Recently in Europe / South Category

In celebration of the new year, I thought it would be suitable to look back at all of my best eats in 2009. Here, I've included some of my most frequently visited restaurants as well as a few memorable favourites.

Most Visited Casual Restaurant: Dong Ba Bun Bo Hue, Bankstown, NSW
I think I have honestly dined at Dong Ba at least once every fortnight in 2009 - joining the regular local slurpers of Bun Bo Hue, a Hue-style spicy noodle soup. It is only $7 and the food (they also serve plenty of other traditional Vietnamese eats such as my second most ordered dish here, the Cambodian Rice Noodle Soup) is served at lightening fast speed. Dining at Dong Ba in Bankstown is always a guaranteed fuss-free cheap and cheerful eat. Another bonus is that the menu caters for all possible cravings of anything Vietnamese so is sure to satisfy everyone. But the best part would probably be their drinks menu which includes the iced black coffee and the avocado milkshake.

Dong Ba
296 Chapel Rd South, Bankstown, NSW

Bun bo hue (Hue-style spicy noodle soup) at Dong Ba, Bankstown - My most visited casual restaurant of 2009

Most Expensive: Le Cinq, Paris
In May 2009, I left home for my first eating extravaganza in Europe. Let me just start off by confessing that I have a really bad habit of not checking prices whether it be shopping or food. My boyfriend almost passed out when he browsed through the 'host' menu at Le Cinq, which I had booked many months in advance. Thankfully I had the 'guest' menu which didn't have the prices so he was able to break the shock to me slowly. We soon justified to ourselves that because we had travelled all the way from Sydney to Paris, it would only be right if we allowed this one splurge and promised to be sensible throughout the rest of the trip. Le Cinq sits within Paris' most luxurious hotel - Four Seasons George V, and is the most elegant space I've ever dined in. Something like 440€ (AU$900 at the exchange rate during that time) excluding drinks and service charge and almost six hours later, we left gleefully with a massive dent on my credit card.

Le Cinq
Four Seasons Hotel George V
31, Avenue George V, Paris, France
www.fourseasons.com/paris/dining

Best Surprise: Wiseman Park Wollongong City Bowling Club
My boyfriend was transferred to Wollongong for six months for work, a few years ago. During a visit to some of his old workmates earlier in 2009, we were introduced to Wiseman Park Bowling Club. Tucked within a senior's bowling club bistro is this spectacular down-to-earth yet slightly fancy restaurant. Think traditional Mediterranean and remember to make a reservation if dining on a Friday or Saturday night as the secret is out, and this place is hawt!

Wiseman Park Wollongong City Bowling Club
Gipps Road, Wollongong, NSW

Favourite City Travelled To: Barcelona
My time in Barcelona can easily be summarized with daily visits to the Boqueria Market - the best market I have ever been to. The vivid display of fruits, seafood and jamon was an amazing sight and simply drool-worthy. The friendliness of locals shouting "hola" and the buzz in eating paella after paella, oh, and the shoes made Barcelona my favourite city visited in 2009. Hopefully I'll get a chance to visit it again soon.

Boqueria Market
www.boqueria.info

Fruit drinks display at Boqueria Markets, close up of paella and tapas in Barcelona

Most Visited Seafood Outlet: Ocean Foods, Drummoyne, NSW
Almost every drive on Lyons Road in Drummoyne has resulted in me stopping by at Ocean Foods. Their floor to ceiling glass walls means there's no running away from the grand display of fresh and ready to cook seafood and salads.

Ocean Foods
154 Lyons Rd, Drummoyne, NSW

Most Visited For Dessert: Mamak, Sydney, NSW
Roti and condensed milk are just made for each other. After countless dinners at other restaurants across the city, Sydney food bloggers, myself included, seem to always end up at Mamak for dessert. The roti tisu is a golden cone encrusted with butter and sugar that tastes heavenly with a swirl of condensed milk and sometimes, even ice-cream. If that doesn't have you drooling, the roti pisang will - with freshly sliced banana that caramelizes within a thin buttery roti. Oh, so good.

