Saturday, April 30, 2011

Eating Japanese Food in Germany

I am obviously having a busy time in Europe.  London, Dubrovnik, back to London and now in Munich.  I'm not complaining.  This is how life should be lived!  I was in town to lend a hand to Moo at babysitting the Dad and the Bro who are jetting in tomorrow for their big Euro adventure.  

Arriving kinda late-ish in the evening, I had conveniently not eaten (well I had no choice flying on Easyjet) and Moo took me around her neighbourhood to examine our dinner options.  I wasn't too fussed, I was just happy to be an Eating-Playmate.  Moo had been pretty keen to trying out the Jap options nearby but having little time and a psycho bitch for a housemate, she hadn't been able to take advantage of the local restaurants.  Supergut to the rescue!  We went into Kushi-Tei, a japanese yakitori grillhouse/izakaya bar.  You could eat here alone at the bar, but c'mon, skewers are best shared.  

We ummed and aahhed about the menu.   It was very encouraging to see Japanese writing on the walls and hear Japanese being spoken by fellow patrons.  With so many choices available, we must make a most strategic decision.  We picked a set menu each and some sashimi for a starter to curtail Moo's craving for raw fish.  Our waiter was a cutie-pie (not Japanese) who happened to also speak English - yay!  Moo was a bit embarrassed that I said 'Thanks Cutie' within earshot but hey, there's nothing wrong with giving a compliment!  
(L-R) Some pickled veggies to start us off.  Salmon sashimi.  It didn't have the usual 'crunch' of ultra fresh fish but you can't expect much from a city which has no seaside borders.  Panko-crumbed goodness.  Can't remember what foods they were though. 

(L-R) Stuffed capsicum.  Chicken yakitori and zucchini.  Garlic chicken.  All very nice! 

(L-R)  Some blah sushi rolls.  I would have happily sent this back for more grilled goodness.  More chicken yakitori, served with cherry tomatoes and stuffed mushies.  Yum!  Grilled chicken skin.  Yes indeed.  It wasn't on the set menu but the wall menu had tempted us.  We knew it was unhealthy but some chicken chicharron is a rare treat.  Probably never to be had again!  

(L-R)  Moo and I decided this was the Dish of the Night.  Grilled beef.  I can't remember what cut of the cow it was but it was so moist and tender.  Mmmm mmmm.  I've forgotten what was served next to the beef.  Grilled chicken thighs and baby corn.  Ok, we had kinda reached chicken overload.  

Well yes, I was quite surprised at finding some authentic Japanese flavours in the heart of Bavaria.  I haven't stumbled across a grillhouse like this in London but then again, London is quite lacking in decent Japanese food.  I'm yet to try Maedaya in Melbs but now at least I've got a benchmark.  I told Moo she could come back and eat here solo - that's what the bar is designed for!  

Friday, April 29, 2011

The Royal Wedding

Today was a special day - I was going to witness history in the making!!  It was Will and Kate's wedding day!  Wow, I couldn't believe that I was going to be in town for an event that was going to go on the same list as Henry VIII's several marriages, Queen Victoria's marriage to her first cousin Prince Albert (ew) and Charles and Diana's nuptials.

Like most people I had watched Prince William grow up through reading the usual women's trash mags.  We are similar in age, so it was like we grew up together!  Except he was in pictorials and I errrr wasn't.  His wedding day?  I'm gatecrashing.

Seeing all the bunting out on the street, department store displays and decorated public transport, it was hard not to feel proud of being British... or in my case feeling proud of being pseudo-British.  Also, the cheese hoarder in me was being roused out of hibernation by the displays of crass, kitschy souvenirs - I wanted them all!
Eww, my wrinkly, old woman hand.  A £2 imitation Royal Engagement ring from the ever faithful Primmy.  So many imitations for varying prices, this was the best bargain by far.  How could I say no to this bit of fun?  Well I didn't say no and I ended up buying five of them.  Gifts, of course.  I originally bought one from M&S for £18!!  It was a better finished replica than the £2 Primmy one but it didn't sit on my finger well.  

Ok so on to the actual day.  I originally had been quite prepared to head in early morning and set up a roadside camp.  However, the idea of only having a portaloo for 6 -8 hours (or no nearby loos!) was not very appealing.  Leesh had looked into several of the luncheon options offered by the opportunistic businesses around town and we settled on Altitude 360 and their Wedding Breakfast.  We were confused as to why they referred to it as a 'breakfast' when it was going to be served at lunch but this wiki entry explains the history.

Altitude was located at the top of the Millbank Tower and in the back of my head, I always thought, "Hmm that's kinda far from the action."  But with their description of being 'steps away from Westminster Abbey', I thought, "Yay!" despite knowing that 1 kilometre is hardly considered being 'steps away'.

