GlobalGoodFood

Revisited Osteria Il Grillo - Italian in Hanoi Vietnam

2013-05-25T10:26:00.000+10:00

I decided to revisit Osteria Il Grillo again, since over the past weeks there has been a huge jump in the number of page-views on the previous blog post. Osteria Il Grillo Hanoi Vietnam. On entering the old Hanoi very narrow building and climbing the steep narrow stairs with the worn and uneven treads gave me the nostalgic feel and ambiance of old Europe. There's a small bell on the table to summons the wait-staff since the rooms are small and on several levels eye-contact is an impossibility. The food and the service was good as I remembered.

Massage at Thai Royal Orchid Spa - Suvarnbhumi airport Bangkok Thailand

2013-05-23T19:13:00.000+10:00

Thai airways' Royal First and Royal Silk Class passengers may choose complimentary Spa services at the Thai Royal Orchid Spa. Royal Silk Class are entitled to 30 minutes: foot massage or head & shoulder massage - whilst Royal First may choose 60 minutes of either full body massage with or without oil, foot massage or legs and back. Thai's Spa treatment really does make the wait at the airport most worthwhile.

Sra Bua by Kiin Klin contemporary Thai - Asia's best 50 restaurants 2013 Bangkok Thailand

2013-05-22T10:32:00.003+10:00

Sra Bua is the creation of Henrik Yde-Andersen of Michelin-starred Thai restaurant Kiin Klin of Copenhagen and Thai gastronomist Lertchai Treetawatchaiwong. Now under the watch of Morten Nielson. Rated no. 29 of Asia’s Best 50 restaurants 2013 by S.Pellegrino.

Molecular gastronomist – deconstruction of known popular and classical Thai dishes giving it a new spin, a modern interpretation and we had thought we knew Thai cuisine, this is very refreshingly different. With an unusual offering of two desserts and to top it off with an amuse-bouche to cleanse the palate of sorbet with pop-rocks that sizzle and crack in your mouth.

Set in a Thai pavilion within Siam Kemplinski hotel with pools of lotus flowers, varying floor levels, soaring ceilings, dressed in teak and with spacious seating creates an extremely quiet tranquil restaurant setting.

Here you are compelled to order a set-menu or as I did by opting for the degustation tasting menu without wine pairing. As it is a known fact that Thai's do not eat Thai cuisine in restaurants but only on the streets as restaurants just cannot replicate the authentic Thai cuisine which in its nature much suited to the street but Sra Bua is truly is a unique experience that everyone must experience.

Lemongrass and pandan leaf tea

Soy roasted cashew-nut meringue / Lotus root with kaffir lime / Smokey tomato chili dip on prawn cracker

Street cooking

Tom Yum soup and Galangalon prawn shiu mai

Mango sorbet with coconut and fried sticky-rice

Banana cake, fresh coconut, toasted almonds, icecream and salted caramel

Coffee with petit four

Amuse-bouche

Goldern Century Seafood Restaurant Chinatown Sydney

2013-05-20T03:22:00.002+10:00

Golden Century is the most celebrated Chinese restaurant in Sydney and is known for years as the benchmark for Hong Kong-style Cantonese cuisine. This is where most of Sydney's known chefs dine as they open until very late. Reservations are necessary as Golden Century is always busy. Many other Chinese restaurant owners, chefs and waiters all had their start at the Golden Century, yes it has been around a long time.

Mozzarella di Bufala at Buffalo Dining Club - Darlinghurst Surry Hills Sydney

2013-05-17T10:33:00.001+10:00

Buffalo Dining Club only opens Wednesday to Saturday from 12pm to 11pm. This Mozzarella Bar serves fresh Buffalo-milk Mozzarella flown-in three times a week from Mozzarella di Bufala Campana Fattorie Garofalo, north of Naples. The white anchovies and the variety of prosciutteria went hand in hand with the Mozza. The pasta was served hot from within a round of pecorino, melting gentlyand was of course great. This may look like an unassuming wine bar but the food was magnificent.
Photo by HTC One.

Lewis' Continental Kitchen, Bondi Sydney - Kosher meals and caterer to Qantas and other airlines

2013-05-15T16:32:00.000+10:00

Lewis' Continental Kitchen, gourmet food eat in or takeaway from their cafe at Bondi who also caters Kosher meals for special events. Although Sydney does have a sizeable Jewish population there isn't much available in Kosher restaurants as people generally rely on specialised caterers like Lewis' Continental Kitchen who incidentally is contracted to provide Kosher meals to hospitals, Qantas as well as other airlines flying out of Sydney.

