mopani worms

mopani worms, originally uploaded by suddenly.

at victoria falls safari lodge, they have an zimbabwean-themed restaurant called the boma. everyone said, “you MUST go to the boma.” so we shelled out the $40 per head and got to taste local specialities like the thick homemade zimbabwean beer that has the consistency of cream of wheat and a sour-toasty flavor similar to korean makkulli. we sampled the buffet of game meats: eland, ostrich, and my personal favorite, warthog.

and just because i’m curious about food, i ate a mopani worm. they said it was a stew but it lacked broth and the worm itself was chewy like licorice and lacked any noticeable flavor. i was fine chomping on the worm but then i had to look at the end i chewed off and got grossed out by the worm guts. hey, at least i got a certificate for the feat!

must wine bar, margaret river

must wine bar, margaret river, originally uploaded by suddenly.

basically, not a lot is going on at night in margaret river. the one place the locals steered us towards was must wine bar. pricey but at least you get yummy bar snacks (or a more substantial meal in the restaurant) and wines by the glass. they have 1/2-glass taste portions for 1/2 the price so you can try a bunch without breaking the bank (too much).

my faves were the rock lobster croquetas (above, right) and a glass of santardi vermentino 2007 from sardinia.

prosperous fragrant chicken

prosperous fragrant chicken, originally uploaded by suddenly.

i love how chinese restaurants give their dishes romantic names like “prosperous fragrant chicken.” that was the star dish at the red teapot in northbridge–a small, unfancy but still kinda groovy place that looks to be hosted and waited on by the owner’s reticent teenage son.

and who says chicken is boring? this was half a clucker with crisped skin and supremely moist flesh, dipped into a shallow pool of tangy vinaigrette.

it was finger-lickin’ good.
$17.80AUD for the chicken. $50AUD (about $32US) total for two meat dishes, one veg, fried rice, steamed rice, and jasmine tea.

oh, and early bird diners get 10% off if you leave by 7 pm.

the red teapot
413 William Street
Northbridge WA 6003
Tel : +61 8 9228 1981

i ate kangaroo meat

kangaroo meat, originally uploaded by suddenly.

and now i have a spring in my step.

marinated kangaroo skewers with bush tomato chutney
at little creatures brewery in fremantle

the ‘roo was highly spiced, so much so that it could’ve been chunks of beef or lamb, for all i know. but the texture was tough, despite the 48-hour marinade. it wouldn’t be my first choice for red meat but i thought i might as well try a little kangaroo while i’m down under.

btw, little creatures is a fantastic microbrewery. luv their bright ale, the S.O. prefers their pale ale. we both adored our ray-of-sunshine pixie waitress. their shop lets you rent their logo-emblazened bikes for free (provided you have ID, which i didn’t).

eat here now: bar one, perth, western australia

bar 1

we’ve left the hustle and bustle of sydney and moved on to smaller, gentler perth in western australia. it seems no matter where you go down under, something delicious is right around the corner. we had a fantastic meal of italian small plates at bar one in the CBD (central business district).  two italian chefs taking the best ingredients, treating them simply, then adding a modern aussie twist is a recipe for awesomeness. the one chef even has his mamma turning out handmade pastas every day. gotta luv it!

from the menu to our bellies:

• Capesante
  Grilled scallops on shell, beetroot & vinegar
• Calamari
  Salt and pepper squid, rocket, lemon aioli
• Capellini
  Angel hair pasta, blue manna crab, tomato and XV olive oil
• Char-grilled asparagus, Reggiano, truffle XV olive oil
• Crisped barramundi atop tartar-style potatoes and watercress salad

food and drinks you can’t get in the U.S. of A.

dill pickle chips

all dressed chips

ketchup chips

muskoka dry ginger ale

havana club cuban rum

canadian moose droppings

(click to enlarge photo)

from left to right, top to bottom:

lay’s dill pickle potato chips – tastes like dried pickle juice on potato chips; tangy and very salty

ruffle’s all dressed potato chips – all dressed for what? i dunno. tastes like a mix between cheddar, BBQ, salt & vinegar, and sour cream & onion chips; the everything bagel of potato chips

lay’s ketchup potato chips – sounds gross but is actually yummy; like BBQ flavor minus the smoke

muskoka dry ginger ale – a less sweet, more gingery ginger ale without the nose-burning zing of jamaican ginger beer; muskoka is the fancy summer cottage territory of ontario, so imagine if the hamptons had its own beverage; “i f*cking love this!” exclaimed the ginger ale afficionado S.O.