Mamak
15 Goulburn St, Haymarket, NSW

Favourite Late Night Dining: Wagaya, Haymarket, NSW
With ridiculous trading hours (Wagaya opens until 2am on most nights), private booths and a quirky touch screen ordering system, late night dining at Wagaya is perfect for those night owls (like me) who want a decent feed. I can't get enough of their soft-shell crab hand rolls, lotus root chips or takoyaki gratin. Unfortunately, all this late night dining has contributed greatly to my growing waistline... Hmm... Did someone say New Years Resolution?

Wagaya
Level 1, 78-86 Harbour St, Haymarket, NSW

Dining at Wagaya - Most Visited Late Night Dining Restaurant of 2009

Best Discovery of a Hidden Gem: Uchi Lounge, Surry Hills, NSW
Uchi Lounge is only a street behind the chaotic Oxford Street but upon stepping inside, you're in a whole new world. It is soothing and peaceful, offering a selection of Japanese sake cocktails and some scrumptious food such as their grilled eggplant with miso and a sprinkle of parmesan.

Uchi Lounge
15 Brisbane St, Surry Hills, NSW

Favourite Bar: Water Bar at Blue, Woolloomooloo
I was introduced to Water Bar after my 25th birthday dinner in 2009. It's the fine dining of bars. As well as offering all the traditional cocktail favourites, Water Bar also features a range of new concept drinks that utilises some surprising and experimental techniques. Elderflower martini with a cucumber air, the kaffir lime dacquiri with coconut foam or the spiced fig whisky sour are just a few to name. The only downside here are their trading hours, closing at midnight on most nights and 10pm on Sundays and Mondays.

Water Bar
6 Cowper Wharf Rd, Woolloomooloo, NSW

Favourite Brunch: Rhodes Phoenix, Rhodes, NSW
Yum-Cha, Dim-Sum, whatever two words you use to call the fine art of eating dumplings and other Chinese delicacies over tea with friends or family, is a weekend hobby of mine. Having discovered the Phoenix group in 2007 - there's four of them: Sky Phoenix, Hilltop Phoenix, Manly Phoenix and Rhodes Phoenix, I quickly became a regular at the Rhodes restaurant which is only a short drive from my place. 2009 saw me dining at Rhodes Phoenix more than ever before. I have such a weakness for their prawn toast!

Rhodes Phoenix
1/5 Rider Blvd, Rhodes, NSW

Santorini was like a flawless movie set. The sunsets glowed immaculately day after day and the white washed buildings were ever so impeccable. A panoramic view from any angle was breathtaking. I was sold as soon as I saw a travel brochure of this Greek island, but to see it in person was something different altogether.

So, to the start of it.

We hopped onto this tiny Olympic Airways plane where my fear of heights and sensitivity to G-force had me gripping onto the arm rest.

Zen in front of the teeny Olympic Airways plane we were about to board

Here I am beside the astonishingly compact Smart car. The norm would have been to rent a quad-bike or scooter but we didn't want to be one of those annoying tourists! Besides, we had way too much luggage and wanted to explore the whole island from Oia to Akrotiri to Perissa. We soon learnt that the bonus of forking out a little more for a car was the shade it provided from the scorching heat and the strength it had to pull us up and around mountains.

Me next to the rental Smart car

We stayed at the Aressana Spa Hotel and Suites which was tucked away behind the busy streets of Fira but still in walkable distance to the shops, restaurants and views -I thought it was well deserved luxury. We read beneath the outdoor four-poster day beds, sun-baked on Milano wicker pool chairs, dipped in the pool and ate up big. The buffet breakfast was grandeur, featuring traditional Greek items, homemade Santorinian jams and treats, fresh fruits, juices, breads and so much more. The serviced poolside bar was so convenient, the service was top-notch and the food did not disappoint. Eating by the pool with a background of jazz music in a spectacular retreat like this is an unforgettable experience.

Lunch of fried meatballs with housemade French fries, bread with tsatsiki and grilled chicken with basmati rice and mastic white sauce at Aressana Spa Hotel and Suites

On another day, we ate at Ouzerie which serves up traditional Greek dishes. The moussaka (lasagna with eggplant and potato), Greek salad and chicken souvlaki were scrumptious! It was a hearty and satisfying lunch.

