Gastronomic travels

Bamboula Brixton – review

gastronomictravels — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:22:59 +0000

As in the case with Dragon Castle, we were willing to relocate ourselves to where the food was, in this case Brixton. We were at the resto around 12:15 and I guess it was early by British standard as we were the first customers there. Because it was so “early”, their ackee and saltfish wasn’t ready. I then told the waitress that it was the sole reason why we were there – to have their national dish. She relented and said that it would be a 10-minutes wait. That was fine with us.

The resto is situated on a busy street in Brixton so we contented ourselves with people watching. After a while our food came, with the ackee and saltfish and hubby’s jerk chicken.

I had heard so much about ackee that it was a surprise when I saw that I had received “scrambled eggs”. One bite and I was in ackee-heaven! The ackee had a very soft texture and it seemed to melt in the mouth. The saltfish, there wasn’t much of it, but enough that it lent its flavour to the dish.

Ackee and saltfish

Hubby’s jerk chicken was a bit wet for my taste. I was expecting crispy skin chicken, like in Toronto, but this version came drenched in sauce. I would’ve preferred having the sauce on the side but that’s me. Hubby enjoyed his chicken. The rice was delish with a beany taste! The fried plantains and salad, also included in my dish, were very tasty, especially the salad dressing.

Jerk chicken

The resto has a wonderful hot sauce. It was mostly heat and no other flavour. I find that some hot sauces are either too salty or too sour. All I tasted from the sauce was the heat and it was heavenly hellish

The toilet was clean.

All in all, we enjoyed our food very much and I look forward to revisiting this place on our next trip. As we were leaving the resto, we reflected on our experiences between Bamboula and Dinner by HB. Both serve very fine food but the first is £17 while Dinner costs £110. If we included the amount shelled out, I think that we got more satisfaction from great non-fussy homecooking!

Rating:

Food:	4.5/5
Service:	4.5/5
Ambiance:	4/5
Toilet:	4/5
Value for money:	4.5/5

Bamboula, 12 Acre Lane, Brixton (underground: Brixton)

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal – review

gastronomictravels — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:36:14 +0000

Heston Blumenthal is a culinary genius with 3 Michelin stars to his name. I could go on about his culinary achievements but you could just as easily google his name. The concept at Dinner is historical food with a modern twist. For example, our dishes were from the 1500's to 1800's. Anyway, as soon as I discovered this resto, we had to eat there. Dinner opened in 2011 and received its Michelin star the same year! We booked a lunch there as they have a lunch menu for only £36. This is relatively cheap compared to ordering a la carte. Anyway, the lunch menu looked very interesting and I was looking forward to the dressed snails! The resto is located in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel on Knightsbridge. We were running late and had been forewarned that not showing up would cost us £50/pers. Not knowing if this fine would be applied when one was late, we hurried along the street looking for Dinner. We were shown into the resto with pomp and ceremony. Every wait staff we met acknowledged us with a nod or a hello and I was suitably impressed by the reception. We passed by the open kitchen where young chefs worked with hurried/harried motions. Although the resto was practically empty, we were seated by the service station - a minus! We ordered the lunch menu and the girl asked if we wanted any sides? Huh? Luckily, hubby answered that bread wouldn't be amiss. The bread arrived and it was the bomb! Talk about artisan bread! This was the best I've ever had and those who know me know that I rarely rave about bread! I had a taste of hubby's mackerel and I almost wanted to trade his dish for mine! It was that good!

Grilled Hay Smoked Mackerel (c.1730) with lemon salad, fennel & pea shoots

My app was divine! I normally hate beets but the beets in the dish didn't have the usual earthy taste and they were absolutely heavenly. The snails were tender but didn't have a lot of taste. I didn't know what salty fingers were but they were delicious, a bit salty and crunchy. I would say that this was the most unusual and best app I've ever had!

Dressed Snails (c.1884) with arsley, beetroot, salty fingers & red wine juice

Hubby's main of cured salmon was a revelation! The salmon melted in my mouth and had so much taste and it wasn't fishy at all. He normally never orders salmon when dining out but this first time was a winner! I regretted that I didn't order the salmon as well :(. I have never had salmon with that texture before and I don't think it's possible to achieve it in the home kitchen. I suspect that it was cooked using the sous vide method.

Cured Salmon (c.1660) with monks beard, peas, caper & mussel broth

While my quail was very delicious, it was no where as nice as the salmon. The whole dish was very nice but there was no innovation and creativity that one comes to expect of Heston so I was majorly disappointed!

