minutes later, the two elderly gentlemen also arrived haha.

Proscuitto with Avocado (2,000 yen) and Chicken Mix Pizza (1,200 yen)

I mean, don’t get me wrong – proscuitto is delicious and so is avocado, but together? On a pizza? All my reservations were wiped clean away as soon as it came to our table. It looked delicious and tasted even more so. Who would have thought?

The chicken mix pizza modestly included green peppers (which I took for green capsicums), mushrooms and onion. The chicken was still quite moist and the thin pizza base had a nice crispy edge (and no soggy middle). I loved their liberal use of the tomato sauce – the saucier, the better!

Seafood Mix Pizza (1,600 yen) and Tacos Pizza (1,400 yen)

The seafood mix pizza had shrimp, squid and scallops. I had imagined fat, juicy scallops dotting the pizza, but they actually just had chopped them up, which I guess makes sense as it would be easier to eat. For R and I, this our least favourite pizza, considering we both love seafood. The flavour wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t spectacular either.

As soon as we saw Taco pizza, we had to order it. It sounded so bizarre! The pizza tasted pretty much like a taco (but with very little meat) – a giant soft-shelled taco. A little hard to get our head around the fact that we were really eating a pizza.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Wings (700 yen) and Garlic Bread (400 yen)

The garlic bread was sour-dough with a bit tamer garlic flavour than what we are used to, but it was still pretty good! The buttery bread was nice and crunchy with a soft inner core.

The sweet and spicy chicken wings were insanely good. Thankfully it wasn’t too spicy, but it did have a nice kick to it. Although we were surprisingly full by this stage, we were pretty tempted to order another plate of wings.

Brownie Ice Cream (600 yen) and Hot Chocolate (500 yen)

The brownie was wonderfully moist and the vanilla ice cream pretty decent, while the hot chocolate was awesomely creamy and chocolatey; it really hit the sweet spot!

View from the top

Yummy’s a pretty fun place to go to eat, where the tables upstairs are the tradition low tables I associate with Japan (downstairs are normal, “western-style” tables). The food’s pretty satisfying and surprisingly filling.

Yummy’s Restaurant and Bar
Next to #3 Grand Hirafu Shuttle Bus Stop
Hirafu-Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan
Ph: 0136-21-2239

So, here ends the first part of some of my eats in Niseko. Next week, we finally get to eat at Restaurant Rin (third time lucky!) and the funky izakaya, Yosuke.

And because it’s just too pretty not to share, I shall leave you with a most common sight bordering the slopes (thanks R for letting me use her photos!).

Heart!

© squishies for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags:

Yes, I’m still alive, just been MIA for a little while. The end of 2010 and early 2011 involved separate trips to Vietnam, Chicago and London, Thanksgiving, Christmas, NY and CNY celebrations and snow blizzards. Oh those snow blizzards were painful! Although the falling of snow is extremely beautiful, wearing 5 layers of clothing and walking through 12 inches of snow hoping I don’t come across any nasty “surprises” underneath is not too great…

So what will 2011 entail for “Hello from NYC”? Most posts for one! More on food-related life in NYC in general. So first up is something I’ve come across lately and wanted to highlight.

The Evolution of Gastropubs

Is this the next trend? Is pub grub becoming more gourmet? From Chicago to London to Sydney, pubs are not longer just pubs, they’re now called Gastropubs. In my opinion, I love this evolution. I’m not saying this is a new concept, I’m saying this is now a popular concept. A type of fine dining along with a pint. No longer can you get $10 steak and chips, but now you get $20 Angus beef burgers with foie gras and truffle shoe string fries. On my recent trips to Chicago and London, I came across a few delightful Gastropub places. In fact, I only dined at these places in those cities (not that I was there for that long).

I know there are lots of opinions out there on even the over-use of the term “Gastropub” by establishments. According to Wikipedia, a Gastropub refers to a bar and restaurant that serves high-end beer and food, originating from England. So has the term “Gastropub” been used too often and the meaning is now lost? I don’t know! But… I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.

However, here is a preview of the Gastropubs I’ve visited in…

Chicago

I’ve heard Chicago is best in summer, but for some reason, I always end up visiting in the colder months of the year. From what I’ve experienced, Chicago IS the windy city!