cuban rum cocktail – saw all these bottles of “havana club” rum at a local cuban restaurant; when i realized it was rum from cuba, it made sense why i never saw that brand in the embargo-minded US

canadian moose droppings – actually chocolate-covered almonds marketed to the scatalogical freaks out there; we know who you are

M’m! M’m! Good?

warhol’s scotch broth, originally uploaded by suddenly.

canadians eat some strange things. some of it is delicious, like poutine. some of it is just…strange, like scotch broth soup. it’s the S.O.’s favorite soup from a can. i’d never heard of it before i met him and i wasn’t converted when i tried it in england. i’m quite sure americans don’t eat scotch broth. at least not in nyc because we couldn’t find it at any of the local supermarkets.

so i was really surprised when we went to the moma in new york and saw scotch broth as one of the the featured campbell’s soup cans by andy warhol. i wonder if people back then ate scotch broth but it got eclipsed by chicken noodle and cream of mushroom.

if you’re wondering what scotch broth is, according to wikipedia:

Scotch broth is a filling soup, originating in Scotland but now obtainable world wide. The principal ingredients are usually barley, stewing or braising cuts of beef or – more authentically – lamb, and root vegetables such as carrots, turnips or swedes. Greens – particularly cabbage and leeks can also be added, usually towards the end of cooking to preserve flavour and texture. Dried pulses are often used too, along with the traditional barley. The proportions and ingredients vary according to the recipe or availability

i think the version i tried was made with mutton and it was by heinz, not campbell’s. it may or may not have contained dried pulses. if only i knew what the heck dried pulses are.

zenzai

zenzai, originally uploaded by suddenly.

i couldn’t help it. i had to go back to momofuku ssäm bar and recruited two other diners for lunch. the tall, chatty waiter was there again but we sat in a different area and had another, less talkative server. we started with the cured hamachi with edamame, pea leaves and horseradish. it was sublime; at once delicate and refreshing with a good nose-burning kick from the horseradish.

next we had a delicious platter of benton ham, paper-thin slices of proscuitto-style cured pork. it came with “red eye gravy” which looked like mustard but was made with mayo, sriracha and coffee. a strange combination but somehow it worked.

we ended the meal with the hangar steak ssäm and pickles. i love this dish but the rice was a little hard again. i suspect that someone forgot to pre-soak the rice before cooking it.

the place was pretty empty at lunchtime and the noise level was much more tolerable. the lunch menu is more limited but the greatest hits are still there.

i have resigned myself to the fact that all my friends have crazy sweet tooths (teeth?) and the post-meal search for dessert is inevitable. i feel like nyc has had an explosion in the dessert scene and i see so many establishments dedicated just to sweets. (i’m still waiting for nyc to have cheese bars on every corner.)

after contemplating our dessert options, we decided on cha an japanese tea house in the east village. it’s a small, serene space that feels very japanese. we each ordered the zenzai (above), a chilled red bean “soup” with candied chestnuts, chewy morsels of mochi and ice cream. it was almost tooth-achingly sweet but balanced well with a side order of the bitter makinohara green tea.

oh, my days in nyc are numbered. sigh.

taking a bite out of the lucky peach – momofuku ssäm bar

the LLBFFHS and her hubby treated us dinner at momofuku ssäm bar and now i see what all the hype is about david chang — or rather, the minions who carry out his vision; they make delicious, innovative food that would normally cost a lot more because you’d have a stuffy waiter and two busboys hovering over you in a serene dining room filled with suits and tall flower arrangements. at ssäm, you get hipster waiters who crowd plates onto your tiny ikea-esque table while you balance your bottom on backless stools, and shout to your crew over the loud music.

our hipster waiter for the night was a tall, chatty fellow. he gave us a ten-minute monologue about his favorites on the menu. i was the only one who found his in-depth explanation helpful. the others in my party had glazed-over expressions. (note to self and hipster waiter: some people do not like to hear others drone on and on about food. oops!)

we ordered and the procession of communal food went thusly:

oysters on the half shell with kimchi consommé – fine if you love raw oysters, which i do.

uni with whipped tofu and tapioca pearls with crackly bits on top – intriguing and strange combination of flavors. the foamy tofu melts on your tongue as you chew through the tapioca pearls.