'Breakfast' wasn't going to be served until 1pm but doors were open from 10am for the live broadcast.  My day began with a walk down the Thames. 
This giant seagull wasn't going to joining in on the celebrations. 

Not sure where this guy was going with his painting of the couple. 

Walking over Westminster Bridge and observing the slow march of people heading towards the abbey. 

Oh dammit, here I am walking away from the action! 

Our view of the abbey.  Well I guess they didn't lie.  It was a view of the abbey but just not a very useful view.  

There was an excited gasp as Kate left her hotel and we got a glimpse of the dress designed by Sarah Burton of the Alexander McQueen fashion house.  Very Grace Kelly and royalty-cover-your-arms appropriate.
Will and Kate exchanging vows.  The balcony kiss.  It did feel a bit silly to photograph a TV.  

Now on to the breakfast which was based on food served at Diana and Charles' wedding.
(L-R) Home cured Scottish salmon with fennel Carpaccio.  Supreme de Voilaille Princess de Galles chicken breast stuffed with a fine lamb mousse served with spring vegetables and new potatoes.  British rhubarb trio – rhubarb crumble, rhubarb braised with orange and rhubarb with ginger ice cream.  Hedgehog slice I think. 

To be honest, the food was pretty average and not worth the price tag.  But that's what happens at events like these and I had been mentally prepared to be ripped off.  I couldn't help but think 'Is this really what they served at D&C's wedding?'  It was rather... plain!  (Arguably, that makes it British too.) 

Afterwards, we went out for a walk to Westminster and Buckingham Palace.  The crowds were still out and about and from what Smee reported, a lot of people had actually been denied access to the Royal Wedding Procession route.  Despite it looking crowded on TV, a much larger number of people had converged at Trafalgar Square (and other access points) but were not allowed entry.  Smee reported fights breaking out between frustrated members of the public trying to get in hahaha.  
Bobbies on a break from crowd control. 

Bobbies on The Mall.

Horsies on The Mall.  

Someone had to say it.  Why not put it on a poster? 

The kissing balcony.  They shortly began dismantling the decorations while we were there.  

But not before I got my pic of me displaying my ring outside Buckingham Palace!

We spotted Jane Seymour interviwing... someone.  She's looking mighty fine for a 60 year old.  

The aftermath from days of crowd camping.  

This is very considerate.  These campers left their rubbish in a nice, neat pile.  

With the party drawing to a close, I headed off home with a few extra mementos (Royal Wedding Official Program, Will & Kate flag, crown headband) and added them to my growing collection.  

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Dubrovnik - Day 3

With the weather not happy enough for sailing, Smee and I had run out of activities in Dubrovnik. This meant that today was THE day to ride the Dubrovnik Cable Car.
At the start of our ride.   

Our cable car has arrived!  

Orange cable car, orange rooftops.  A very nice view indeed. 

The view with the Old Town centre and Lokrum island off to the left.  

Me with a cable car!  

Smee and the clear Adriatic sea.

Overall I was a bit disappointed with Dubrovnik. It sure is picturesque and the clear sea is amazing but there seemed to be little else.  Otherwise, it is a most awesome place if you want to lie on the beach all day and go sailing along to cities such as Split.  The food experience didn't enlighten us either.  I was initially surprised by the number of pizzeria and pasta restsurants but on second thoughts, it's proximity to Italy would clearly influence the local cuisine.  However the pizza and pasta we encountered bore more semblance to that served in a very bad food court than that of the Land of Pasta, a mere boat ride away.

Would I go back?  Not solely for Dubrovnik, absolutely not.  I haven't ruled out a sailing trip on the Adriatic coastline but that would be the only time I'd be back in this town.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Dubrovnik - Day 2

Croatia is well known as a hotspot for coastal sailing.  This wasn't the time of year for that and anyway, Smee and I weren't going to be around long enough to do such a thing.  We had hoped for some warmer weather but nope, the Mediterranean wasn't quite there yet.

Having arrived into Dubrovnik late-ish yesterday, we decided to do a proper hang out within the Old Town today.  We woke up bright and early to enjoy our (pretty damn good) buffet breakfast.
I got excited at the bar drinks menu on the way to the buffet room. 

It was lovely and sunny yesterday but today was a bit dreary and spitty rainy.  Nevertheless, off we trotted to the old town to explore the city walls.  It appears that few residents actually live within the Old Town nowadays.  Apart from museums and halls, most of the buildings are now restaurants, shops with a smattering of hotels/hostels.
One of the many narrow streets.

Another narrow street leading towards stairs which bring you to the city walls.  