The hamburger was billed as "Sydney's Best Burgers" was a little disappointing and did not meet the high expectations, but the chips were very good and came in a huge bowl. I was excited to see that Gefilte fish (stuffed fish) was on the menu and will return to sample it another day.

Photos by HTC One.

Kura Japanese Dining - Haymarket Chinatown Sydney

2013-05-15T11:35:00.000+10:00

Kura, a typical small Japanese diner where patrons would wait on the footpath outside for the very few counter seats and for several very small tables in a very very cramp space. It feel like Tokyo. The food was great. Kura has remained the same for many years until now. Recently they have taken the upstairs area in the very same building and made it into a modern and spacious restaurant. The menu and ordering are on a number of portable touch-pad screens . The service is incredibly fast, the food is reasonable for a casual meal with nothing outstanding.

The original Kura

Semi self service

Menu touch pad

Lotus root

Fried salmon skin

Tempura vegetables

Oysters

Tofu

Assorted sashimi

Octopus

Edamame beans

Karaage /fried chicken

Soba noodles with egg

Soba beef noodles

Soba noodles

White bait

Rice rolls

Unagi don / Grilled eel on rice

Ox tongue

Salmon, Flying fish roe sushi and rolls

Scollops sushi

Seared salmon sushi

HTC is the One! - great low light camera and is truly beautiful when compared to Samsung or iPhone

2013-05-12T22:37:00.002+10:00

I just retired the Samsung S3 and replaced it with a HTC One. Yes, Taiwan has DTF (Din Tai Fung), Bubble Tea, Pineapple cakes and HTC. The machined aluminium looks great and feel even better, much better than the plasticy feel of the S3 or S4. The camera is great in low light as most restaurants have subdued lighting and "flashing" of any kind is frowned upon. The android operating system may not be the latest but with HTC's software overlay you wouldn't miss it. Blinkfeed give you your very own customised Flipboard-like newsfeed. This is a great phone with two great front-facing speakers by beats audio. Get a phone that not only looks and feels good but is great to use and is fast. Don't blindly follow the crowd. Be different get a HTC as everyones got S3 and iPhone5. It is just an outstanding phone with a great camera. HTC is the ONE!

Photo by Leice M9

Photo by Leica M9

Photo of HTC One with S3

Photo of S3 with HTC One

Papparich Malaysian Delights Chatswood Sydney Australia

2013-05-12T16:00:00.001+10:00

PappaRich is the newest restaurant recently opened at Chatswood. It came highly recommended and on a Saturday we rushed over only to find a long queue. It looked like there would be a long wait so we abstained until another day to try the Malaysian delights.

The menu was beautifully laid-out with great photos of all the usual typical Malaysian (like Singaporean) cuisine even Toast with Kaya or condensed milk, pulled milk teas brewed in a sock, very soft boiled eggs etc. We chose the standard Hainan Chicken Rice, Prawn noodles (Har Mee) and a Chicken Curry with Roti.

Although each table has a electronic wireless bell, the service was a bit of a hit and miss. Maybe because it is new, the staff were all over the place. We waited some 45 minutes before they discovered that our written order was lost, so the food arrived just under one hour after seating - this is unforgivable for lunch-time.

The food was very ordinary and was certainly not worth the wait but I had to try out the camera on the HTC One which performed better than the now replaced Samsung S3.

Hainan Chicken rice

Prawn Noodles "Har Mee"

Roti with Curry Chicken

Tartines at La Croix cafe Potts Point Sydney Australia

2013-05-08T11:59:00.000+10:00

With the tree lined streets and the unique cafes and eateries, Potts Point is a world apart from the nearby Kings Cross (formerly Sydney's red-light district). La Croix cafe is the spot for lunch. La Croix is known for their signature tartines and organic coffee.

The original Din Tai Fung Taipei Taiwan

2013-04-29T13:54:00.001+10:00

In Taiwan there's HTC, Bubble Tea and Din Tai Fung's Xiao Long Bao. This is the original Din Tai Fung Taipei Taiwan from where it all started before it was crowned the the best Xiao Long Bao in the world. There are of course several DTF restaurants in Taipei but the original is the one where all the tourists flock to, in particularly the Japanese visitors. Apparently, the locals say there's another restaurant who makes an even more perfect Xiao Long Bao with an extra pleat to DTF's 18, so it's 19 pleats.