charred squid salad with mizuna – spicy and tangy korean-style salad with lots of chili flakes and vinegar. one of the best dishes of the night.

steamed buns with pork belly – the bun seemed softer and fluffier than the last time i had it at momofuku noodle bar. still, the pork belly was divine. everyone loved theirs and contemplated ordering more.

seasonal pickles – loved, loved, loved them all. our assortment included turnips, ramps, carrots, celery and kimchi.

crispy pig’s head torchons – a fried cutlet made of porky bits from you-know-where. the meat was tender and extremely flavorful inside the crisp panko crumbs. i really enjoyed this dish with the spicy mustard.

hangar steak ssäm with kimchi puree and ginger scallions – (why, oh why does chang put the two dots over the “a”?) – sublimely tender and rare slices of beef wrapped up with garnishes in bibb lettuce. my one gripe was that the rice that came with was undercooked. learn your basics, ssäm cooks!

ssäm has their own house sake which was dry and refreshing. i thought it went well with the meal.

what i really like about ssäm is the clever combination of flavors and ingredients. i love food that surprises you with contrasts in tastes and textures. you can see witty references to korean food but this is not your typical ajumma’s cooking. the uber-casual vibe in the restaurant is a bonus for people like me who dread formal dining settings. i think i may have to sneak another trip back to ssäm before i leave town.

one-year-plus vietnamese sandwich deprivation is over

vietnamese sandwich, originally uploaded by suddenly.

i had a snack attack in chinatown and had this bbq pork sandwich at saigon banh mi. while it’s not the best vietnamese sandwich i’ve ever had (that would be the steak sandwich i had in hanoi last year), it’s still pretty good. and at $3.75 for a twelve-incher, it’s a better deal than subway’s $5-foot long. i also find it funny that saigon banh mi is in the back of a jewelry store.

a l’il bit of salt and a whole lotta yumminess

chocolate cupcake with salt at royale cafe + pastry, originally uploaded by suddenly.

met with a dear old friend for lunch at ditch plains where we each had their signature lobster roll. 6 ounces of lobster meat on a hot dog bun. the lobster was good. my burnt bun, not so much.

the dear old friend is a dessert afficionado and in our post-lunch forage for something sweet, we came across the adorably pink royale cafe + pastry on 6th avenue. first of all, i was very impressed that when we asked if they had decaf iced coffee, the barista said it’d be a decaf americano. then she proceeded to make them with bottled water. needless to say, the iced americano was excellent.

the dessert afficionado chose her dessert well and i had a bad case of food envy over her chocolate cupcake with salt on the gooey icing. (my whoopi pie wasn’t bad but it didn’t have the salty-sweet combo that i drool over.) it’s easily one of the best cupcakes i’ve ever tasted; extremely moist and not too sweet. i think i need to go back and have that chocolate cupcake all to myself next time–with a decaf iced americano, of course.

a nyc institution: katz’s deli

katz’s deli – corned beef on rye, originally uploaded by suddenly.

we were walking around the lower east side and even though we’d just had a big lunch, the S.O.’s eyes lit up when he saw the sign for katz’s deli. (what is it with men and big slabs of meat?) you might be surprised by the prices at katz’s. this corned beef on rye will set you back $14.95 but that sandwich could easily feed two people–or one super gluttonous person. but hey, you’re paying for quality (and the labor of a troop of men to hand carve the meats). the S.O.’s original plan was to take half of the sandwich home but once he tasted it, there was no turning back. he devoured the entire behemoth in no time flat. i was the kind beneficiary of the little flaps that fell off the bread. i also got to enjoy one of my favorite sodas, dr. brown’s black cherry.

taking a bite out of the big apple: momofuku noodle bar

bibim guksu – momofuku noodle bar, originally uploaded by suddenly.

i’ve been reading about david chang, nyc’s latest enfant terrible chef, in practically every medium including the in-flight magazine on british airways. i heard about the near impossibility of snagging a table at his 3-star restaurant momofuku ko and the line-ups at chang’s other joints that don’t take reservations at all. i even tried to help a friend get an online reservation at ‘ko by clicking away on my mouse every day as the clock approached 10 a.m. eastern standard time from spain and morocco. (after 3 months of clicking, we’ve yet to get a reservation.)

