Ristorante Galleria

Where? Ristorante Galleria (Milan CBD, Milan, Italy) Map

When? Saturday March 25, 2017

Who? Me

Food Style? Italian

I've only got one full day in Milan, and during my wanderings around the city, I've come upon the famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, home to a massive dome and plenty of fashionable brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada and Versace. I'm aware that the restaurants in this location are likely to be very touristy and perhaps not authentic, but I'm hungry and this one's got a 4.3 star rating on Google, so I give it a go. They're more touted for their pizzas and pastries, but I'm here for some risotto - or, as the Katering Show calls it, hot wet rice.

Primo Piatto

Risotto alla Milanese
I've gone for the Milanese specialty dish, risotto alla milanese, or saffron risotto. When it comes out, there is definitely that brilliant golden colour of saffron and I dig in. It's warm and cheesy, very rich and filling for the portion size. The risotto is harder than what I would cook at home, but I don't actually know what authentic consistency should be. It's actually quite nice with a bit of texture instead of it being soft. The bread by the side cleans up any residue sauce on the plate. Good times. I'm off to find some gelato.

Posted by Jeremy at 7:28pm on Friday April 28, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Rasa Sayang

Where? Rasa Sayang (Soho, London, England) Map Menu

When? Wednesday March 15, 2017

Who? Me

Food Style? Malaysian

I'm craving the food of my people so I'm in Soho, in the heart of London, at Rasa Sayang, which means "loving feeling". I chose a combo meal, so I get a drink, mains and dessert for a set price. Food arrives quickly, hawker style.

Drink

Air Bandung - rose water syrup
It's very sweet, but it does remind me of home. Probably not the most thirst-quenching drink on the menu. I love the black herbal jelly, it helps balance the sweetness.

Mains

Char Kuey Teow - wok-fried flat noodles in superior dark sauce and fresh seafood
It's okay. It's not Little Penang good and it's lacking chilli and the all important wok hei. I really like the prawns and especially the inclusion of the prawn head, which I suck the juices out of gleefully. I ask for some sambal and it improves the meal...but it's still not spicy! Ah well. British problems.

Dessert

Cendol - shaved ice in palm sugar and coconut milk, topped with fragrant green pandan jelly and sweet red bean
Can't resist ordering cendol here. It looks odd served in a hipster mason jar, but this is probably the most authentic item of the three I've had here. It doesn't matter that the weather is miserable and cold, I'm enjoying the lashings of coconut cream and gula melaka on top the shaved ice, red bean, and pandan-flavoured "worms"!

A bit disappointing, to be honest. A lot of the places around Soho look very touristy, and it is damn expensive too. If you want good Chinese, try heading to Bayswater. I don't have any recommendations for Malaysian food yet, though.

Posted by Jeremy at 5:10pm on Friday April 28, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Jamie's Kitchen

Where? Jamie's Kitchen (Oxford CBD, Oxford, England) Map Menu

When? Wednesday March 8, 2017

Who? Me

Food Style? Italian

I've been told by many people that English food is bland. I tried to keep an open mind when coming here but sad to say, this is mostly true. Finding good food seems to be difficult here. Chinese restaurants that I walk by have those gross food warmer trays filled with food cooked 8 hours ago, just simmering nicely for the salmonella smorgasbord special. Fish and chips from this pub in Brixton, London had no salt and even the tartare sauce was lacking in flavour. Steak from Leicester Square was average and I could have done better at home. It was almost inedible until I asked for mustard. And I take exception to not just the quality, but the price as well. Things are quite expensive here. Yum Cha is more expensive dollar-to-dollar than New Zealand! Of course this is not true for all establishments, just the majority of the ones I've tried. With so many celebrated chefs like Nigella and Gordon and Jamie, why is the food scene here so dreary?

Well, as he's lent his name and face to a host of restaurants, I thought I'd check out Jamie's Italian in Oxford CBD. I'm here before the dinner rush, so still eligible for the three course lunch menu special for £13.95

Antipasto

Silky Pâté Bruschetta - Italian chicken-liver pâté, pancetta, vin santo and Parmesan
A very generous serving of pate with some sliced pancetta to add saltiness. The pate is rich and creamy, with a pleasant smooth texture, and the cheese is subtle but adds to the richness. Good start!

Pasta

Oxtail Tagliatelle - Our freshly made pasta with a slow-cooked oxtail & Chianti ragù, topped with aged Parmesan & crispy rosemary
It smells good when it's placed in front of me. Rich and hearty, and a sprinkle of fresh Parmesan on top that starts to melt into the pasta. It's tasty, but perhaps the meat is slightly too salty. Other than that, the balance of flavours is very good - a touch of rosemary for that fresh herb taste, the sauce has plenty of wine and tomato and onion, and a little bit of cracked pepper on top and I'm very pleased. The meat is soft and falls apart nicely and the pasta is smooth and al dente. The portion might be a bit small, but it is quite rich.

Dessert

Tiramisu Pavlova - Coffee-rippled meringue topped with dark chocolate ice cream, smashed hazelnuts and hot chocolate sauce
I might not like coffee but I am a sucker for tiramisu at Italian restaurants. This however is a pavlova, the New Zealand national dessert, except it's been smashed into pieces and used as a base for this dessert. So not a pavlova. In fact it's not even really a tiramisu and doesn't really taste like one. It's not unpleasant but this is definitely the weakest course. The hazelnuts are my favourite thing about this.