Din Tai Fung top 10 gourmet restaurants

Din Tai Fung Michelin star Hong Kong

Truffle chicken soup Din Tai Fung

Queues as usual

Bambo shoots

Xiao Long Bao available in a variety of flavours

The famous DTF Chicken soup

Take-away orders

Peace Hotel 和平饭店 review Shanghai China

2013-04-24T20:53:00.000+10:00

The Peace Hotel is on The Bund, overlooking the Huangpo River. This is the old Shanghai. Originally built as Sassoon House by Sir Victor Sassoon, a British Sephardic Jew from Iraq. Now totally refurbished after 3 years and reopened as the Fairmont Peace Hotel. It retains all the old charm of the Art-deco period in Shanghai. After staying at the Puli Hotel & Spa, which is a superb modern urban resort, which was may be too cool for me, the Peace Hotel really felt like "I have arrived in Shanghai". The location right on The Bund, couldn't have been better. This is Shanghai at its best.

Urban Resort Puli Hotel and Spa review Shanghai China

2013-04-22T23:52:00.000+10:00

The Puli Hotel and Spa is truly a unique retreat in busy Shanghai. I will let the photos tell the story as I could not write and do it justice. Oh yes, the beautiful display of food at breakfast looks as good as the hotel did.

Side by side Nespresso and Compatible capsules with PNG Blue Mountain coffee

2013-04-19T12:29:00.000+10:00

I have perfected the fineness of the grind with the right corresponding tamping. Compared side by side is the Nespresso Ristretto black-capsule against my own refilled compatible capsule with Papua New Guinea Blue Mountain arabica "typica" coffee. To see the resulting golden crema is my accolade and confirms the success. I no longer am bound to Nespresso's strict "rules of engagement" and to buy industrial-made coffee at a price. As there are some destinations which Nespresso refuses to ship-to, this will allow everyone to enjoy great coffee at affordable cost.

Nespresso compatible coffee capsules

PNG Blue Mountain arabica coffee

Left: Compatible capsule, and Right: Nespresso

Nespresso compatible coffee capsules / pods with PNG arabica "typica" Blue Mountain coffee

2013-04-16T17:22:00.001+10:00

The Nespresso patents are beginning to expire which gives rise to more choices and individual preferences rather than accepting industrial coffee blends forced upon us at a price. Today, my long awaited coffee grinder, Mazzer (Italian of course) was delivered and I ground-up a 250 gram pack of beans making some 50 capsules with my own Papua New Guinea arabicas "typica" single origin which is the very same species as the Blue Mountain from Jamaica.

Blue Mountain Arabica coffee

Apple Store Glass Staircase IFC Hong Kong

2013-04-14T22:30:00.002+10:00

Apple stores usually feature Apple's patented floating glass-staircases like in Central Park & Soho New York but Apple store Hong Kong has got to have the most stunning views of any Apple Store anywhere.

The Women's Affairs Committee in Hong Kong has listed the Apple store as a blackspot for voyeurs and we thought everyone was there to buy iPhones and Macs. The fact is the stair-treads / steps are opaque glass.

Apple store opening Hong Kong

Ang's restaurant without Ang Port Moresby Papua New Guinea

2013-04-08T15:41:00.000+10:00

Ang's restaurant has been operating for a while now, without Ang. I'm always asked whether it is still as good? well I'm pleased to report that the two chefs that assisted Ang in the good old days are still there turning out the very same menu at the very same standards. I still go there for lunch and always have the clay-pot noodles (comes with an egg), it is the same. For dinner I always accept whatever the chef suggests and more than likely it is the fish-head curry or the slow cooked pork that just melts in your mouth.

Although I truly miss my dear friend Chef Ang and in particular his attitude, the food at Ang's is the same. Even his famously great roast duck is still the best duck in Port Moresby. There may be other restaurants that have nicer decor or ambiance but for consistency in quality and taste I still rate this as the best Chinese restaurant in Port Moresby.

Ang's restaurant Port Moresby

Ang's restaurant best Roast Duck in Port Moresby

Chef Ang gone-finish Port Moresby

So-Mei 蘇眉 Asia Aromas Port Moresby Papua New Guinea

2013-04-04T22:52:00.002+11:00

Asia Aromas is highly rated by Lonely Planet as well as TripAdvisor in Port Moresby. The highlight would definitely be the fish, a Maori / Humphead / Napoleon Wrasse or So-Mei 蘇眉 in Cantonese Chinese. The export of this fish is tightly regulated by size in Papua New Guinea, protected and totally prohibited to take in Australia, sale of the fish require permits in Guangdong Province China, etc., because it is sooo good!

