Eat Like Ushi

The Canberra Day long weekend was a good excuse to go down the coast. Given it is just past summer, I decided venturing south would be adequate and save the northern trips for when the season is colder. What sold me on Merimbula was the lucky timing of the annual Eat Merimbula festival. Lots of stalls were created along the fishpen area with a nice view over the waters.

Unlike a lot of food festivals in Melbourne and London and around the world I've visited, this one was particularly good as it wasn't overly crowded, there were bins and people were using them, people were friendly, smiling and engaging and the entire festival was dedicated to local produce. Additionally the food was actually very good and the prices seemed quite reasonable (as compared to the recent Enlighten Noodle Market with apparently $15 noodles...)

- Locally roasted coffee with Tilba Milk by Ragino Coffee Wyndham and Pambula ($4.50) - unfortunately Tilba milk turned out to be Woolworth's Select milk in a very average coffee;
- Beef short rib on puff pastry with beetroot, green bean salad by Hardcore Carnivore ($10) - soft pulled meat on a cold but still nicely chewy pastry with a balsamic salad;
- Brioche buns with marinated mushroom, ‘’soft style’’ Ivy Farm eggs with pinenuts and fetta by Small Feasts Catering ($8) - reasonably soft cold brioche bun with a mildly flavoured omelette;
- World’s best oysters by Sapphire Coast Wilderness Oysters - natural of varying flavours $15 for 12 (Pambula was the nicest and simplest with creamy centre, Merimbula a lesser version, Wonboyn stronger and Wapengo sweeter) but all were good quality and Japanese $10 for 6 (with wakame and mayo) which I didn't like so much the combination;
- Steamed Eden Mussel’s with house-made bread by Merimbula Wharf Restaurant ($8.50) - large mussel flesh sweetly cooked in tomato and chilli. Really excellent. They also had a homemade marshmallow square ($2) which was extraordinarily soft and not as sickly sweet as the typical packet ones;
- Temaki Sushi with local purple sea urchin by Zanzibar Café ($8) - really delicious but only mildly flavoured uni (2 pieces) although the price couldn't be justified;
- Peach, marscapone and passionfruit crepe by KnR Catering @ Glasshouse Restaurant ($6) - more tangy with passionfruit seeds with limited sweetness (surprised they didn't sprinkle with castor sugar) which I don't mind.

I also hoped to finish my market with handmade ice cream using local fruit and nuts by Cobargo Homemade Ice-cream. Unfortunately after seriously considering asking them to put aside a blood orange tub at the start, by the time I got back after eating everything else, they sold out whilst I was 3rd in line. Even though it was advertised from 10am-3pm, it was unfortunate to see that by 1pm two stalls were already sold out (one was already sold out by 1130am!!). When I walked past the scene at 7pm the area was spotless.

It's a little far to go back just for that festival but I'd highly recommend it.

The dining options in Merimbula seem reasonably limited. There's a token Chinese place, a tapas one (that actually looks very good), an Italian in there and quite a few pubs and seafood places. The pick of the lot seems to be Zanzibar Cafe apparently named after a previous owner's infatuation with something African.

Interestingly enough it holds a one-chef hat rating in the Sydney Morning Herald for 2013, 2014 and 2015 and notably is the only place south of Canberra to have one. In amongst the obscurity of the other places it seemed reasonable to make a booking here for a Saturday evening. At first the 6pm slot seemed a touch early, but given it was the only time left and the degustation took 2 hours to complete, it actually worked out very well.

The locavore tasting menu utilises a list of excellent local food sources which makes you feel better overall. Additionally the 5 courses cost $90 (whereas the a la carte 3 course costs $80) which is great for a first appearance there. My meal was washed down with a Brookvale Union Ginger Beer which was my first contact with this brand.

Complimentary Wild Rye's sourdough and soft butter starts the meal off.

