Broadway Market, London 2012-2013

Of all the markets in London, I spent the most time at Broadway. From home in Whitechapel it was an easy bus straight up north and so meant I could carry a few Sainsbury re-usable bags and come home with goodies from there (and the nearby Tesco superstore to stock up on organic UHT soy milk).

The first time I went to Broadway was for one reason - Yum Bun and their David Chang-copied pork belly bao. It was a beautiful snack, better than the original in my opinion, and as they began to leave Broadway there were several instances where I turned up and they didn't.

I had to find another reason to go, and it became the game meats and local pig farmer stand there. My staples were venison shin and pork ribs which I always turned into stew for the week and noodle soups for warming up the winters.

Other than that my favourite snacks were the Remix Roti, Vada Chaat and chai as well as one day sampling the Macbeth haggis toastie at Deeney's (both places in the schoolyard area, as was Yum Bun). Netil Market nearby also has Lucky Chip burgers and a spinoff of the seafood place within Broadway and a taco van. The food in Broadway is decent (£5-6 for a banh mi considering I'm used to the $4 ones in Abbotsford is a little beyond me...), but I think with the exception of the schoolyard stands, none of it is essential visiting. Borough is better for that in my opinion.

Borough Market, London 2012-2013

There's nothing quite like visiting Borough Market. Some people enjoy the bustle of Saturday when all the tourists flock and the stalls are heaving. I personally much prefer weekdays, when many vendors are still open but there is space to sit, wander, peruse and enjoy the gardens next to the church.

I've tried many things in Borough, from the paella as soon as you descend the stairs coming off London Bridge, the cake and pastry stands, multiple sausage stands, melted cheese, pies and then the back areas with seafood, curries and roast pork rolls.

What are my favourites?
- Richard Haward - easily my favourite and the reason I go to Borough. The oysters are good, the clams are great. Strong, pungent, oceany, delicious, it's good that they've moved from a cart to a stall;
- Brindisa - the chorizo smell fills the area outside. Although the double chorizo is decadent and value for money, I feel the single has a better balance of ingredients overall;
- Ginger Pig - good quality (but expensive) cuts of meat;
- 3bis - quality Italian gelato in London and closeby;
- Roast - roast pork belly sandwich (with extra crispy crackling);
(Monmouth - I don't drink coffee, but the Australians tell me it's Aussie-grade coffee).

Three Bags Full, Melbourne 10-2012

I remember the surprise at the quality of food and drink at one of Melbourne's best cafes when I came here out of convenience back in December 2009. Back then it appeared out of convenience as I had just moved into the area. After the expanding reputation, the long waits for tables on weekend brunches and the easy opportunity to eat here at off-peak times, I've been back probably more than any other eatery in the world.

Much of the draw is the exceptional Soy Chai Latte which has set the benchmark for me all over the world. Sweet, milky and a strong hit of ginger. I've never been to India so I'm not sure how the original tastes, but this is how it should.

On this particular occasion we opted for the French Toast and Pumpkin Fritters. French Toast was crusty with sweet soft core. I'm not one for French Toast generally but this was clearly better than the average.

I wasn't a fan of the Pumpkin Fritters honestly. They had a chewy texture and tasted a little bland. Not the best option here but not enough for me to forget all the memorable dishes in the past.

Next time I would order the Chai Latte for comfort and wash it down with any of the delicious Porridge, Roasted Mushrooms on Toast, Lamb Open Sandwich all of which have been my staples for the past few years. Enjoy the cosy cafe and strangely elegant atmosphere.

Three Bags Full Menu Reviews Photos Location and Info - Zomato

De Clieu, Melbourne 2011-2012

Gertrude Street is perfect for strolling and shopping in a more bohemian part of Melbourne. De Clieu is the pick in the area for coffee and breakfast cafes.

Seven Seeds coffee is pure and strong - just what you want. Soy Chai Latte is thick and frothy with a nice ginger accent.

The signature breakfast I came back for is the Pork Belly on Roti. A thick slab of juicy pork sits on top of a rather atypical roti. Not particularly flaky, with crispy edges but the area underlying the pork was rendered soggy. Perhaps serving them separately would work better. Nonetheless the flavour keeps me returning.

Since poached eggs are typically overcooked in London, I had to get my Melbourne fix. A simple Poached Eggs on Quinoa & Seed Sourdough (with warm tomato chutney) reminded me how great eggs and bread can be. The sourdough toast is fantastic. The poached eggs (one slightly overcooked, one perfectly runny) soaked yolk into the toast. Wonderful. The tomato chutney was warm and simple - adequate but unnecessary in my opinion.

Next time I would order the chai or coffee - depending upon what your inclination is. Poached Eggs will keep you satisfied. For something more unique, The Pork Belly on Roti is a good selection but try requesting the roti to be separate or to the side.

De Clieu Menu Reviews Photos Location and Info - Zomato

Number 9 Dream Cafe, Leongatha 12-2012

The long drive from Melbourne to Wilson's Promontory passes through a few small towns. Leongatha is about 45mins from Wilson's Prom and serves as a good town to stop for a cafe breakfast/brunch/lunch and also pick up supplies from Safeway (aka Woolworths), Baker's Delight and a local butcher all within the same plaza.

In looking for food, we found only one cafe that looked similar to the Melbourne cafes that sets our high standards.

This place is relatively expensive, perhaps transport costs of ingredients is higher in these areas. They also claim 98% of food ingredients are prepared on the premises. We had two mains, a side of fries, a smoothie, a juice and a coffee for $50. The lunch menu is basically divided into headings - salad, pasta, soup etc each of which seems to change daily.

