Eat Like Ushi

The best place to stay in Rome is Trastevere. The only other reasonable option is near the main train station if you need to be conveniently located, but otherwise Trastevere is much more quiet in the evenings and perfect for dinner amongst more locals than tourists.

The accommodation host decided to recommend a new restaurant that only opened in May of that year. He specifically mentioned that it was as local as you could get at that time, as no tourists nor English websites had yet discovered and mentioned it. I suppose knowing a local can occasionally be helpful.

After arriving early, the outdoor seating soon filled with Italians. The all-Italian menu took only a small amount of deciphering and then the food started coming. I think the people around us were amazed two average sized guys could eat (or at least would order) so much food. I think this dawned upon us when the 2 fishburgers arrived and the lovely two people sitting on the table next to us moved their table over so our food could spill onto it. Thanks ladies!

- Cartocci calamari - fried small pieces in a cone;
- Ceviche de pescado;
- Steamed mussels;
- Steamed crab;
- Fishburger;
- Kebab of grilled calamari, prawn, red & yellow peppers, zucchini.

The large trays of fresh seafood expertly being cut and prepared sets this place apart from every other food place I saw in Rome.

There is an Eataly in New York that I intended to, but never made it to. On the evening that my friends went, I ended up at the truly remarkable Eleven Madison Park.

When I discovered there was another in Rome, my excitement was quickly diminished once I realised where it actually was. I shouldn't have been surprised considering an enormous department store-type supermarket couldn't exact be near the centre of tourist Rome. It is a long walk south. I could only recommend it after doing it myself with a planned stopover at 00100 in Testaccio.

Once inside though, it is a thing of beauty. There are firstly cooking instruments and appliances. I picked up a branded carry bag, some oven mitts and a nice cheese knife set. Then you proceed to walk around and up several floors past the cheese, the meats, the fish, the charcuterie, the pasta stations and more.

Naturally there are some cooking stations of which the pasta ones looked best. They are a little expensive compared to what you can get in Rome, and perhaps most disappointingly they use dried packet pasta instead of the fresh stuff made nearby. It's still worth the trip.

After the vast amounts of casual trattorias, there had to be one "finer" dining experience mixed in. Funnily enough it shares a name with one of Melbourne's least fine Italian family restaurants. I'm not overly ashamed to admit it is one of the classic favourite places for my brother and myself from 10 years ago, with the enormous serves of pasta misto and double sized containers of gelato takeaway.

Rome's Sofia is a far cry different.

- Tartare di tonno agli agrumi e erba cipollina (tuna tartare with grapefruit and chives);
- Tagliatelle fresche alla fantasia di mare (fresh tagliatelle with fruits of the sea);
- Risotto agli agrumi e pesce spada curato (cured swordfish & grapefruit risotto).

My brother needed some coffee to kick start the intended plan of walking all day. This was the one conveniently located place I found online which serves iced, standard and artistic coffees. Some nice toasted focaccia completed breakfast and the 20km to follow.

There's something quite exciting about plotting a Rome map dotted with pizza venues. There's a few websites that list the few most well reputed pizza places. Pizza extends beyond the standard notion of rolled out circular dough with topping and includes particular breads and versions that are local delicacies.

Some are a little further out and require exploring, but the results are worth it in the end to sample everything Roman pizzerias have to offer.

- Li Rioni - a short walk near the Colosseum. The heaps of buffalo mozzarella was smooth and fresh;
- Forno Campo de Fiori - know for rossa pizza, which has the most simple and exquisite tomato sugo;
- Dar Poeta - the jewel of Trastevere;
- Forno Marco Roscioli - slightly difficult to locate (as I think there are two of these close together - one is the pizza place and the other is a deli) but known for bianca pizza, which is olive oil topped;
- Il Trapizzino di 00100 - worth the journey south to Testaccio for this unusual pocket pizza and some wonderful meatballs and tomato sauce.

Other than these, the only one I didn't make on my list was Pizzarium. It's a decent walk past Vatican City and even though I made it, the queue was too long for the time I had before my Vatican tour. Next time.

Italy and gelato. There aren't many other things to trawl through place after place in Italy. Everywhere you read online will point you in directions of favourites and the reality is all of the ones I visited are good, because they generally have to be;

If in doubt, look for somewhere that states Gelato Artigianale which translates to homemade gelato. Some say those in metal tins with closed lids are more authentic and retain flavour longer also. But with the quality and turnover, I don't think it makes too much difference.

My benchmark is pistachio flavour and generally the murkier green or lighter brown, the better. I tried pistachio nearly everywhere which ranged from light to intense, sweet to nutty. Each was slightly different and I can't say I didn't like any of them. There were no hints of ice or crystals. However trying to pick my favourite of the lot is indeed difficult. I think one of the best was in Vernazza - considering the location in the middle of a plaza, it was a pleasant surprise - check the light brown pistachio on the right of the photo.