- Pambula Lake Rock Oysters - better oysters than at Wheeler's and served with pickled ginger mignonette (mildly sweet with ginger) or wakame & lemon (slightly odd combination with seaweed);
- Parmesan Custard (with figs, walnuts, abamelle, aged balsamic) - strong parmesan flavour in an unusual textural form that reminded me the parmesan ice-cream at Caffe E Cucina in Melbourne about 10 years ago. The contrasting elements all work together nicely including the slightly burnt caramel-type biscuit which I'm told is the abamelle (apparently honeycomb after the honey has been removed);
- Whitefish, Scallops, Carrot Bisque - the scallop half is beautifully cooked and flavoured and a I wanted more. Ling is rolled into discs that give the appearance of a large scallop but sadly not the be. The bisque is outstanding and tastes of seafood butter creamed into a sauce. I wanted a bowl of this soup for a meal with bread! The red vein sorrel added a strong flavour and great decoration;
- Black Angus Beef (with potato puree, roasted eschalot) - I found it odd they didn't ask how I wanted the beef cooked. I was informed it was served as a "well-rested medium rare" and essentially it wasn't possible to have rare which is my preference. I'd hazard a guess the meat was sirloin but wasn't as tender or seasoned as hoped for. Meanwhile the potato puree and caramelised eschalot were outstanding accompaniments but not what the dish is meant to focus on;
- Vanilla Bavarois (with blood plum, coconut mousse, honeycomb, quinoa) - this is one exceptional dessert with all elements (bar the quinoa which is more matter-of-fact). The perfectly soft vanilla, sweet slightly tangy and chewy plum, aerated rich coconut and sweet crunchy honeycomb made this one of my favourite desserts.

The meal was very good with the bisque and dessert taking top honours. The service was a good standard as expected for this kind of place, although I must admit I think the policy on cutlery should be altered - at the beginning I was set out an oyster fork, 3 dinner forks, a spoon and 2 standard knives and a steak knife all at once.

Next time I would order a 3 course menu given I know what I like there now and want it in bigger quantities. The main and dessert are obvious but the entrees are a little harder to pick - I'm tempted to say the Leek agnolotti (Eden mussels, fennel, vermouth) given the quality of Eden mussels. A side of polenta chips (with black beans, sweet corn, lime) would top off my hunger and balance the price of the degustation.

The first stop enroute to Merimbula was Wild Rye's Bakery. For some reason (not surprisingly perhaps) I had no Vodafone reception and hence I was unable to look up exactly why I had marked this place on my Google maps.

All restaurants in the area seem to specifically state they use Wild Rye's bread so given it is a bakery that probably makes sense. Upon entering I was actually surprised at how few things are sold. Maybe they have a morning peak but the cake shelves were quite empty, pies were in the oven and there were a few breads out only.

From a snack/meal point of view, the specialty seems to be pies. All their beef ones use a combination of chunky and mince (they tell me). In the end I selected the Angus Beef & Caramelised Onions. The beef was fine and the onions added a definite sweetness to the mixture. The pastry was a little too thin and flaky for my liking as I prefer thicker with some chew to it. Reading again the seafood pie seems to be popular so perhaps that one next time.

Additionally I took away a loaf of spelt sourdough which is a little drier than the usual loaf but has some good tang to it. I look forward to testing it further.

They are advertising a kingfish and scallop pie at Eat Merimbula today so let's see how that turns out.

The Sapphire Coast is meant to be known for seafood and particular oysters. All along this region, oysters from Tathra, Merimbula and Pambula are advertised as the best. Considering my favourite oysters (and clams) are far away at Richard Haward in Borough Market, I've been keen to find some others where the potency would live up to those I still dream of.

The oysters at Wheeler's are farmed across the road in the Merimbula Lake.