- Yellow Curry of Chicken - curry was a touch dilute perhaps but still good;
- Fried Calamari - very tasty and well salted calamari. The outside was not particularly crispy, but the flavour made up for that;
- Fries - thick potatoes hand cut and fried with skin on. Relatively crisp outside, soft inside;
- Mixed Banana/Berry Smoothie - very very thick heavy smoothie with a hint of cinnamon and perhaps honey. Just the way I make them at home - like a meal on its own;
- Juice

Next time I would order the Fries and Mixed Smoothie again. Pick whatever you like from the lunch specials (breakfast menu is fixed).

Number 9 Dream Menu Reviews Photos Location and Info - Zomato

Fisketorget, Bergen 08-2012

The Bergen fish market was probably one of the things I was most looking forward to visiting during my trip to Norway. The other was Preikestolen but for very different reasons.

The excessive amounts of fresh, mainly local Scandinavian seafoods on offer was tremendous. Whale steaks and skewers are happily advertised, all sorts of shellfish and fresh fish, live catches and even a caviar stand where I sampled a magnificent offering. There's also a few ready to eat sandwiches but they were less exciting. Best of all, nearly everything is available to order and be cooked fresh.

The king crab leg cost me roughly AUD30, but the meat was thick and the sweetest I've ever tasted. I will go so far to say this crab I would prefer over lobster. That didn't stop me from buying my own live lobster to be grilled to complete my morning trawling.

I can't wait to go back. Given the location, it may be a while though.

Trekroneren, Bergen 08-2012

For some reason I'd been reading about a hotdog stand in Bergen. I'm not entirely sure why, but I distinctly remember reading about these little gems. Perhaps it's where the drunken go at night, similar to a Stalactites or China Bar in Melbourne. In any case I'm pretty sure there was even a post somewhere saying these were good to eat sober.

Even though the location is along one of the main walkways between my hostel and the waterside, I seemed to miss it the first few times coming past. Maybe it looked so shady that I expected something better.

Who could go past a Reinsdyr polse? Not me. It was a nice meaty thing topped with onions, the usual sauces and served in a standard white bun. Not as exciting as the MEATmarket dog, but at that point in life I hadn't discovered that yet...

Enhjorningen, Bergen 08-2012

Despite the incredible price tag on food in Norway, the actual quality of the seafood (almost) makes it worthwhile. Whilst in Bergen, I had to treat myself to one nice seafood meal and the online reading seemed to lead me toward Enhjorningen. This place translates into "Unicorn" - I'm not sure of the significance of that other than it's a pretty sounding name. The location along a line of colourful houses next to the waterside makes the area particularly nice to stroll down in the evening and nighttime.

The setting is warm, cosy and a little fine. The price point was probably reflected by the largely older (and probably richer) business-looking people willing to pay these prices. I'm sure they felt perfectly comfortable with me sitting in the corner taking photos of things.

- Hval Carpaccio (carpaccio of smoked whale from Lofoten) NOK130 - unlike in Japan, these guys eat local whale as part of their natural diet. They aren't endangered and everybody seems to get along. It's an unusually flavoured meat though in this dish dressed with many different textures and toppings;
- Enhjorningen Fiskesuppe (fish soup prepared from choice fish stocks, flavoured with saffron & served with fish & shellfish) NOK110 - rich beautiful coloured soup though marginally not as strong in flavour as I tend to like;
- Fiske Trio (salmon, halibut & catfish, steamed & served with two sauces) NOK320 - delicate fish cooked well to tenderness and sourcream and mushroom sauces to mop up with. It came with a big load of side potatoes just in case I had any intention of remaining hungry.

Overall a nice meal and the restaurant I remember most in Norway. If you're going to blow cash in one place in Bergen, this isn't a bad option. The other alternative on my list was Boha, which has a 6 course menu.

Next time I would order the house mussel soup to try and probably the fish trio again (3 varieties is better than 1 right?).

Fyret, Oslo 08-2012

Set along the lovely open plaza of Youngstorget, situated funnily enough across from my other lunch venue in Oslo (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/fiskeriet-oslo-08-2012) is Fyret. I was on the hunt for more local seafood offerings to take advantage of the Scandinavian waters and it was a beautiful sunny (although not overly warm) day to people watch and enjoy life.

- Lofot Burger (catfish burger served on bun with salad and garlic, salad dressed with shrimps, freshly steamed mussels & mustard sauce on the side. Topped with lemon, fresh dill & leek) NOK135 - delicious fish burger and those little shrimps are so full of flavour;
- Panfried potatoes NOK25 - flavoursome, lovely and crisp. Probably made the meal for 1 a little too large and decadent.

Next time I would order the burger meal again or try the seafood salad. Give me more seafood and shrimps.

Momus, Milan 07-2012

On a small street opposite a Punto supermarket (which stocks an enormous packet of chips) is Momus. It isn't much to look at but has reputation for pizza, pasta and risotto. For the last meal on this extraordinary Italy trip, taking things back to basics seemed like a fitting farewell.

- Risotto with black squid ink;
- Linguine allo scoglio (with seafood);
- Ravioli ai crostacei in salsa reale (shellfish ravioli with grouper, crab meat & shrimps) - very rich decadent creamy dish topped with crab roe.

After this was a pleasant walk back, a trip to the airport, and Ryanair luxury back to Stansted. Until next time Italy.