Oceana Grill
Where? Oceana Grill (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu
When? Wednesday December 25, 2019
Who? Me
Food Style? New Orleans Seafood
When I arrive at 6pm, there's already a queue outside. Fortunately for me, I'm by myself and there's plenty of seats at the bar. I start the night off with a smooth margarita called “Road to Bourbon Street”: tequila, Cointreau, lime sour and agave nectar. It's got some dry ice for theatrics and it already feels like I'm going to have a good time. The menu is different to what was advertised on a Google, but I ended up going with the special which wasn't on the menu anyway, redfish tchoupitoulas. I overheard some lady on the plane saying redfish was amazing so I might as well give it a go now.
Mains
Redfish Tchoupitoulas: Blackened redfish fillet on a jalapeño crawfish cornbread dressing, topped with sautéed shrimp in a garlic lemon butter sauce and mustard greens
Damn it's good. There's heaps of delicious buttery sauce coating the shrimp and fish, the proteins are cooked perfectly, the redfish has a beautiful crust on the outside that packs a punch. Even the mustard greens, which have never really made an impression on me, are tasty, and help to cut through all that richness. The jalapeño dressing underneath is quite subtle, so I've added a few drops of some local hot sauce to give it more of a kick. Yum!
By this time, the margarita is very much in effect and it suddenly dawns on me that American pours are much more generous. I should be careful next time.
Dessert
Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie: Large buttery pecans, layered on a rich, smooth filling with a hint of kentucky bourbon, on a pastry crust
I can't resist dessert. Pecan pie is a southern staple and this one hits the spot. It's warm and comforting, and the center is soft and gooey, which contrasts well with the roasted pecans on top. The bourbon comes through nicely. My only criticism is that the crust is too sweet, the dessert has enough sugar already!
Posted by Jeremy at 9:19pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments :: 
Chartres House Restaurant and Oyster Bar
Where? Chartres House Restaurant and Oyster Bar (French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map Menu
When? Wednesday December 25, 2019
Who? Me
Food Style? Cajun and Creole
Right in the heart of the French Quarter, this 1830 building stands on the site of the Good Friday fire of 1788. A lot of the places on my list are super busy and I'm tired and hungry, so whatever, I'll give this place a go. What inspired me to even come to New Orleans? To put it simply, this viral video of two Swiss girls who copied an episode in the Simpsons, frame by frame, of Homer gorging himself in creole cuisine.
Mains
Taste of New Orleans: chicken and sausage jambalaya, chicken and andouille gumbo, crawfish étouffée
I've ordered a taster of gumbo, jambalaya and crawfish étouffée. I'm suddenly reminded of the Carpenter's song Jambalaya, where Karen Carpenter sings about jambalaya, crawfish pie and fillet gumbo. These three dishes are all extremely well-known Cajun and Creole classics. When it comes out, I absolutely have no idea which is which so I have to ask the waitress.
The red one, the crawfish étouffée, is my favourite. It's spicy and the seafood flavour comes through nicely. The garlic bread on the side is perfect with that sauce. It reminds me of a less creamy chowder.
The brown one with the yellow pepper is jambalaya. It's a fusion of Spanish, French and West African cuisines, and it resembles paella with sausage. This one is okay; rich and tasty, but not out of this world. I had a better one at this restaurant in Toronto called...New Orleans.
The saucy brown one is gumbo, a thick, hearty stew containing celery, capsicum and onions. This has a nice smokiness and pepperiness to it.
The food here is very comforting, really rich and soulful. It doesn't look like it's a large portion, but the sauces really fill you up, especially with that side of bread and all that rice.
Posted by Jeremy at 9:14pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::
Betsy's Pancake House
Where? Betsy's Pancake House (Midtown, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America) Map
When? Wednesday December 25, 2019
Who? Me
Food Style? American Breakfast
I've arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana for a five day food excursion and I'm starting it off at Betsy's Pancake House. As I sit down, the aroma of toast and coffee fills the air, and after a brief read of the menu, I've decided to go with the pecan pancakes.
Mains
Pecan Pancakes
Warm, fluffy and aromatically nutty, this is a delightful way to start the day. Obviously they're not going to have authentic Canadian maple syrup here, but whatever this sweet brown sugary liquid is will do.
I love these suburban joints, full of locals enjoying their neighbourhood eateries. I'm really amused by the southern vernacular - especially “howdy y'all”, which is incredibly common. Also I think I'm the youngest person here.
I keep forgetting how large these American portions really are. I'm struggling to finish the pancakes but I power through. Phew.