- Natural oysters - a mild flavour with a hint of metallic after taste which I don't mind. I'm not sure if they wash after opening these but the liquor wasn't present and it didn't have the potent ocean flavour I like;
- Hot Shanghai oysters (ginger, kaffir lime, soy, mild chilli & shallot) - quite a strong soy saltiness but left only a hint of oyster flavour at the end;
- Cold Japanese oysters (pickled ginger, cucumber, wasabi dressing) - served with a small dollop of mayonnaise, this was much better with lemon which brought out an additional sweetness;
- Cold Asian oysters (sweet & sour topped with flying fish roe) - didn't like this one. It tasted odd and had a fizzy character to it;
- Cold Thai oysters (nam jim, Spanish onion, chilli) - nice strong sauce but left only a hint of oyster flavour at the end.

Overall I found the oysters disappointing. It reinforced to me that I prefer them natural and freshly shucked with the strong liquor to drink with it.

- Tuscan Bug & Scallop Salad (Balmain bugs & scallops pan-seared in chilli, garlic & fresh herbs tossed with ciabatta croutons, goat's cheese, Kalamata olives, baby spinach & rocket) $23 - 2 bugs and a collection of small buttered scallops which were not overcooked. I prefer my scallops very rare so in these instances larger size really makes a difference;
- Seafood Chowder (creamy seafood soup with poached local fish, scallops, mussels, Morton Bay bugs & tiger prawns with garlic bread) $34 - the soup seemed more mild fish than shellfish base with potato or cauliflower to make it thicker. The scallops were quite small (6 overall), the tiger prawns (2) were mushy rather than crisp and the bug (1) was reasonable. There were no mussels unfortunately. Garlic bread was very crisp (one of the breads was slightly burnt) and it complimented well when soaked in the thick soup. The soup base was decent (underflavoured for me) but $34 for soup seemed high with those ingredients.

I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed overall, especially at the oysters but would try again and see if the natural ones grew on me more. The fish & chips looked and smelled delicious and since it is advertised on one of their welcome signs, perhaps this is the best thing to order. I would come back here to eat as the options for good seafood seem quite limited locally, although the caveats to know about are the price.

Leaving work at 9pm, I felt like I needed something unhealthy. The options were limited to a Brodburger and chips or trying what I'd read about several months ago which was closeby. One of the few food vans in Canberra that seems to have lasted a while is RJ's. Part of the appeal is the 7 days open from 8pm (until 1, 3 or 5am depending upon which day) meaning nasty food is never too far away.

Located in the carpark of Woden Westfield, I should have known what to expect but it took me by surprise. Late teens exemplifying the most bogan in town with multi-coloured hair arrays, wack clothes, balloons attached to cars, drinking cans of cheap booze and eating chips with minimally educated voices to match. What a place.

I felt equally sorry for the American middle-aged lady sitting next to me as we sat in silence waiting for our food and observing the fauna. As I picked up my order our eyes met and we smiled knowingly. "Interesting demographic here," I said. She laughed and nodded.

- Hamburger with the Lot - thin, very well down patty and fried egg both of which had a typical burnt grill edge to it, melted cheese and the refreshing ingredients of lettuce, nice beetroot and pineapple and some bacon;
- 1/2 Chips - a good sized bag of McCain's frozen deep-fried and topped with salt and pepper. Very good and satisfying actually.

The burger was pretty average and filled a hole in my stomach. The chips were the bigger winner. I'd eat here again although Brodburger certainly is more satisfying and has a better atmosphere.

Jaiwana Haveli is one of the highest rated places on booking.com, TA and general reviews for the entire combination of accommodation, food and views. I have to admit the corner rooms are outstanding and spacious and the location is excellent. There is a big premium for these things especially compared to typical India prices, but when the alternative option is the Lake Palace Hotel for $900 per night, this is a better alternative for the common person.

Food is served in the restaurant up on level 5 and rising up the stone stairwells assists the appetite. The wait staff are a great and hospitable couple of guys who smile, greet and bring you food.