The food culture in Chicago is ginormous. I’ve seen Andrew Zimmern’s Bizarre Foods – Chicago episode 3 times in the last 2 weeks (it’s always on travel channel). If you get a chance, definitely check it out! The Chicago-style hot dog is something from a difference world; the Mexican food is far from what we get back in OZ; and I don’t need to explain the work of Grant Achatz at his Alinea restaurant… two words: Bizzaro chemistry. But the growing trend in Chicago is what pubs are putting on their menus. Roasted bone marrow, eaten straight from the bone, dolloped on some bread with a sparkle of the finest sea salt. Dessert of Foie Gras Torchon w/ Apricot jam, Pine Nut Fritter and Powdered Licorice Root. This is just a brief intro to the food at Longman and Eagle.

Clockwise... (1) Seared Maine Scallops, (2) Foie Gras w/ short rib, (3) Roasted Marrow Bones, (4) Foie Gras on bread w/ chocolate dipping sauce

Longman and Eagle, presented with it’s first Michelin star in 2011, is an old-style pub hotel, serving some of the finest creative foods I’ve ever encountered. They even have rooms available for overnight stays. Each room is uniquely designed with a modern feel, far from the pub-hotel style of the whole complex. The service was super-friendly, the food creatively tasty and a great selection of beer to chug down with the delicious grub. If you’re in Chicago, this is one place to visit. So the question is… is this a Gastropub or a variant of one with hotel rooms upstairs and the fine-dining pub establishment downstairs?

Longman and Eagle

Another restaurant, more in the center of Chicago located on “The Magnificent Mile”, is The Purple Pig. Voted Bon Appetit’s one of 10 best new restaurants in the US for 2010 and awarded a Michelin “bib-gourmand” award in 2011, this place is reflects its tagline “Cheese, swine and wine“. With a half-communal style setting, The Purple Pig serves up some of the best Mediterranean-esque food in Chicago. Apologies, I really shouldn’t put this in the “Gastropub” category because this isn’t really a pub at all, but the food served here reflects a Gastropub-style. Also, I really wanted to showcase this place. Being on Michigan Avenue, you’d think this was another tourist trap. But The Purple Pig is far from that. It’s a destination for the food-tourist.

At The Purple Pig with Clams, Chorizo Stuffed Olives, Fried Devilled Egg and Panino con Nutella.

At The Purple Pig, the menu ranges from Fried Brussel Sprouts with Thyme, Lemon & Chili Flakes (one of my favourites) to Salt-Roasted Beets with Whipped Goat Cheese & Pistachio Vinaigrette and Fried Devilled Egg to Roasted Bone Marrow with Herbs. There is something for everyone.

Clockwise... (1) Fried Devilled Egg, (2) Jamon Serrano w/ fried egg on toast, (3) (4) Roast bone marrow

London

At the beginning of January, I took a quick 3-day trip to London. Being only 6 hours from NYC, London has been on my “want-to-visit” places. London is known for it’s pub culture, so it wasn’t a huge surprise to me that at least one of my meals would be at a Gastropub. Unfortunately, on this trip I wasn’t able to go for Sunday Roast (big sob!) but there’s always next time!

The Princess of Shoreditch, located in near London’s Old Street, is known for it’s sunday afternoon roasts but I so happen to come here for dinner instead. This place reflects the true meaning of “Gastropub”, pub on the lower level, fine-dining restaurant on the upper level. I opt to dine on the lower level, to sample London’s finest and famous pub-style food. So what do I think about it? D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.

The Princess of Shoreditch, London

After being away from Sydney for nearly a year now, I’m introduced again to a pub-style pie and an angus steak burger with hand-cut chips. Boy do I miss pies an hand-cut chips (and a whole lot of other foods…), so I felt some of my cravings were satisfied in London.

The food-scene in London really does do Gastropub-styles the best. Well I guess the term did originate from England, if they can’t do it well, noone else can.

New York

Unfortunately, New York’s gastropubs are really far from it’s meaning, or maybe I just haven’t come across the right ones. The Spotted Pig, a gastropub in the West Village, is probably the closest, but still lacks the “fine-dining” factor. They do, however, do a mean and tasty Chargrilled Burger with Roquefort Cheese & Shoestrings. (It was basically pitch black, so no photos).

A place with a very Gastropub-esque feel is The Fat Radish. The English cuisine establishment reflects the pub-style atmosphere, serving food like Brussel Sprout & Collard Green Bubble and Squeaky, or Eggs Purgatory with toast. The main concept of The Fast Radish is to serve simple and healthy dishes made from well-sourced, seasonal ingredients. The interior reflects London’s Convent Garden marketplace feel. The Fat Radish do not call themselves “Gastropub, but with their interior reflecting London’s Convent Garden marketplace feel, it definitely feels English.

