Nakameno Teppen
Where? Nakameno Teppen (Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan) Map
When? Saturday February 4, 2017
Who? Solo Traveller Me
Food Style? Japanese Grill
I was wandering around Shibuya and needed to look for a Lawsons to print out tickets to the Square Enix Cafe (which is a story in itself) but nearby was an assuming restaurant recommended by Amy via Taeblog. I'm told this is a traditional Japanese grill. I followed Google Maps to the location but I have no idea whether I was actually at the right place because there's no English signage. It's a very quiet street, pretty dark and deserted, but I know I'm in for an experience so nerves or not, I enter and am seated by the bar. The menu is in broken Engrish, so at least I know kinda what I'm eating.
I get asked what drink I want, and I'm not feeling like alcohol at the moment, especially since I'm so far away from everything, so I ask for a green tea, thinking I'll get something to warm me up. What I get given, however, is an ice cold green tea. Oh well.
I've ordered a flurry of things, and have to be told to stop, and that what I've got is enough for one person. While I'm waiting for the food, I'm watching the chefs cook, and it brings a smile to my face because I love watching food being prepared in traditional ways. I find it fascinating.
Appetiser
Chilled vegetables with cheesy miso sauce
I'm hungry and this is very tasty, so it vanishes quickly. You dip the vegetables into the sauce and have a good time.
Eggplant
The eggplant comes first and it is long. Really long. Juicy and tasty though, especially with the bonito flakes and soya sauce. The staff have limited English (but it is still better than my Japanese) but they manage to explain how to eat it to me.
Pumpkin
Delicious. Buttery and perfectly grilled, the pumpkin melts in your mouth, with a hint of smoke and crispiness at the edges.
Mackerel
The mackerel arrives and it's massive but I tuck in anyway. It's really tasty and fresh. Soft and delicate on the inside, crispy on the outside. I'm glad they told me to stop ordering because this is too much food, even for me.
I may be an ignorant foreigner, but my handywork with the chopsticks lets me pluck away at the flesh of the fish without disturbing the main bone like a pro.
Salmon
The salmon is last. It's a thin slice of meat, with mostly skin, but it's perfectly crispy and again, tasty and fresh.
I'm really struggling to finish but I refuse to bring shame upon my name and my family, so I power on and am victorious. I'm rewarded with a minted hot towel and a 4000 yen bill. For what I ate, that's not too bad. Two people could have had what I ate for the same price. As I leave, they give me a packet of miso soup for the morning. Arigato gozaimasu!
Posted by Jeremy at 7:46pm on Friday February 24, 2017 :: 0 comments :: 
Topor Bistro and Bar
Where? Topor (Porirua, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Monday January 16, 2017
Who? Jordan, Rob, Jill
Food Style? Polish
Rob has been harping on about Topor, right down the road from his place in Whitby, for a very long time. As New Zealand's only Polish restaurant, Topor is also known by the locals as "that Polish place", and in true Polish fashion, your meals come with not a wine pairing, but a vodka pairing. Take a train to Plimmerton if you want to indulge, or get a sober driver. Like me. It took me leaving the country to convince Jordan to finally get out here, because the commute is not trivial.
Pierogi
Traditional Polish recipe of potato and goat's feta pasta dumpling with sautéed onions and bacon and horseradish aioli
Smooth and silky, the dumplings are filled with fluffy potatoes on the inside. They're garnished generously with plenty of green salads, but the bacon is the hero of the dish, adding some much needed saltiness. The sauce that comes with the pierogi accentuates the richness of the cheese and potato.
Duck Breast
With new potatoes, honey roasted beets, seasonal greens, caramelized red cabbage and a beetroot reduction
Amazing texture, crispy skin and succulent meat, full of flavour. The vegetables are so tasty as well, seasoned perfectly. The beetroot, roasted with a hint of honey adds that nice sweetness that doesn't overpower the dish. I'm also impressed by the fluffiness of the potatoes.
Chocolate Bomb
With mixed berry compote, whipped cream and brandy custard
It's hard to pass by a dessert with a name like this, and sure enough, the bomb was a rich and decadent dessert that hit all expectations. Fantastically gooey and oozing with chocolate, it felt very much like a self-saucing pudding++. The brandy custard is spot on, and the flavour of the alcohol is prominent. I'm so full, but this was fantastic.
Well worth the time and effort to get out here! Topor also regularly participates in Wellington on a Plate, so be sure to keep an eye out for them this year.
Posted by Jeremy at 7:24pm on Friday February 24, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Hippopotamus
Where? Hippopotamus (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map Menu
When? Saturday December 3, 2016
Who? Jordan, James, Navi, Rob, Joe, Damon
Food Style? French Fine Dining
Hippopotamus has always been one of those places that I've wanted to go to, but never got the chance because it is quite fancy, and to go often requires some kind of special occasion. Here we are celebrating the final Fine Dining Club event with me, and also a toast to the recent departures from PikPok for Jordan, Navi, Rob and myself. We've opted for the six course degustation, and a half wine match for myself, because I am bad at alcohol.
Amuse Bouche
Salmon cerviche, cauliflower puree, blueberry apple refresher
A light way to start the meal, as all good amuse bouches should do.
First Course
Seared wakame scallop: with Asian Salad, coriander, bacon foam, capsicum puree
Perfectly cooked scallops, interesting inclusion of the caramelised sugar. The greens add some freshness and the capsicum puree gives it a nice smokey edge. Very enjoyable.