Overall the breakfast was outstanding. For someone who can eat a lot, the Rs. 350 (which I paid as part of the room fee on booking.com) made it worth it. For a smaller eater, selecting a few things off the menu might be better but I can't imagine a better breakfast place in Udaipur.

- Matari Poha (traditional specialty of rice flakes cooked with green peas, onions & spiced with turmeric) - outstanding collection of flavours (sweet, sour, tangy, spicy) and textures (soft, crispy, chewy) combined into the perfect snack or meal component;
- Two Farm Fresh Eggs (boiled)
- Stuffed Paratha with Yogurt (unleavened whole wheat bread shallow fried on a griddle served with pickle chutney) - good quality thick paratha which served as a carrier for the excellent chilli pickles which I tried for the first time here;
- Seasonal Fresh Fruit Platter - pineapple, papaya, pomegranate, banana, canteloupe, mandarin all fresh;
- Chai Masala Tea - mildly spiced but good to complete the meal.

With these expectations, the last dinner in Udaipur was conveniently at the same place. Unfortunately the restaurant doesn't open in time for the winter sunset and so taking advantage of the rooftop view for this reason is limiting. You do pay a premium for the privelege which dampens the experience slightly. Every night there is a traditional dance and music show closeby at Bangore ki Haveli 7pm which I didn't get to see, but you can hear it from Jaiwana Haveli each evening and even see glimpses of it from the high vantage point.

- Chicken Tikka - reasonably tender meat mildly spiced but nothing special;
- Arbi Ki Shabzi (taro curry)
- Kashmiri Pulao
- Garlic Naan - given the quality of the breakfast paratha, I had high hopes for the bread. It had nice slices of garlic with some of the shoots embedded under a coating of butter. Not bad at all.

Unfortunately the dinner didn't live up to the expectations set by breakfast. It wasn't bad, just not as good and the high dining prices didn't seem value for money. Nonetheless considering the slight difficulty I had in finding dinner places closeby that appealed to me (other than Ambrai and the elusive Charcoal), a meal here is certainly convenient if staying nearby and adequate enough.

I'd read that Delhi was actually a wonderful city for food. I suppose it is partially because it is within a country known for street food quality (although hygiene may be in question) and has restaurants catering toward the standard class as well as Western prices for rich and tourists. I had already decided to go to Bukhara (or Dum Pukht) for the final meal of the trip and so I thought trying a modern Indian restaurant would be a good way to start the trip. It may have been better to start with the traditional first and modern last but the schedule of hotels and day itineraries meant the other way was most convenient. 

Varq is also reputed to potentially be the best restaurant in Delhi/India and is currently the only Delhi restaurant to remain in the San Pellegrino Top 50 Asia (#32 currently, #30 in 2014) whilst Bukhara and Dum Pukht have fallen out. It is located within the Taj Mahal Hotel in Delhi, one of the luxury Taj brand places where each car is security screened upon arrival and Barack Obama was going to stay the following weekend for Republic Day celebrations.

The restaurant setting is beautiful. Mood lighting, exceptional decoration and an outdoor area that would be perfect in warmer weather. Even with only 2 tables occupied inside, the outside was primed with tables and large charcoal pits to give atmosphere in the emptiness.

- Saffron lassi
- Pink ginger lassi
- (complimentary) amuse bouche - sweet tiny wrap of potato and pomegranate seeds.

The starters (aka entrees in the Western world) were served with wonderful aromas emanating upon approach.

- Varqui Crab (layers of crab meat, tandoori shrimp on crisp filo sheet) – very highly crab meat flavour with soft texture, thin filo, top of shrimp, surrounded by a cumin balsamic sauce with small slices of red chilli;
- Chicken Three Way – ganderi kebab (soft mince kebab, sweet sugarcane, tangy raw mango sauce), bhatti ka murg (cheese sauce and fenugreek & fennel succulent chicken breast), murg methi malai tikka (7 spices including cardamom, cloves, cinnamon etc excellent grilled chicken thigh) served with coriander sauce.