Homemade style Greek food of salad, moussaka and chicken souvlaki from Ouzerie Greek Mezedes

I couldn't resist getting a massage at the beach. The black pebbled sand wasn't very exciting to rest on but I did love the widely available chaise lounges. This is me getting a foot and leg massage ;)

Getting a foot and leg massage on Kamari Beach in Santorini

Santorini is truly a honeymooner's playground. I witnessed several weddings and lovebirds flourished the streets, adding more demand to the stunning sunset views. Many restaurants had amazing terraces on the cliff, offering gorgeous caldera views. One of them was Spinx Restaurant...

Dinner over sunset at Spinx Restaurant in Santorini, Greece

Fine dining in Santorini was interesting. Koukoumavlos Restaurant was experimentally creative with introducing Asian flavours to traditional Greek cuisine. I started with the Santorinian fava which is a delectable local bean, served with smoked trout and salmon tartar in mandarin sauce and roasted almonds. And for mains, I had the fresh papardelle with scampi and shrimp sauteed in ouzo and anise with fresh tomato and light cream flavoured with orange zest. The view of course was beautiful but once the sun has set, you're left in a nice but average restaurant with pitch black views of the sea.

Santorinian fava from Koukoumavlos Restaurant

I think I much preferred the cheap and cheeful, such as this grilled seafood platter of freshly caught calamari, gilt-head bream, octopus, shrimps, mussels, fried potatoes, rice and salad from Argo.

Seafood platter from Argo

Me at the south of Santorini with volcanic caldera view

Shores of Santorini near Fira

Now, where do I start with traditional Santorinian delicacies? Well... there were the fried tomato balls which taste exactly as it sounds and are totally addictive; zucchini fritters, fried salted cod served with skordalia (dip made of garlic, potato, vinegar and nuts), grilled squid or calamari or bream, gyros (the kebabs we're all used to eating at 2am after a night out) and keftedes, which are meatballs with parsley. Creme caramels, baklava, kataefi and panna cotta were also popular desserts across Santorinian menus.

Tomatokeftedes (Santorini tomato balls)

Zucchini fritters / fried baby marrows

Creme caramel from Atlantis Island Restaurant

Dinner of meatballs and fresh bream at Naoussa Restaurant

Seafood marinara spaghetti at Thalami Restaurant, Oia

Deep fried salted cod from Thalami Restaurant in Oia

Oia in Santorini

Overall? Santorini definitely sits within the top 2 of my favourite places visited during this trip to Europe. I was lucky to see its real deal, right before it would be flooded with summer tourists.

You can read about my trip to Monaco, London and Barcelona, France and Italy here; or stay tuned for the next post on Dubai (the last leg of the trip).

I've been back in Sydney for almost a week now and if there was one country I wish I had spent more time in, it would be Italy. Due to the train strike in France, I spent an extra three days in Nice and subsequently, three days less in Italy. So we threw out our plans to see the Amalfi Coast and Rome and flew to Greece a day early, leaving three days to eat our hearts out in Bologna!

On the first night, we accidentally over-ordered -forgetting the difference in serving sizes between France and Italy. Research showed that plenty of visitors and locals considered Pizzeria Nicola as one of the best. With decent prices, a menu which covered all bases and massive serves, I couldn't agree more. We had the bruschetta, prosciutto melone, riso ai frutti di mare, pappardelle ai funghi porcini and the quattro stagioni pizza; yes, all of this for two.

Bruschetta from Pizzeria Nicola

The prosciutto was so fragrant... sweet, slightly salty, delicate and paired brilliantly with fresh rockmelon.

Prosciutto melone from Pizzeria Nicola

The risotto was served generously with mussels, prawns, vongole and calamari; the rice was moist and al dente. My pasta was fresh and creamy, perfect with the rich and slightly nutty porcini mushrooms -delectable!

Riso ai frutti di mare from Pizzeria Nicola

Pappardelle ai funghi porcini from Pizzeria Nicola

As for the pizza... let's start with the crust. It was thin, its edges were crisp and brown and there were plenty of gorgeously textured air bubbles. The wood-fired base was topped with a tasty balanced combination of tomatoes, mozzarella, ham, mushroom, artichoke and pork sausage.

Quattro stagioni pizza from Pizzeria Nicola

The next day, we checked out Trattoria Tony for its Bologna specialty of ragu (bolognese sauce). Traditional bolognese is actually less tomatoey than its international adaptations of which I'm used to. The meat sauce was an aromatic mix of uniformly chopped carrot, onion, celery, garlic, porcini mushrooms, mince, tomatoes. We loved it ladled over the homemade tagiatelle and green lasagne.