So how did Jamie do?

Not too bad actually, this is one of the better meals I've had in England. There was flavour and texture, and it's reasonably priced as well. The only let down was the dessert, but it wasn't inedible, just not a tiramisu...or a pavlova. I would come here again - the prawn linguine sounds promising!

Posted by Jeremy at 2:42pm on Friday April 28, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

Old Iceland

Where? Old Iceland (Laugavegur, Reykjavik, Iceland) Map Menu

When? Thursday February 23, 2017

Who? Me

Food Style? Traditional Icelandic

I tried coming here a few days ago, but this small cosy restaurant was fully booked and had no space even for single diner me. I made a reservation and here I am, back again, hoping for a solid Icelandic meal experience.

Entree

Cured Salmon - picked cucumber, dill mayo, dulse and microgreens
Deliciously fresh, well seasoned and has that lovely acidity and sweetness from the cucumber pickle. The greens balance out the creamy sauce perfectly. Great starter!

Mains

Fillet of Lamb and Slow Cooked Shoulder - artichokes, carrots, beetroot, potatoes and demi-glace
Lots of well seasoned root vegetables and rich sauce with a swirl of cream, this is a classic winter dish. Very hearty and comforting given today's awful weather. The lamb is nicely cooked, pink in the middle, and is succulent and tender, but the fat could be rendered a bit more.

Dessert

Brownie - caramel sauce, roasted oats, vanilla ice cream and strawberries
Again, great comfort food, very homely. Decadent chocolate brownie with lots of fresh fruit to cut through that richness and oats for that added crunch. What looks like a slice of capsicum is actually a large strawberry. In hindsight, I should've ordered a dessert wine with this but I'm satisfied nevertheless.

The meal cost me 7990 ISK, or "$79.90", which is on par with how expensive everything is in Iceland, but I am quite full and happy to have had an enjoyable last meal here in Reykjavik.

Posted by Jeremy at 2:13pm on Friday April 28, 2017 :: 0 comments ::

The Food of Iceland

Food, like everything else here, is expensive. There is an abundance of seafood all year round, but Icelanders also pride themselves on lamb, as it is the most common farm animal. The national dish is the Kæstur hákarl (treated shark), which smells worse than a durian. The shark meat is fermented and cured, then dried for several months. Wikipedia says it has a "large amount of ammonia and has a strong smell, similar to many cleaning products" and a quick Google search reveals several blog posts about how it is "the worst thing I have ever eaten" or "the worst tasting food in the world". (Un)fortunately for me, I've run out of time to find hákarl, but as it is available all year round, I'm sure I'll be back to give it a go, at least once.

As it is winter as well, the meals are very traditional comfort foods; winter warmers with lots of rich, creamy sauces and soups, or plenty of root vegetables like potatoes, beetroot and carrots.

Here's a selection of what I've eaten so far:

Lobster & Stuff

Panfried Plaice a la Muniere with Canadian Lobster

Lemon, artichoke purée, white asparagus, crispy small potatoes and pickled green apples
The restaurant, Lobster & Stuff, has a wonderful quote from George Bernard Shaw on its outside wall - it reads "There is no sincerer love than the love of food." As I passed by, I immediately thought how great it would be to have lobster, and then had cravings for it as I was exploring the waterfront, so I returned after my short walk and settled in for the plaice and lobster.

Plaice is very common here. It's a simple fish, much like the New Zealand snapper, with a white, tender flesh. The lobster is solid as always, a rich, chunky piece of meat, with natural sweetness and saltiness. A few drops of the lime over the seafood and the dish is lip-smackingly good.

Gamla Vínhúsið

Minke Whale Steak

With pepper sauce, baked potato and vegetables
Yes I ate whale! This particular species is listed as "Not as Risk" by COSEWIC, and G5 by NatureServe, which means the species is secure on the global scale.

I'm surprised with the first bite. It tastes very much like red meat, but it is chewier and very lean. I was expecting something a bit fatty, with perhaps some fishiness to it. They've done a good job with the gravy and vegetables, and it's got that "winter warmer" feel to it. I'm impressed with the baked potato too.

Icelandic Skyr

With baked apple, caramel sauce and whipped cream
Skyr is a traditional Icelandic dairy dessert that is very much like yogurt, but lacks the sharp acidity - it's much milder than yogurt. The texture is very similar, almost bordering a consistency of custard. The pieces of spiced apple and cinnamon strewn through the dessert, and the gingerbread biscuit on top, makes this a pleasant dessert and a nice way to end the meal.

Kol

Soup of the Day: Sunchoke

I had to do a double take when the waiter said "sunchoke". It's more commonly known in New Zealand as the Jerusalem artichoke, but what was interesting for me here is the sourdough served in a cloth bag.

Charred Tuna

With watermelon, avocado, chilli and wasabi
Classic flavours here, but the wasabi is milder than I would have liked. The tuna is fresh and has a good bite to it, and a little sprinkling of nuts on the table gives the dish some crunch. I really like the slightly sweetness that the watermelon adds. I'm also amused by the odd plate, which cements my conclusion that I'm in one of Iceland's most hipster cafes.

Posted by Jeremy at 8:08pm on Friday February 24, 2017 :: 0 comments ::