I couldn't resist the sound of a lobster soup. In hindsight it wasn't all that I dreamt of but I couldn't know that at the time. In any case they served a complimentary soup so that my dining partner wasn't excluded from a course. Very considerate.

- Lobster Rassa (Cochin prawns, black pepper & fennel rusk, robust lobster broth) – small shrimp, sliced slightly firm scallop which was quite good, calamari encrusted with couscous/polenta which had odd texture. Perhaps lobster is prawn as the broth had mild prawn and fish flavour but minimal lobster. Weird crouton stick;
- (complimentary) Kale Channe Ki Cappuccino (cappuccino style flavoured black chickpea broth) – an odd soup but unexpectedly nice for kale.

The entrees (aka mains in the Western world) followed. There was great excitement given the quality of the starters. Any hint of fullness that was creeping in soon disappeared.

- (complimentary) Guava, fennel, black pepper sorbet palate cleanser which reminded me of a fresh tomato sorbet flavour;
- Duck 4 Ways – slightly disappointing. Duck egg (fried), tamarind roast (chewy roast with tangy tamarind), duck samosa (delicious green chilli dry heat), chef's special masala confit (thick chewy slices without enough tenderness or nice flavour). Overall not much duck flavour;
- Green Chilly Tulsi & Pinenut Fish (pan seared Chilean sea bass, flavoured with basil & pinenut, mango & coconut curry) – perfectly cooked and textured fish, good tasty crust, outstanding phenomenal raw mango and coconut & cashew curry (how I expect butter chicken should ultimately be);
- Camembert & Truffle Naan - I could smell the truffle but not really taste it (I suppose the cost would limit this). Plain or garlic naan is probably better value although standard.

At this point dessert was not necessary. In fact if it had not been a fancy restaurant or if it was somewhere I would ever likely return again in this lifetime, I wouldn't have ordered it. After reading the menu and looking at the display items I couldn't quite help but get one.

- The Dome (chikki kulfi with Bailey's rabdi) – chocolate shell with kulfi treated by a Cognac flambee then smothered with Bailey's and thickened milk. A thick milky dessert overall with nice chocolate tones;
- (complimentary) House Cheesecake – gulab lined and topped with rose. After dessert and asking for the bill they surprised with more food. After sampling a small slice they offered to pack it which was unnecessary. I hope the staff were allowed to eat it themselves as I suggested;
- (complimentary) Betel leaf – rose, peppermint which had a sharp taste designed to palate cleanse. They gave another 4 to take home for no reason at all.

I'm not quite sure what time the Ubud market is open. Websites list different things, from opening at 5am or sunrise to closing at 9am or 6pm. Most seem to say that the locals shop in the morning and this is the best time to attend.

Breakfast was the agenda as well as curiosity that led us to walk through at the unholy time of 7:30am. There was a nice amount of activity without being crowded, with all types of fruits, vegetables, some meat and fish and even trinkets and flowers being sold. Luckily toward the end I found a couple of nice stalls with a lady combining a wet rice, vegetables, peanuts, beans and sauce. The persistent surrounding 4 or 5 people making orders was reassuring that this was a good place to order from.

The level below street also brought us to someone cutting up fresh jackfruit and a couple of chicken sate grillers (both of which were a little dry but tasted nice).

I also tried the local specialty of snakefruit. It looks like an acorn surrounded by snake skin and really tastes quite unappealing. I think bitter sweet is the closest I can describe.

Enjoy the sights, smells and foods.

I had a course in North Canberra that required a very early Saturday morning start of 8am. One of the few perks of the course is my meals will be reimbursed. Whereas I'd ordinarily have a mixed bowl of Carman's and 247 muesli before dashing off, I decided it was as good as reason as any to find a North side early morning breakfast.