Posted by Jeremy at 9:04pm on Friday January 3, 2020 :: 0 comments ::
El Tío Darío
Where? El Tio Dario (Yanahuara, Arequipa, Peru) Map Menu
When? Saturday August 24, 2019
Who? Nancy, King, Sunshine and Alfia
Food Style? Peruvian
Our first restaurant adventure in Arequipa, Peru leads us to a beautiful restaurant with a spacious garden near Yanahaura called El Tio Dario. Few people in Arequipa speak English, so my super basic Spanish is constantly being tested. Fortunately, Google is never too far away, so I'm able to look up and translate lots of strange food words like adobo and ocopa. Thanks to my French, I recognise words like picante, carne and pescado. We've decided to share five platters of well-known Peruvian dishes.
Pisco Sour
Sunshine and I can't resist the Peruvian national drink. It reminds me of a margarita, but it is very strong. Too strong in fact. I'm almost immediately drunk. Sunshine's has strawberry in it and isn't as strong as mine. Probably best to take it easy on the pisco from now on.
Surprise Starter
Potato gratin
A dish comes out and no one has any idea what it is, so we ask the waiter and his English is as good as my Spanish but we gather “gratis” and “casa” - it's a free starter on the house! It's a delicious potato gratin topped with tomatoes and a slightly spicy sauce, with some toasted bread on the side.
First Plate
Soltero de queso con quinua tricolor: a classic salad from Arequipa in Tio Dario's own style, with three types of quinoa
A refreshing salad on the side with a famous Peruvian ingredient - quinoa! Quinoa is a staple in Peruvian cuisine, when cooked well, it is fluffy and light. The cheese adds a beautiful richness and the salad dressing gives it a nice appetising acidity.
Second Plate
Cebiche clasico: ceviche of mahi-mahi, with just the right amount of lemon juice
Ceviche is the national dish of Peru. It is fish cured with the juice of a lemon or lime (or both). A variety of fish or seafood can be used, but here we have mahi-mahi, a white fleshed ocean fish. Zesty and tangy, with a little bit of kick from the chili, the ingredients are simple but the flavours are complex and it's incredibly appetising.
Third Plate
Adobo arequipeño: marinated pork served Arequipa style, with bread and a cup of aniseed tea
Tender, juicy pork that's almost been stewed. It's got a strong, rich flavour and the jus can be mopped up with some of the bread on the side.
Fourth Plate
Anticucho de corazon de res: barbequed ox heart skewers
Beautifully grilled with lots of spice, it's served with a heap of potatoes (another Peruvian native!) and beans.
Fifth Plate
Saltado de alpaca: stir fried alpaca with onion, tomato, mild pepper, fried potatoes and rice
We just visited an alpaca farm and of course we had to try eating these adorable things. It's delicious. Not very gamey but tender. The sauce is full of flavour. Poor Nancy can't bring herself to eat it because they're too cute.
An excellent meal that ticked off a lot of the Peruvian food checkboxes that I had. I can't wait to try more delicacies if they're as good as what I had today. This restaurant is probably a bit boujie in comparison to other restaurants but it's a good deal after conversion to Canadian dollars.
Posted by Jeremy at 6:40pm on Thursday January 2, 2020 :: 0 comments ::
Matahari Grill
Where? Matahari Grill (Baldwin Village, Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Map
When? Friday June 28, 2019
Who? Me
Food Style? Malaysian
It's a hot summer's day in Toronto and I've stupidly walked 12km around downtown in the pursuit of fictional monsters on my phone. I'm starving. Just to the east of Chinatown is Matahari Grill, a casual, quiet spot for Malaysian fare. The Malaysian council at work (all three of us) are interested in how good it is because there's a lack of good Malaysian flavours in the city, so I've volunteered to try it and will report back next week.
The staples are all here: Nasi lemak, char kuay teow, beef rendang, but I've chosen a nyonya favourite: curry chicken with potatoes. If it's good, I'll stay for dessert, otherwise I'll find some ice cream downtown.
Mains
Matahari curry chicken: nyonya-inspired curry chicken with potatoes
The curry smells appetising and has some great heat to it. I can detect the galangal and ginger, but I think it needs to be more lemak - it's missing the richness that nyonya cooking is so well known for. I do wish that they used the chicken thighs, breast meat dries out too quickly, and I wish there were more potatoes to soak up that delicious gravy. It doesn't transport me back home to my mother's kitchen but it's about halfway there.
I ended up coming back here, just to give them a second chance (because we really are that desperate for Malaysian food) and the second time was even more disappointing than the first, and I vowed to never come back. Not too difficult - a few months ago, we walked past looking for some ice cream and discovered that they had zap lap - closed down. Nothing of value was lost.
Posted by Jeremy at 6:20pm on Thursday January 2, 2020 :: 0 comments ::