Antipasto misto from Trattoria Tony

Lasagne verdi al forno from Trattoria Tony

Tagiatelle al ragu from Trattoria Tony

Fragole con gelato from Trattoria Tony

Creme caramel from Trattoria Tony

A quick trip to Venice

Pizzeria Nicola
Piazza San Martino, 9
Bologna 40126, Italy
Phone: +39 51 23 2502

Trattoria Tony
Via Augusto Righi, 1
Bologna 40126, Italy
Phone: +39 51 23 2852

More on food from Santorini and Dubai soon! :)

I'm half way through this 4.5 week eating extravaganza and I've finally gotten around to doing this blog post.

Where have I been and what have I done?

Well, I've taken almost 3000 photos, I have fine dined at some of the most stunning restaurants including Restaurant Gordon Ramsay and Le Cinq and I have discovered some local favourites. In between all of that, I have caught up with a few friends including, fellow food blogger, Helen, who runs World Foodie Guide. We had some superb dumplings and noodle soups at Ba Shan which seemed outrageously priced in comparison to that available in Sydney's Chinatown, but once you stop converting everything back to Aussie dollars, you realise that the food was indeed delicious and executed with fine detail. I will be doing a blog post on Ba Shan later on.

This week, I've started craving home cooking and have found it almost impossible to find a quality Chinese or Vietnamese restaurant around France. Paris Hanoi was pretty good but missed the little things such as sate sauce or hoisin sauce for the Pho soupe de boeuf (beef noodle soup) or variety of mints for my Tom Bun Nem, vermicelles de riz, crudites avec crevettes sautees et nems (vermicelli with sauteed prawns and spring rolls).

Back to the beginning, one of the first restaurants I dined at was 1 Michelin starred, The Ledbury. The chef is Brett Graham, an Aussie who has been trained by the very best at The Square. With so many deletable flavours in the a la carte menu, Zen and I opted for the tasting menu so we can devour a bit of everything. It was 9 courses for £70 and £108 with wine. We started with a beetroot meringue with foie gras and gingerbread crumb -a combination which melts in your mouth. It was strangely similar to something I've had at Centennial Parklands Dining which was offered at the Taste Of Sydney launch party. Who copied who, I wonder.

We were then offered a choice of the bacon and onion broiche which was flavoursome and fluffy or white sourdough, a favourite stable. Below was the first course, a softly poached pheasant egg with jerusalem artichoke veloute. Standout dish was the celeriac which was baked in ash with hazelnuts and wood sorrel for 45 minutes and served with a kromeski of wild boar -tender and fragrant with aniseed and crisply fried with breadcrumbs on the outside. The gorgeous aromas of the celeraic were exposed when the waitor sliced open the crust before taking it back to the kitchen for its final touches.

Other courses included a generous serve of roast foie gras with glazed endive, blood orange and toasted grains, flame grilled mackerel with cured mackerel, avocado and shiso, shoulder of Pyrenean milk fed lamb cooked for twenty four hours with truffle creamed potato and buttered celery, roast monkfish with peas, morels and marjoram, warm minature churros, creme brulee, pressed gariguette strawberries with hisbiscus and petit fours of macaroons, chocolates and marshmallow.

Softly poached pheasant egg with jerusalem artichoke veloute at The Ledbury

When asked if we needed a cab after dinner, I didn't hesitate to say yes. Afterall, we had eaten for over 4 hours and I was so full, I had to waddle my way out. But one does not expect the restaurant to order a chauffeur with a glitzy Mercedes Benz S320 -although now having seen more of Notting Hill, a fashionable suburb where every second car is a Porsche, I can understand why. It was definitely a luxurious and memorable ride back to the serviced apartment. The chauffeur told tales of his two wives as I fell in and out of a snooze. No celebrities spotted in Notting Hill unfortunately.

I also checked out the food halls at Harrods and Selfridges. As I wandered from department display to another display, I remember telling Zen that I was in Heaven time after time. Of course, I had said the same thing when shoe shopping or patisserie hunting. Europe has so far proven to be a girl's playground... the more money you have, the more fun it is!

Patisserie display of fruit tarts at Harrods

New fruits and vegetables which I have discovered include beef tomatoes and physalis.