Options that were open on a Saturday by 7am came down to Mocan & Green Grout, Autolyse, Lonsdale Street Eatery and Good Brother. Autolyse has by far the most interesting food menu with Mocan & Green Grout second (taking into account LSE doesn't have an online menu) and I recall the two times I've sampled Autolyse sourdough were happy moments.

Whilst waiting for my order I couldn't help but observe the mesmerising baker rolling out pastry in the machine then systemically cutting, rolling, decorating and egging various items to place them in the baking queue. I also couldn't help but notice the queue of people who then starting lining up for meals and coffee which remained 5 deep for all of 730-8am. I wonder why everyone is awake so early on a Saturday.

- Soy Chai Latte ($5 small) - mild sweetness with hints of cinnamon and cloves served in a lovely red pot. Fresh ingredients and no syrupiness. If they ever read this, I'd suggest experimenting with added ginger too;
- White Bean, Tomato, Chorizo Cassoulet with Baked Egg ($16.9) - a nice hot baked egg protecting slices of mild chorizo, large beans and tomato pieces. The prevailing flavour was tomato rather than salt which was great for first thing in the morning. It came with an unexpected large half-loaf of sourdough which had beautiful crispy shell, soft (minimally sour however) inside and complemented the dish perfectly.

The cassoulet is an excellent satisfying and warming meal that would have been perfect if I had given myself more time. It took about 25mins to come out and such I had about 5-10mins to eat. I'll go back on a less rushed morning (probably at a later time) to have that, other options (including an ox heart salad which I was impressed to see) and/or bakery items again.

Bukhara is a restaurant institution such that it has included accolades of best Indian restaurant in the world, best restaurant in India and the Top 50 San Pellegrino Asia restaurants list (peaking at #26 in 2012). I had a tough time deciding between ITC Maurya's two outstanding restaurants (the other being Dum Pukht, which has also been in the SP Top 50 and rivals Bukhara in terms of foodiness) but after the Bollywood Masala challenge, Bukhara won out. The article I found online that included all the top end Delhi restaurants on my list (http://www.traveller.com.au/india-the-battle-for-delhis-bellies-36qux) influenced my decision of what I wanted to order - raan and dal.

Despite having a booking, it seems it's more a matter of waiting for a table after you arrive. During this time, the bar is open to serve and a quick glance at the cocktail menu lead to two delicious combinations - Dilli High 5 and Spice Route. Soon after a table was ready. The menu imprinted on two wooden boards is presented.

Whilst waiting for the food to arrive, I couldn't help but wander around and watch the chefs at work through the transparent screen especially the large kebabs hanging high and the enormous dexterity required to manipulate a large naan.

- Naan Bukhara (Rs. 1525) – the waiter insisted this was only for 6-8 people but I just wanted to have one on the table. It was huge with some crisp edges and some soft breadier parts. Definitely not the best naan I've had but it was fine to eat with the other dishes and create little sandwiches. I ate about half of it myself;
- Sikandari Raan (Rs. 2925)(whole leg of spring lamb, braised in a marinade of malt vinegar, cinnamon, black cumin, red chilli paste & finished in the Tandoor) – a nicely spiced, seasoned salty flavour with soft juicy meat. It could have been more tender but was certainly acceptable;
- Dal Bukhara (Rs. 795)(harmonious blend of black lentil, tomatoes, ginger & garlic, simmered overnight on slow charcoal fire, finished with cream & served with a dollop of unsalted butter) – what an incredible dish! The lentils had been smoothed into a creamy smokey buttery product that was so rich and luxurious. Sensational. A whole different universe to the dal makhani from other places.

Coriander sauce was nice and spicy and tangy and acted like the Indian version of tzatziki in a souvlaki binding the ingredients together.

The meal was extremely memorable considering how long I had been anticipating it, the reputation of the restaurant, the luxury of the hotel and the heavenliness of the Dal Bukhara. 

Next time I would order small breads and thus a variety of them and pick something else instead of the raan (unless I had a group of people to share this and kababs with).