The Fat Radish. Clockwise... (1) the English interior, (2) Full English Breakfast, (3) the table setting, (4) Collard Green Bubble and Squeak, Bacon and Poached Eggs

Brunch @ Nolita House

There’s a “Boozy Bluegrass Brunch” on every Saturday and Sunday from 10am-4pm (12pm-4pm on Sundays due to NYC law not serving alcohol before 12pm on Sundays) and they claim to have the “best” macaroni and cheese. Brunch in NYC mainly involves alcohol, that being mimosas or bloody mary’s, so with brunch at a pub, what an awesome mix!

So that’s the end of a quick look at Gastropubs in 3 major metropolitan cities. What are your thoughts on this trend?
And don’t worry, I’ll be back with more New York City eats!

Longman & Eagle
2657 N. Kedzie Avenue,
Chicago, IL 60647
Unfortunately, no reservations
Web: http://www.longmanandeagle.com/

The Purple Pig
500 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
Ph: +1 312-464-1-PIG
Web: http://www.thepurplepigchicago.com/

The Princess of Shoreditch
76 Paul Street,
London, UK EC2A 4NE
Ph: 020 7729 9270
Web: http://www.theprincessofshoreditch.com/

The Fat Radish
17 Orchard Street,
New York, NY, 10002
Ph: +1 212 300 4053
Web: http://thefatradishnyc.com/

Nolita House
47 E Houston Street,
New York, NY 10012
Ph: +1 212 625 3242
Web: http://www.nolitahouse.com/

© teresa for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 3 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Hello from NYC

I knew if I was going to Hong Kong, I needed to make time to get myself over to Macau. Unfortunately that was the extent of my research on the matter and the entirety of my notes simply stated, ‘Day trip to Macau‘. For some reason I had this image of being able to step straight off the boat into a Portuguese paradise and found myself a little nonplussed when I found myself in the middle of the ferry terminal with a dozen buses all going in different directions.

Senado Square

(...)
Read the rest of Hong Kong – Street Eats Part 2 (2,602 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2011. | Permalink | 18 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Novotel Blogr

Birds eye view of the markets in Soho

Discover Hong Kong.

It’s the official travel slogan for Hong Kong and something that I held close to my heart during my time in Hong Kong. It’s my second time visiting Hong Kong, but it’s also the first time I’ve gone on holidays alone and in a way it’s exhilarating to know that I have full freedom in deciding what to do.

In the end, my time in Hong Kong can be whittled down to a handful of activities.

• Walking
• Eating
• Walking
• Shopping
• Walking
• Photography
• and yes, Walking

On my most active day I ended up walking around Hong Kong from 10am to 1am the following day! But oh, the things I saw. And ate!

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Read the rest of Hong Kong – Street Eats Part 1 (1,842 words)

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One point of contention which kept coming up again and again in my research was the Michelin Guide, and Hong Kong’s reputation for having the most affordable starred restaurants in the world. The rewarding and selection of the restaurants was enough to cause an uproar and locals that I spoke to were split between being impressed and disdainful of the rating system.

I decided to let my stomach to do the talking and ended up at three very different Michelin restaurants.

Tim Ho Wan

Baked bun with BBQ pork HKD 12, Rice roll stuffed with beef HKD 15, Steamed fresh shrimp dumplings HKD 18, Glue rice dumpling HKD 20

Tim Ho Wan is undoubtedly the most famous of the Hong Kong Michelin restaurants. When it first received its star the restaurant was labelled as the cheapest Michelin restaurant in the world and the crowds flocked to it, it’s not uncommon to be kept waiting for 1-2 hours outside the tiny eatery which only fits 29 people. The demand has been strong enough that a second branch was opened at Sham Shui Po, capable of seating over a hundred people but today I’m with Boo at the original branch in Monkok waiting impatiently in line at 9.30am.(...)
Read the rest of Hong Kong – A Michelin Story (1,905 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2010. | Permalink | 41 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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It’s been almost six years since my last visit to Hong Kong and almost inevitably I’m told this every time someone asks if I’ve been to Hong Kong before. I’m a little stunned as I take in the skyline on the ride into the city, it’s one thing to remember the densely packed skyscrapers but another thing altogether to see towers lit up at night.

It’s a motley crew who have gathered in Hong Kong for Novotel’s first Blogger Familization, we’ve gathered from all around Australasia and are situated all around the city for a long weekend of festivities, exploring and of course, eating.

Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

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Read the rest of Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival and a Halloween Blogger Meet (1,534 words)

© Minh for eatshowandtell, 2010. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
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