Grocery display of beef tomatoes

The next fine dining experience was at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay -a place where I had made a reservation 2 months in advance for 9:30pm. Howver, still adjusting to jet lag, we slept in, called to apologise for our delay and arrived at 10:30pm. If only Gordon Ramsay was there himself, I am sure he would have turned us away furiously!

But our 3 course for £90 meal was marvelous. I loved the inbetween surprises, such as the sherbet and pop rocks in the mango soup with coconut cream which was served before dessert and tasted like a Weis bar, only better.

Below is my scrumptious starter, ravioli of lobster, langoustine, and salmon poached in a light bisque with lemongrass and chervil veloute.

I am puzzled as to why Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, formerly 13th, has crashed out of the Top 50 Restaurants list this year, as the service was perfect and the food, divine -it has sure impressed me.

Lobster ravioli at Restaurant Gordon Ramsay

Mango soup with coconut cream with surprise of space rocks (sherbet and pop rocks) at the bottom

I couldn't leave London without having done high tea -afternoon tea as they call it. Thank goodness for my obsession with planning because Claridge's turned out to be extremely busy and we probably wouldn't have gotten a table without a booking.

Zen almost fell off his chair when he saw that it was £33 for a selection of sandwiches including Scottish Oak smoked salmon on rye sourdough, Dorrington Gammon ham on milk bread, organic egg mayonnaise on brown bread and organic cucumber and rocket on onion bread, freshly baked raison and apple scones with Devonshire clotted cream and Marco Polo jelly, a selection of French pastries and tea.

Afternoon tea at Claridge's was such an enjoyable experience. There was live music performed by a pianist and violinist, massive glistening chandeliers and comfy royal armchairs in a room which was dressed as one of those posh ballrooms. There was even a butler in the ladies' room which was gorgeous enough to be a bedroom. But before you get the wrong impression, it was not at all pretentious.

One thing I haven't yet mentioned is the discretionary 12.5% service charge which restaurants add to the final bill. This has slightly hiked up my budget so be warned!

Me at afternoon tea at Claridge's

Scones at Claridges afternoon tea in London

On another night, I had dinner with some ex-colleagues. What is more exciting than seeing familiar faces on the other side of the world? I chose Le Cafe Anglais at the recommendation of Helen. I started with amazing oyster fritters which were served with a herb vinaigrette and their renouned parmesan custard and anchovy toast. Below is my sublime fish soup served with shredded Gruyere cheese and spicy aioli which prepared me for the wonderful world of France, to which i travelled to a week later.

Fish soup at Le Cafe Anglais

Because we didn't have time to eat at any gastropubs, I had to squeeze in this local favourite. My deep-fried cod with chips was the best there is. Our accompanying Greek Salad was scrumptious too, but what I really loved was the clean, crisp batter and the beautiful flaky fish.

Fish and chips at The Golden Hind

Then stepping out as tourists, we went to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guards. If you don't mind getting your feet trampled on, then this is for you.

Guards at Buckingham Palace

I had 3 days in Barcelona and all I really did was eat. Barceloneta was great for that: fantastic seafood and well priced desserts. I ate my fair share of razor clams which are meatier and tastier than the typical clam, drank up on sangria and fresh juices from Boqueria Markets, and ate plentiful paellas, pintxos (toothpicked tapas on bread) and tapas -pan tomaca con Jamón (tomato bread with Serrano ham), Patatas a la Brava (fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and aioli) and Croquetas de Bacalao (cod fish croquettes) are some to name.

Sangria at La Gavina

Creme Brulee at La Gavina

Me at a Boqueria Markets fruit stall

Freshly squeezed juices at Barcelona's Boqueria Markets

Pintxos at Sagardi bar

Fried potatoes with spicy tomato sauce and aoili

Jamon

Razor clams at Taller de Tapas

Seafood paella at Taller de Tapas

The Ledbury
127 Ledbury Road
Notting Hill, London, W11 2AQ
UK
Phone: +44 (0) 20 7792 9090
Web: http://www.theledbury.com

Taller de Tapas
Plaza Sant Josep Oriol, 9
Web: http://www.tallerdetapas.com

Stay tuned for the next post on Paris, Cannes and Nice! In the meantime, happy eating :)