Asia Aromas Port Moresby

So-Mei 蘇眉

Fried Icecream

Chigi's Coffee shop Brian Bell Lae Papua New Guinea

2013-04-04T00:01:00.000+11:00

Driving through Lae's bare (no bitumen) unsealed pot-holed roads, to Brian Bell's electrical appliance centre for a coffee and a light meal was challenging. Chigi's coffee shop's coffee was ruined with the over-frothed UHT Long-life milk when Lae is the only place in the whole country that has a dairy farm operated by the Swiss Evangelical Brotherhood Mission (SEBM) who produce the absolute best unadulterated natural whole milk but I was grateful that there was a cafe in Lae where you can grab a coffee. However the potato-chips were really that good that I would dare to brave the poor road conditions of Lae again.

Yellow Passionfruit Papua New Guinea

2013-04-02T15:37:00.000+11:00

This Yellow Passionfuit grows in the cooler highlands region of Papua New Guinea. It ripens to a golden orange colour. It is slightly larger than the usual purple Passionfruit and is much sweeter and juicier. The outer yellow skin is also thinner and more brittle than the purple variety so a spoon rather than a knife is all you need to get at the juicy seeds.

Breakfast at Lae Yacht Club Voco Point Lae Papua New Guinea

2013-04-01T21:44:00.000+11:00

Lae Yacht Club formed in 1961 is situated at Voco Point has a great casual dining area with views over the boats. Eggs Benedict were quite good but it appears they didn't have any spinach and substituted bacon - which isn't a bad thing.

Air Niugini PX001 POM-SYD Easter meal

2013-03-30T23:56:00.002+11:00

The Air Niugini meal on flight PX001 Port Moresby to Sydney on Easter Friday came with a surprise, a Hot Cross bun and a small Easter Egg. A nice touch indeed.

My travel rules are: 1. eat whenever you're served a meal, 2. to always accept the Asian-meal choice as asian-food generally travels far better than the western counterpart, 3. I always sort the packaging out and wrap it neatly - it's only being considerate and it is self entertaining on a flight when the in-flight movie malfunctions.

Sonoma Hot Cross Buns without the cross Sydney

2013-03-30T10:16:00.001+11:00

Sonoma the artisan sourdough baker has produced a Sonoma Hot Cross bun without the cross and instead an "S". The religious and the purists will undoubted be angry as how can it be a Hot Cross bun without the Cross?

Hot Cross buns are only available at Easter and in fact it was Queen Elizabeth I, who forbid the sale to only certain days like Good Friday. The punishment was forfeiture of the product to the poor.

My only real concern is whether it will be a seriously tasty Hot Cross bun?

Happy Easter!

Sonoma Bakery Cafe

Lae Nadzab Airport transfer Guard Dog Security Lae Papua New Guinea

2013-03-29T22:59:00.004+11:00

Nadzab Airfield was built be the United States Army during World War II. This is the Lae airport and featured is the Guard Dog Security Airport transfer to the city of Lae. A caged-in bus with guards. It is a great service which I always use.

BungaRaya Malaysian (the only) Chinese restaurant Lae Golf Club Papua New Guinea

2013-03-27T13:22:00.000+11:00

This is the only Chinese restaurant in Lae. Nowadays there isn’t a city without (many) Chinese restaurants but this is Lae, PNG’s second largest city with only one and no other. They don't take it for granted and really do try to please everyone. I'm informed, the restaurant is being upgraded with improvements with renovations soon to start.

Situated within the ever-green Lae Golf Club amongst the large rain trees. It provides a much needed and appreciated dining alternative to the Lae International hotel’s buffet or the Yacht Club’s casual meals.

Bunga Raya (Malay for Hibiscus, the flower) is also the first restaurant in PNG to be “smoke free” but they're sensible and have an outdoor dining section where smoking is permitted. Seeing the steel reinforced boxed-in entrance with a security guard and the grilled-in outdoor section is reassuring you will agree that this is the accepted norm for restaurants in Papua New Guinea. Security is a concern in PNG and it allows diners to enjoy their meals stress-free and without disturbances and it does have views over the Lae Golf Club's fairways.

Lae has ample fresh vegetables but a limited supply of seafood so mud-crabs are flown-in from elsewhere. Unlike the Lae Golf Club restaurant, Bunga Raya is open to the public and no membership is necessary.

Apologies but I was so absorbed with eating that I even forgot to take photographs and the food was good.