Roast Quail (c.1590) with cabbage, onion & smoked chestnut

Hubby's dessert was good but not great. At first, I really enjoyed it but when I had the first taste of my own dessert, it failed in comparison!

Millionaire Tart (c.1730) with crystallised chocolate & vanilla ice cream

My dining experience was back on track when the dessert came. WOW! The buttered loaf had a caramelised crust that was sweet and citrusy at the same time - absolute heaven. The mandarin sorbet had a hint of thyme that just left me speechless. It was to die for!!!

Orange Buttered Loaf (c.1630) with mandarin & thyme sorbet

We were given shortbread and mousse to go with hubby's espresso. The shortbread was yummy while the mousse was too creamy. But it was free so no complaints here. The service was annoying! Hubby kept sipping at his water and everytime he did that, someone would come and refill the glass. Why couldn't they wait until the glass was almost empty? We kept having to stop and start our conversation because of this. I found it extremely irritating and annoying! I was definitely come back here again for the lunch menu just to have the salmon to myself and to relive the wonderful mandarin sorbet! If we win a lotto, then we'd definitely come back and try the a la carte menu! The toilet was first class! Rating:

Food:	5/5
Service:	3.5/5
Ambiance:	4.5/5
Toilet:	5/5
Value for money:	5/5

Dinner by Heston Blumenthal, at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel, 66 Knightsbridge, London (underground: Knightsbridge)

Dragon castle London – review

gastronomictravels — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:29:03 +0000

Is there any reason to travel to Elephant and Castle as a tourist in London? You betcha! It’s Dragon Castle that’s the main draw here. Their dim sum was divine!

We wanted to explore new neighborhoods and I had found on Yelp that there’s good dim sum to be had at Dragon Castle in Elephant and Castle. Never heard of this ‘hood before but where there’s good food, I’m game to go there.

The resto was quite empty on a Saturday at 12:30 pm but we didn’t care as our tummies were rumbling quite loudly. We ordered too much food as usual but I couldn’t resist my favs such as chicken feet in black bean, tripe, and congee (rice porridge). We also had the taro balls which were quite good except they weren’t freshly fried. The congee is the ultimate comfort food for me and this one didn’t disappoint. The Japanese cold dish of baby squids marinated in miso and sesame oil was quite good and the portion generous. The bean curd sheet dishes were excellent as well although the deep fried version was more satisfying and I felt quite decadent sinking my teeth into the crispy, ultra light crust!

Baby squids marinated in miso and sesame oil

Steamed bean curd sheets with stuffing

Deep fried bean curd sheets with stuffing

chicken feet in black bean sauce

Congee or rice porridge

Savory taro balls

Tripe

The interior of Dragon Castle seems quite new and the toilets were super duper clean, something that’s never mentioned when it comes to Chinese restos let me tell you.

The service was excellent – my tea was refilled as often as it was emptied!

All in all, excellent dimsum at reasonable prices. Will definitely come back here!

Rating:

Food:	4.75/5
Service:	4.5/5
Ambiance:	4/5
Toilet:	5/5
Value for money:	5/5

Dragon Castle, 110 Walworth Rd., London (underground: Elephant and Castle)

Arirang London – review

gastronomictravels — Thu, 16 May 2013 11:50:24 +0000

One of the reasons why we travel so often to London is in search of good Korean food. Our quest may have ended at Arirang, possibly the best Korean food that I've ever tasted in London. The location belies the quality of the food - just off Oxford Street and therefore, it was with a bit of apprehension that we decided to eat here in spite of the good reviews on Yelp. We were here for lunch on a Sunday and there were only Chinese eating there. Asian people are known for their finicky taste buds and tight holds on their wallets so even if the patrons were Chinese and not Koreans, this was still a good sign. Unfortunately, as is the case in London and here in Stockholm, banchans (the side dishes) are not free and one has to order them. So we went with the set meals as they include 2 banchans. I had the seafood stew, chap tang bab and hubby had his usual kimchi chige. We also ordered 2 extra banchans as one can't enjoy a Korean meal without kimchi. I was very curious about the kosari namul, fernbrake side dish, as I've only had fernbrake in a bibimbap.

Banchan

The banchans were the best I've ever eaten! The kimchi was perfect - not too fermented nor sour and had enough heat in it to satisfy a chili-head. The fernbrake side dish was very unusual in that the consistency was very different from that in the bibimbap that I've had before but it still was very satisfying. The best side dish for me was the steamed broccoli. It was cooked just right and mildly pickled.