It was all very quaint and pretty.  However, it was somewhat disappointing to see that the Old Town seemed to exist purely for servicing tourists.  Yes, all cities have their fair share of souvenirs stores and touristy restaurants but you got the impression locals only went into the Old Town to run their businesses and nothing more.  I was expecting something a more 'off the beaten track' experience with Dubrovnik and this wasn't quite it.

Smee and I hunted around for lunch.  It was all a bit ho-hum with similar offerings of uninspired pizza, pasta and seafood.  Our lunch was pretty forgettable.  This entry in Wikitravel pretty much expressed our sentiments about our encounters with Croatian cuisine thus far....

"There is a wide range of restaurants in the Old Town, mostly offering a very similar menu of local seafood and some meat dishes. The cuisine may not be very imaginative, but it is usually of good quality and very fresh. <--(I do beg to differ here)

Restaurants can be crudely separated into (slightly) cheaper tourist-trap places, and more expensive but first class gastronomic restaurants. There are a few pizzerias, mostly wood-fired and quite acceptable. The Kraš chocolate sold at stores is delicious. Remember that Dubrovnik, more so than the rest of Croatia, is well aware of its status as a tourist hot-spot. Rents for restaurant premises are high and consequently the prices on the menus reflect this. <--(Reiterating my earlier observation of the Old Town existing for tourists only).

Note that in the off peak season of November-March nearly all the top-end restaurants close, leaving only a handful of desperate tourist trap enterprises operating and still charging high prices.

So hmmm Smee and I were kinda in the shoulder season and subject to high prices for so-so food.  It didn't help that wait staff had generally been a bit curt.  

Anyway onto exploring the Old Town.  Dubrovnik is famous for it's medieval mortar buildings with their orange terracotta roofs.  It is a most spectacular sight to be greeted with when cruising down the coast on the airport bus.
So happy to be with the orange roofs.   

Peeking through the walls.  

More old walls. 

No dogs, no ice cream and no men in speedos, thanks. 

Smee and I did want to go on a boat ride to Lokrum (nudist beach alert!) but the weather took a turn for the worst and we decided to return to the hotel and maximise our spa usage.   
Mmmmm relaxing.

The weather held us back from returning to the Old Town for dinner - not a bad thing in my books.  However, outside of the Old Town, dining choices are certainly limited.  One of the staff suggested Taverna Nava at the nearby Hotel Lero.  We passed a pizzeria and kebab stand on the way. We initially walked into a buffet room area and were a bit errr... this can't be it. We wandered through the hotel bar where we were greeted by an enthusiastic and friendly waiter. Quite the stark contrast to all the staff at the other restaurants.
I had a soup. I can't even remember what was in it. I think it was fish?

Smee and I shared a seafood mix grill. A nice size and better than our Kamenice meal but still nothing spectacular. Meh anything would've been an improvement on that meal. Smee and I decided that Dubrovnik isn't really a food mecca.
We finished off back at our hotel bar with cocktails and a ho-hum dessert.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Dubrovnik - Day 1

With the Easter break, Royal Wedding public holiday and the Bank Holiday all within days of each other, it was a most opportune time for Brits to take a holiday.  In fact, an 11 day holiday for the price of only three days of annual leave.  Bargain!  Smee and I weren't planning to do that - I wanted to be around for the Royal Wedding!!  We settled on just a short trip to the coastal, picturesque city of Dubrovnik instead.

We stayed at the Hotel Bellevue, which was located about a 5 minute bus ride (or 10-15 minute stroll) away from the Old Town.  It was indeed a very nice hotel with super helpful staff.
The hotel had it's own private beach!  Smee and I were amazed at the clarity of the Adriatic Sea.  Hard to dump any unwanted goods here without them being spotted. 

(L-R)  At the outskirts of the Old Town.  Smee at the entrance to the Old Town, the Pile/Pila Gate.  Stradun - the main of many marbled paths within the city walls.  

Smee and I often browse food reviews to stop us from roaming the street aimlessly searching for food.  More than a few guides recommended Kamenice as a place that locals frequent (thumbs up) and whose specialty was seafood (another thumbs up).
The menu was quite limited which is never considered to be a negative.  Often it is the case that what a restaurant does cook, they cook it very well (thumbs up again).  Smee and I had high hopes for some honest Croatian fare.

Smee and I ordered the (L-R) mussels buzzara (sautéed in garlic, olive oil, parsley and white wine), fried squid and fried small fish which I've assumed to be sardines.  