i had to see what all this hype was about. i mean, jesus christ, what’s so f-ing special about his steamed pork buns? so i had lunch with a friend at chang’s first restaurant, momofuku noodle bar. we grabbed a couple of seats at the communal dining table before the place got too crowded. ordering the steamed pork buns was a no-brainer after so many writers have spilled so much ink praising them. (for god sakes, frank bruni sounds like a tween with a crush the way he gushes over them.) it was too hot to eat ramen so i decided to have their bibim guksu instead.

the verdict: all right. maybe frank bruni wasn’t exaggerating. the steamed pork buns were pretty fantastic. the bun dough had the right amount of chewiness and the pork was divine. chang uses thick slabs of pork belly that are so juicy and flavorful, they must be from a genetically superior species of pig. the cucumbers and scallions provide crunch and texture while the hoisin adds a pleasant sweetness. i added a few dabs of srirachi just to keep things a l’il spicy. $9 gets you two buns which i split with my friend.

the bibim guksu is a more refined, lady portion of what my mom would make. don’t get me wrong, i love my mom’s cooking but after a dinner at her house, i’m tasting (and breathing out!) garlic into the next day’s lunch. i liked the sauce on the momofuku version. it was still spicy but well-balanced with sweetness. i loved the runny yolk on the fried egg. my one gripe is that the noodles were a tad gloppy as if the cook didn’t rinse out enough of the starch from the somen. other than that, i’d have this dish again and not have to reach for the listerine right away. the bibim guksu will set you back $14 which is on par with any noodle dish you’d have in manhattan’s korea town. alas, no free banchan at the momofuku’s.

i’m still working on the reservation for momofuku ko. sigh.

where is the couscous in casablanca?

olives, originally uploaded by suddenly.

it’s hard to find lunch in this town. we kept walking and walking under the scorching sun for a traditional moroccan meal and all we could see was pizza. or pizza-and-chwarma. or pizza-chwarma-and-pannini. and a whole slew of cafes where people were drinking tea but not eating. the first day, we settled on a cute french cafe that had a few moroccan dishes. i saw “couscous (vendredi)” written on the chalkboard menu. that’s what i was going to have, not really knowing what kind of couscous vendredi is.

then in a little exchange with the waiter, i realized that they only serve couscous on friday (vendredi) but it was wednesday. so i had the tagine of fish instead which was a kind of braised, stewy dish. it was lovely but i’d had my heart set on couscous.

the following saturday, we visited the old medina and stumbled upon a restaurant built in an old fortress, called la sqala.  it seemed kind of forbidding which, i suppose, is the intent of a fortification. but behind the massive fortress door was a garden oasis; an outdoor dining area shaded by big billowy parasols. a quick look at the menu revealed traditional moroccan dishes along with international dishes. they had couscous — oh, but only on fridays. i began to wonder if couscous (vendredi) was the norm in morocco.

we ended up sharing the kemia mauresque, an array of delicious dips and chutneys, served with discs of moroccan bread that are reminiscent of pain au levain. that alone filled us up but i’d already ordered tagine of lamb because they were out of tagine of vegetables. the food was so good here we went again last night and were treated to a moroccan performance.  tall, skinny north african dudes banging on drums and tambourines, singing, hooting and hollering all the while shaking their hips to the delight of the tables of women. little french girls left their families at their tables and started dancing with them. hey, they like a fiesta in casablanca, too!

so all around town i saw “couscous tous les vendredis” (couscous every friday). why only friday? quelle bizarre.

well, it turns out that a family friend of the S.O. lives in casablanca and she invited us to her house for couscous. on friday, of course. except when we arrived, she didn’t serve couscous. she made pastilla, a baked potato and ground beef dish that’s similar to a shepherd’s pie. it was delish but alas, not couscous.

i’ll have to wait for another friday to have couscous in morocco.

i ate a lotta empanadas

empanada de atun (little tuna pie), originally uploaded by suddenly.

what happens when you stuff tuna fish into a flaky crust? you get a little tuna pie and a whole lotta deliciousness. the tuna is canned tuna but miles away from regular ole tuna fish salad. it’s smothered with sweet caramelized onions and spiced just so with smoky paprika and other delectable flavorings.

i tried the tuna empanadas at various tapas bars. sometimes i’d get a rectangular slice from a bigger pie but this one is an individual pie so you get more crust all to yourself — yay!

i think this is a madrid specialty because i didn’t see it anywhere else in spain.