Kosari namul - fernbrake side dish

Now let's talk about the mains. I wasn't crazy about hubby's kimchi chige as it was way too sour for my taste. For once, hubby agreed and said that it wasn't the best chige. My main, however, was the best I've ever had! The stock was bubbling goodness with so much seafood flavour and richness that it was comparable to eating a bouillabaise, albeit with Korean flavours ;)! I loved the soft tofu and the abundance of squid heads and tentacles! For dessert, we were served an oranges, cut in a way I've never seen before! They have a seating area downstairs as well. The service was good and the toilet was clean. This resto was definitely a winner and I look forward to eating there again! Rating:

Food:	4.5/5
Service:	4.5/5
Ambiance:	4/5
Toilet:	4/5
Value for money:	4.5/5

Arirang, 31-32 Poland st., London (underground: Oxford Circus)

AG – review

gastronomictravels — Sat, 04 May 2013 19:36:17 +0000

We were at AG restaurant two Fridays ago and I still drool over my steak everytime I think about the visit. AG is known for their steaks and it’s all true. The meat was wonderful and we were all saying OMG over and over again.

The first thing I saw when entering the resto is the huge glass display of meats. My taste buds instantly went into overdrive and my anticipation level sky-rocketed! We were greeted warmly and shown to our table. The resto has a great atmosphere – it was cosy and yet hip at the same time.

We were served toasted bread slices with lard. I didn’t realise at the time that it was lard but I thought that it was fantastic!

We all ordered the highland steaks and it was OMG! My steak was cooked to perfection as was the rest of the table. We didn’t talk for the first 10 minutes as everyone was enjoying his/her steak to the max! The meat was tender and nutty. I don’t know how to describe a great piece of beef but to me, the word “nutty” fits the bill.

A perfect medium!

We were afraid that the resto would be snobbish about the starchy sides as they weren’t present on the menu but our fears were for nought. One has the choice of baked potato, fries or rice. Most of us got the fries and these were the best I had ever tasted – crispy and flavourful. Belgian fries have nothing on these babies!

There was also a salad with parmesan cheese and a simple dressing. This was the perfect accompaniment as it was refreshing and simple in taste yet very delicious, allowing us to enjoy the taste of the beef which was premium quality!

We didn’t order dessert but I had a taste of the fudge cheesecake with sea-buckthorn and it was yummy!

For some reason, hubby wasn’t too hungry and we got to take half his steak home. Fortunately, I was able to wheedle him out of it!

The service was professional and without fault!

I warmly recommend this resto to meat lovers and anyone with a love for a nice juicy steak!

This resto is really popular so make sure you book a table in advance!

Rating:

Food:	5/5
Service:	4.5/5
Ambiance:	5/5
Toilet:	4.5/5
Value for money:	5/5

AG, Kronobergsgatan 37, Stockholm (metro: Fridhemsplan)

Homemade hemp seed milk

gastronomictravels — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:07:53 +0000

I talked about becoming a health freak in a previous post and I now make almond milk regularly. This evening, I made hemp seed milk for the first time and I have to say, it won't be the last either. The whole kitchen smells like a joint ;). As with the nut milk, the proportion here is pretty much whether you want a thick milk or cream or a thin milk which I prefer. I use approx. 1dL of unpeeled hemp seeds to 1L cold water. I like to drink it plain and not add any sweetening agent but you could always kick up a notch with some honey or dates. Enjoy! Hemp seeds can be bought in health stores. I bought 500g of unpeeled seeds for 49 Swedish crowns!

Ingredients

1dL of unpeeled hemp seeds
1L cold water

Method

Step 1

Soak the seeds overnight.

Step 2

Rinse the seeds thoroughly.

Step 3

Place both seeds and water in a blender and blend for 20 seconds in a Vitamix or 2-3 minutes in a regular blender.

Step 4

Strain using a nut milk bag. Discard the pulp.

Step 5

Will keep in the fridge for 3 days!

Gỏi đu đủ (Vietnamese green papaya salad)

gastronomictravels — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 06:19:51 +0000

Thai green papaya salad, som tum, differs from the Vietnamese version, goi du du, in that the latter contains loads of fresh herbs and also the dressing is sweeter and less salty. I prefer the Vietnamese version due to the salt content! The dressing for this salad is the ubiquitous nuoc mam cham which is the basic sauce that the beginner cook should master to cook Vietnamese cuisine. This dish can be eaten as an app or a main. Just double the salad portion and add some meat or seafood and you're set! The recipe below is for one main course. Halve the recipe if you're serving it as an app.