Second Course
Beetroot Seven Ways
A crazy plate of incredibly weird but interesting textures and flavours. There's a mozzarella mousse, sorbet, gel, meringue and dried flake, among others I can't quite discern. It's odd but it's quite the experience. It's salty, sweet and savoury at the same time, and quite challenging for me.
Third Course
Yellowfin Tuna: with capsicum risotto, braised cabbage, asparagus
I love how meaty the tuna is - wow! It's like eating a beef steak. The creamy risotto and cabbage really adds some nice crunch to the dish.
Palette Cleanser
Earl grey sorbet with blackberry foam
It is what it is! The tea comes through quite nicely with some bitter notes in the aftertaste.
Fourth Course
Silver Farm Venison: with white bean coulis, berry reduction, broccoli, pikopiko
The meat is incredibly tender. I love the sweetness of the sauce, it's not too sickly, but it is rich and goes superbly with this course's wine match. The crunch of the broccoli and pikopiko (a native New Zealand fern) is really good - even the mushroom tastes good in this dish.
Fifth Course
Goat's Cheese: with aged red wine jelly, pickled cucumber, walnut, rock salt bread
The cheese and jelly counterbalance each other perfectly. That combination with the pickled onion and cucumber is absolutely divine - I love that savoury sour pairing. I wish there was more of the bread!
Sixth Course
Deconstructed Black Forest Cake: dark chocolate crumble and sponge, mixed berry ice cream, cherry gel, cherry crumble in whiskey
Beautiful dark and rich chocolate, with the presence of the whiskey coming through just nicely. The dessert has lots of different textures, but it has cohesion, which is important in a deconstructed dish. The dessert wine pairing is spot on for this one.
We're all pretty stuffed by the end of the meal, but we've had a very good time, and most importantly, I'm not smashed off my face from alcohol. I'll miss this gang of people!
Posted by Jeremy at 4:34pm on Friday February 24, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Hawker
Where? Hawker (Chinatown, Sydney, Australia) Map Menu
When? Wednesday November 9, 2016
Who? Me
Food Style? Malaysian Street Food
First stop in Sydney is Chinatown for the food of my people. I'm at Hawker, Malaysian street food, because I happened to be walking around the area, definitely not catching Pokemon.
I've ordered the rojak and satay, with an ice barley water to quench my thirst after walking so much. All these items are usually enjoyed outdoors, in the heat and humid weather, by the roadside where it's typically unhygienic but so tasty.
Penang Rojak
Salad of fresh yambean, fried tofu, cucumber, pineapple, guava and dough crisps, coated in a sweet sticky sauce chilli paste and topped with peanuts
The rojak arrives first and it's damn expensive for what it is, but it hits the spot. Lots of fruit and crunch, and the classic rojak sauce is sweet, sour and slightly spicy and tangy.
Satay Chicken
Grilled over flaming charcoal for that authentic Malaysian flavour. Served with a sweet and spicy peanut sauce
The satay is next and though it's not dripping with oil and fat that I remember from the satay houses in Malaysia, the flavour is there - especially important is that smokey barbeque flavour that you only get with grilling over charcoal. I like that they've served this with cucumber and raw red onion - a sign of authenticity!
All in all, the food was good and delivered some authentic flavours, but very expensive for what it was.
Posted by Jeremy at 12:46am on Wednesday January 25, 2017 :: 0 comments ::
Little Penang
Where? Little Penang (Wellington CBD, Wellington, New Zealand) Map
When? Saturday October 15, 2016
Who? Juliann
Food Style? Authentic Malaysian, Penang-style
Little Penang is by far my favourite Malaysian restaurant outside of Malaysia. The owners, whom I affectionately call Uncle Keith and Auntie Tee, started off their humble little shop on Dixon Street about five years ago, but moved to a larger premises next door after demand became high. And it's no wonder, because their food is the most authentic I've had in New Zealand. There's a tendency to cater to European tastes when in New Zealand, but as the country becomes more cosmopolitan, people become more adventurous and are willing to try those authentic Malaysian flavours - spicy sambal, rich coconut, lemongrass, coriander, mango. There's a lovely story in the window of the shop about a lady who came to eat at Little Penang, and was moved to tears at how good the food was - "it's just like how my mother used to make it". European and Malaysian alike, we can all agree that the food at LP is top notch.
I go there so often with my workmates that the owners know me by name. Another of my workmates, Juliann, and I were privileged enough to be invited to their exclusive Fifth Birthday Celebration. Such a momentous occasion! The restaurant is packed with friends and family and VIPs, and there's a long central table, very traditional, stacked with the most amazing looking display of Malaysia's finest food. 
The entrance has the roti man twirling and flipping the roti on a hot plate, and really the only thing missing from Malaysia is the heat and humidity. It truly feels like home right now.
Auntie Tee's eldest sister has flown down specifically for this and has made her signature sambal prawns. I can see the vibrant red and orange colours of the sauce from where I'm sitting and I know it's going to be popular. Each dish on the table represents a part of Malaysian cuisine: there's Nyonya, Hainanese, Cantonese, Malay, Indian and Hokkien, and it's one of those things that hits it home that there's truly something special and unifying about Malaysian food.
I want one of everything but I can't fit it all on my plate. I guess I'll be going back for seconds...
Posted by Jeremy at 12:26am on Wednesday January 25, 2017 :: 0 comments ::