I'll start with the good.  The fried squid batter was very light and the squid itself was not overcooked, remaining tender rather than chewy.  The same batter had been used for the sardines and that was nice too but for the weak-hearted, eating little fish heads might a bit challenging after a while.  I call these dishes 'good' but it was still nothing to rave about.  I guess the squid and sardines were 'good' in comparison to the 'train wreck' that was the mussels buzzara.  I've been disappointed by mussels in Europe before, mainly because I had only ever previously eaten the gigantic mussels more commonly served up in Australia and New Zealand.  There was no expectation for these mussels to be large but these were the tiniest mussels I've ever seen.  They were about the size of my fingernail.  The shells weren't very clean.  The buzzara sauce was exactly what it was and nothing to get excited about.  The icing on the cake was that a lot of the mussels hadn't been de-bearded either which meant that a lot of the mussel wasn't edible.

Yet there are so many rave reviews for this place.  Who are these people?  Have they only eaten crappy seafood before?  If anything, Kamenice puts me off seafood... and I'm a seafood lover!!  There were a few bad reviews which reflect my less than favourable thoughts.  
Night dawned on us as we finished of our dinner. 

I had to eat something else.  Gelati will do! 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

The Bunting is Out!

London is in absolute party mode with the nuptials of Will and Kate less than a week away :D *excited face*  It's really hard not to get caught up in the joyous and relaxed atmosphere and by that I mean it's making me want to buy all sorts of cheesy memorabilia while wearing a Union jack flag.  I've already gotten my limited edition Oyster card (by 'limited' there are 750,000 available.. pfft) and I have contemplated buying the Kate Middleton doll.  Fret not, that purchase is not going ahead.  I never realised I cared so much for the Royal Family!  
The bunting is certainly out and proud all over London.  Here's how it's looking on Regent St.  

It's a bit hard to see but the London Eye also has it's red, blue and white on.  

Sticking with the Britishness of it all, Smee and I did our frequent thing and popped down to Borough Market for lunch.  He's been telling me about these baguettes from a stall called The Guildable Manor which he's been eating as an alternative to the boring sandwich stores littered around his office.  Each baguette costs about £4.80 and you have the choice of various meats and adding different sauces to round out the flavours.  
A queue is good sign of yumminess.  Not sure if you've made the right choice to join the queue?  Have a whiff of the grilling meats!  Mmmm grilled meats smell so good.  

We both had the lamb with fresh mint, coriander, paprika and cumin baguette.  Extra halloumi on top thanks! 

Check it out the next time you're at Borough Market.  I sure will!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Jamie Oliver Barbecoa

Ok this is not a food blog but all I've done lately is scarf down monstrous levels of food.  Smee was pretty eager to show me the goodness of Jamie Oliver's latest venture, Barbecoa after having a steak night there with the boys a few weeks ago.  I haven't eaten at any of Jamie's other restaurants which typically specialise in rustic Italian, so I was pretty excited.  As the name suggests, there's something barbeque-y about this restaurant and yep, they were chucking (mainly) meat on the barbie. 

We didn't have a reservation but when you walk in to a restaurant at 9pm, there's a pretty good chance of getting a table.  
We settled in with a glass of red. I had the Italian Vallone Salice Salentino while Smee opted for the Argentinian Altos Las Hormigas Malbec.  Despite my recent wine classes, I still didn't feel like an expert... but I liked the wine!  That's all that mattered.   

Let's eat until we explode was our choice tonight.  To start, we shared three entrees:
(L-R) Beef tartare with anchovy aioli and foccacia, scallop ceviche with yuzu lime, chilli, garlic, pomegrante, shoots and cresses and crispy calamari with smashed avocado, lemon and mustard greens.  All yummy, although Smee reckons that there should've been more calamari on the plate.

Our mains:
My fillet steak with bone marrow (mmmm blood cell goodness), smoked bearnaise, shallot and herb salad.  I did a pretty good job at cleaning out that marrow.  Smee had a serious case of food envy.  My steak was pretty damn awesome. 

Smee's sirloin.  Nice, but not as nice as my fillet!!  

I was full but I had to keep my explosion promise and ordered dessert.  Smee knew when to stop and he politely declined.
I'm not even sure what ice cream flavours were present.  I saw the woman next me to eating it and said 'I want one of those.'  Some berry based ice cream for sure.  The scoops were very generous and I struggled to finish it. 

All up dinner was about £140 including service charge.  (Or what I like to call a 'discretionary'-but-forcing-you-to-tip-and-make-you-feel-obligated-to-pay charge).  Verging on expensive but still considered moderately priced by London standards and more so for a celebrity restaurant.  It was well within the range of SOS, Gaucho Grill and other similar upmarket steak restaurants but c'mon, we did go overboard with having three entrees and eating an unnecessary dessert.  More impressively so, Barbecoa has it's own butchery located downstairs where meat is cut on-site.  In line with Jamie Oliver's attitude, I would say they would go to some effort to ensure the meat is well sourced.  Barbecoa is definitely not something I can eat everyday but if you like your beef, it's well worth checking out!