Ingredients

100g shredded green papaya
1 small carrot, peeled and grated
10 mint leaves, chiffonade
5 perilla leaves, chiffonade
5 Thai basil leaves, chiffonade
10 cooked king prawns, peeled and sliced in half lengthwise
6 tablespoons nuoc mam cham*
1 tablespoon crushed, roasted peanuts
1 birds eye chili (optional)
1 tablespoon fried shallot

Method

Step 1

Combine the vegetables and herbs

Step 2

Add 3 tablespoons of the nuoc mam cham and mix well.

Step 3

Turn out onto a serving plate and arrange the cooked prawns on top.

Step 4

Garnish with the fried shallot, crushed peanuts and chilies. Serve the remaining nuoc mam cham on the side.

Fäviken by Magnus Nilsson

gastronomictravels — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:15:43 +0000

I’m reading this right now and I love it. It’s very inspiring and we’re going to eat there in July. Yay!

See my blog post at Extranea for more.

Always chewy boba for bubble tea

gastronomictravels — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 10:46:36 +0000

Bubble tea for anyone not in the know, is a sweet drink usually made of tea but can be made of fruit smoothies and with the addition of tapioca pearls, hence the bubble or boba tea. I usually don't make smoothie bubble teas because it's too filling. I just use green or black tea and even lemongrass pandan tea if I'm looking for something exotic. Tapioca pearls come in all shapes, sizes and colours. For bubble tea, the largest pearls are used and this means that extra wide straws are needed to suck up the chewy goodness! I haven't been able to source these wide straws locally yet but there's always hope! I've tried the instant type and the regular boba and there's no difference in quality. The instant cost a bit more but takes about 1/4 of the times it takes to cook the regular type (see the two side by side in the first slide). It smells better as well when you open the package. The regular kind smells kinda funky and very artificial and I was very close to throwing the whole lot in the bin but thought that I might as well try it out. I use green tea for my base, granulated sugar/brown sugar syrup, homemade almond milk and ice cubes of almond milk. Soy milk works just as well. All set for a refreshing drink! :D

Ingredients

1 part tapioca pearls (not instant)
8 parts water
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
3 cups water

Method

Step 1

Bring the water to a rolling boil (has been boiling for at least 2 minutes). This ensures that the temperature will remain as near to boiling when you add the tapioca pearls.

Step 2

Add the tapioca pearls. Stir gently to prevent clumping.

Step 3

Cook until the pearls starting floating up. At this point, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes uncovered or until the pearls are translucent with no colour change in the middle of the pearls. You can also taste it to make sure that the pearls are cooked all the way through. Stir the pearls from time to time to prevent clumping. Remove from the heat and allow to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Step 4

Rinse the pearls under cold running water and keep them in the sugar syrup. The pearls are best eaten

Step 5

Combine 2 cups of sugar and 3 cups of water in a pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool. Will keep in the fridge for one month.

Homemade almond milk

gastronomictravels — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:24:31 +0000

I have a soy milk maker that also makes nut and rice milks, see my post on making soy milk. I've used this machine to make nut milk regularly but have always thought that it's wasteful when I didn't have anything to squeeze out the excess liquid from the nut pulp left behind. I finally scored a nut milk bag and now, it's easy peasy and no wastage! And it's actually easier to make nut milk in the blender! The ratio of nuts to water is roughly 1:4. I have a Vitamix and its capacity is 8 cups which is 2L. Please note that all you need is a blender, not necessarily a Vitamix although this is one kitchen appliance that I can't live without. This means that I usually use 1.5 cups of almonds and 6 cups of water - enough to keep me in almond milk heaven :)! The milk tastes great as is or you could kick it up a notch with some vanilla or sweeten it with honey. I like it plain as is! You can also use it as a non-dairy substitute in drinks, eg. bubble tea. The milk will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.

Ingredients

1 cup of raw almonds
4 cups of cold water

Method

Step 1

Soak the almonds in cold water for at least 8 hours. The almonds contain enzymes that aren't readily digestible by the body so this step is essential.

Step 2

Rinse the almonds thoroughly.

Step 3

Place the almonds in a high speed blender such as the Vitamix and blend at high speed for about 30 seconds. If you don't have one of these workhorses, you could use a regular blender but the blending time will be longer, from 3-5 minutes depending on how powerful your blender is.

Step 4

Place a nut milk bag in a pitcher and pour the milk into the bag.

Step 5

Close the bag or hold it closed at the top and start squeezing out the liquid working your way down the bag. When most of the liquid is gone, distribute the pulp in the bag vertically in the bag so that it's easier to squeeze out all the liquid.

Step 6

Store the milk in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Step 7

The nut pulp can be dried in the oven at 100 degrees Celsius and used in your favorite musli or in a cookie dough. Also be stored in the freezer until needed.