Category Archives: Travel Well

Exploring the world of food.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds…

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I love pies. I’m not sure about the why’s, other than they are great orbs of joy, particularly ones like these artisan pies I found on my travels, right next to the cheese stall, heaven…

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This particular spectacular morsel is a Tractor Wheel Pork Pie made from an old Tudor recipe. The photo doesn’t do it justice. Inside is a spicy pork filling with a nice amount of jelly that balances the pie beautifully. The pastry is rich and crisp without being too heavy or greasy, which is a common complaint. I’m now inspired to go home and make some more of these beauties. Hopefully, I can find a fluted game pie mould in France which will suit me well. I thought this pie was the best ever until I bit into the pork and black pudding pie this fellow also makes, and then I fell in love all over again. Wow, what a revelation that was. Rosa’s spanish sausage shop in Perth will be getting plenty of my custom to add her fabulous sausages to my pies. Beer goes very well with the pork and there has been plenty to try from different brewers over the last two weeks. Fragrant and hoppy, the slightly bitter taste is a great foil for the sweet and succulent pork.Image

We came across a little French Restaurant that was serving calves brains. Yes I know that sounds a bit challenging (read gross) but I’ve always wanted to try them and again, if this place couldn’t do them right with their reputation, then no one could. So, we ordered some to share. This is what came out…

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They came covered with a delicious black butter sauce and capers which cut the richness of the dish nicely. They were crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside like very mild pate with a texture not unlike firm cod. It was a little daunting to eat at first, but once we got over the “strange factor” and started to enjoy the flavour they were actually quite delightful. Would I eat them again? Yes, but I would have to be in the right mood.

I wish I could bring the markets home with me. There is such an array of stuff that we just don’t get back home. The mushrooms alone were to die for.Image

I could get seriously fat over here. Next week I’ll be setting out to consume my own weight in cheese, and hopefully marinating myself in some good wine. Life is good.

Enjoy.

Kind regards,

J

PS: check out these fellows…

http://www.orchardpigs.co.uk       http://www.mrskirkhams.com

Sugar and spice and all that’s nice…

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Well, it’s a week and a half since I got back from the US and I’m craving the pancakes in Chicago from the Famous Pancake House on East Bellevue. They were stunning to say the least and I think I had breakfast there 4 times in 7 days…

Mandarine pancakes with suzette sauce.

My favourites where the mandarin pancakes that came with a Suzette style sauce. They were sweet but not overly so and the sauce was rich and complimented the mandarin segments perfectly. Coffee flows freely in these places after your first purchase (unlike Perth where they charge for each cup.) There were also a good range of savouries such as eggs and ham served with maple syrup pancakes and many styles of omelette, though it takes a bit of getting used to sweet and savoury items all on the same plate…

Strawberry crepes

These strawberry crepes were made with fresh strawberries which still had a pleasant tang and the strawberry compote inside was rich and delicious without being overly sweet. Service was fast despite the place being packed to the rafters and the waitresses were polite and ever so helpful even with my accent that apparently is quite novel.

Another delight was the Chicago Q restaurant that serves BBQ ribs that are to die for. I was too busy mesmerised by the aroma and hand to mouth reflex action to remember to take a picture. I did snap a pic of the house made bread and butter pickles that they serve the minute your bottom hits the seat and these were worth the trip alone. (They are also a freebie! Are you listening Perth?) They were sweet and sour, crunchy yet soft, salty and spiced. I couldn’t persuade them to pass on the recipe. Bummer.

Pickled cucumbers with onions and garlic

The picture doesn’t do them justice.

It’s a pity because they were so good. The ribs were succulent and very tasty. They were meaty and rich without being fatty and came with house made sauces, original Mild, spicy, eastern North Carolina vinegar and South Carolina mustard sauce all of which complimented the meat well. They were so good I ate there twice. Their smoked chicken is awesome. Portion sizes are large to say the least and how the waiters carried some of the trays I will never know. Dear God, some people can pack it away in ways I have never seen before…

I tried a famous Chicago hotdog from Portillo’s, and while it was good, I didn’t have that rave review moment that the place gets from hotdog aficionados. I suspect it’s a cultural thing.

The other great place I went to was The Alhambra Palace restaurant. There is a distinct Morrocan theme but if you have ever been to Spain, think of the Moorish influences of say Majorcan architecture or indeed its Spanish namesake. The food was good and plentiful,  but the stunning decor and the live entertainment made the evening. There were the usual female belly dancers and two male dancers, one of whom was interestingly Asian and very supple. The other fellow was very imposing and reflected the Turkish style of dance with its almost aggressive and protective nature of the women. It was a great night to share with good friends and I think we all had a wonderful time. I would love to go back.

Incidentally, the best meal of the week was the one a dear friend prepared for me at her house when I had just landed. Home made chicken soup, with – wait for it – dumplings. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. Man, it was good. It couldn’t have been better even if my mum had made it herself. Perfect timing, perfect flavours, perfect comfort food.

Well, that just about winds up the food of the first week. Stay tuned…

Kind Regards,

J.

P.S. The golden arches get everywhere but none so impressive as this one… 

Of Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tales…

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Singapore, hot steamy and yet still relatively exotic despite a short 5 hour flight from Perth (It’s relative, trust me) February is a nice time to visit as there is less rain and therefore less humidity to drain the life out of you, even if you like that sort of weather. This time, the Swissotel Merchant Court was base for a week. It’s very handy for the MRT and there are plenty of good places to eat along the quay. Also, if you fancy a walk, Boat quay is not that far around the bend in the river… you can always take a “Bumboat” if you feel like traversing the river that way instead.

There are many places to eat in Singapore, you can find anything from Asian to European to Australian to even an American “Hooters”, which incidentally, is staffed by some very pretty but tiny Singaporean Chinese. The look is not quite what you would expect from that particular chain.

Street fountain, one row back from the waterfront, Clarke Quay.

Now some of you already know that I am rather fond of frog legs. The Asian variety in preference to the French version, as they are about 4 times bigger and therefore juicier and much more like eating chicken legs if you are a little squeamish at the thought. Fortunately I am not so, so, when I hear “aww, you wan gingers flog? Best here.” I practically swoon. I tried eating my way through my weight in them this trip. I’m known for wanting to get off the beaten path and find the best places where the locals eat and indeed did find some spectacular dishes for some ridiculously cheap prices.

Ginger and spring onion frog legs, Chinatown.

There were two great little places in china town that both ran a close second, but oddly enough, the best place in town was in a little touristy restaurant at the junction of Boat and Clarke quays. Go figure.

Stir fried Lotus Root.

We took an order of Lotus root, stir fried with chilli and garlic, that had a fabulous crunch to it that went well with the meaty frog and the eel dish that my partner in crime preferred to the constant barrage of my amphibian cravings.

Eel in oyster sauce with spring onions.

The lot went down well with copious quantities of Tiger Beer whose slight bitterness was a great foil for the almost sweet and succulent meat.

Now to snails… and Shanghai…

Snails in black bean sauce.

There is a large food hall in the old section of the walled city in Shanghai that sells the most amazing array of chinese food I think I have ever seen. This place does not remotely serve anything resembling western food. No one speaks english and it seems that pointing is a reasonable way of getting what you want. Being able to say XieXie (Thank you) helps, it makes them smile.

These snails were rich and tender until you hit the cache of baby snails hidden within the shell. I’m not sure I liked the texture though the taste was fantastic. Trying to remove the snails from the shell was interesting with chopsticks until a local pointed out via descriptive sign language, that the toothpicks supplied on the tables was the implement of choice.

Puppy dog tales…

No, I did not eat them. The Chinese like them as pets too it would seem. At least in the centre of Shanghai they did…