- Gelato Passione (Rome) - great pistachio and tiramisu
- Fior di Luna (Rome) - no photo
- Giolitti (Rome) - known mainly for creamy flavours, but melon was very good
- Ciampini (Rome)
- Carabe (Florence)
- Gelateria Perche No! (Florence)
- La Carraia (Florence)
- Antica Gelateria Fiorentina (Florence)
- Slurp! (Monterosso, Cinque Terre)
- Gelateria Artigianale Vernazza (Vernazza, Cinque Terre)

I hit all these gelato places around Italy within 6 days. My list was still longer. Here's the ones I didn't make: Gelateria dei Neri, Vivoli, Gelateria Santa Trinita, Grom (all in Florence), Gelateria Il Porticciolo (Vernazza).

I flew to Turin (Fiorio) as the airport stopover to the white truffle festival. I had an extremely creamy version in Alba (Darios), where after I tried their delicious gelato pistachio and nocciola, the shopowner made me come back on the day it was made fresh. The texture was smooth and untouchable.

Over Easter I was grateful some restaurants remained open with normal working hours. On this Good Friday (obviously also a public holiday) I was even more impressed that some like Chong Co were still accepting the Entertainment Card (as it is their option to do so).

Chong Co hadn't appealed overly to me. Although it nearly always seems busy, the location is good and the aromas are nice, there was something about it that didn't feel right. I'm not sure what it is - maybe it's similar to when I'm overseas and feel the aura of a tourist trap. Perhaps it is because I'd heard so much about Morks, which is the upmarket modern Thai version a few shops down (that I still haven't tried yet).

After being seated, the menu seemed a little concerning. For traditional Thai food the prices were very high, even for Canberra. Pad Thai $19 and Laksa $23? Wow.

A Chong Co Colada of pineapple juice, coconut milk and grenadine was reasonable but nothing special. It separated when left during the meal.

- Tom Khar Gai $12.90 - my basic Thai staple that I judge all restaurants upon. The soup was quite thin and didn't have a lot of coconut flavour and the chicken wasn't particularly tender. It did have a nice firm sour lime edge that I liked;
- Roasted Duck Red Curry $25.90 - similarly the curry itself wasn't very thick or strong. The duck was pretty good and the pieces of lychees and pineapple added a contrasting sweetness. Adding this to the coconut rice transformed it (see below);
- Soft Shell Crab in Tamarind Sauce $29.90 - a very large amount of soft shell crab (about 4 altogether) which meant good value, although the crabs themselves weren't as flavoured as I like. The batter was a little heavy. Most of all the tamarind sauce was incredibly powerful and the saltiness made it difficult to eat without a lot of rice. The sauce drenching also meant a good portion of the crab didn't remain crispy.

The coconut rice ($4.50pp) was one of the most intense I've eaten. It was much more similar to coconut glutinous rice dessert in flavour and meant it couldn't be eaten alone. When mixed with the soup of tom kha or the sauces of red curry or tamarind, it turned into something more edible and quite delicious. It was like eating normal jasmine rice and adding a strong coconut-based Thai sauce (which I find more normal).

I think the overall balance of price and quality means I wouldn't eat here without the Entertainment discount. It isn't bad as such and your meal will be adequate, but I think there are better things to have for the full price.

One of the most highly rated places in Brussels is Le Wine Bar Du Sablon. I went past here a few times are considered if I should enter. I think my own inability to actually enjoy wine prevented me from doing so and I moved on to somewhere I'd feel less judged. After all going to a wine bar without drinking wine is akin to a steakhouse for a vegetarian?

Anyway along Rollebeek Street I came across La Tortue Du Sablon. I know there's no relationship but the Sablon part caught my eye first due simply to familiarity with the word. Secondly came the little turtle of which there was also a baby turtle faux-leather door stopper that I also have in Melbourne. I was sold upon eating here.

The menu was quite pricey. The truffle menu enticed me so much but I had to resist due to the sheer amount I had spent of food this Belgium trip. So during a lunchtime break in my conference, I wandered in as the only soul there at the time. The express menu (€32.50) had all the ingredients of dreams.

- Goose liver & black truffle, coulis of duck sauce and bread - very intense foie. I wasn't able to finish it given the size and how rich it was;
- Half Lobster cooked with lemon thyme & vegetables;
- Cherries with chia seeds & caramelised creme anglaise.

The food and interior seem more suited to a cosy fine dinner place. However considering the lunch set is half the price, it makes sense as a business lunch or a self-rewarding upmarket lunch for 1.

My conference was held at the Square Brussels meeting centre. Each day would adjourn for lunch and in walking from my cheap hostel in the north I came across the lovely uphill road of Rollebeek Street. Toward the top were a series of restaurants, all of which looked very nice and hospitable. Additionally a few of them seemed to cater toward special lunch menus that were remarkable value.

I scored a 3-course meal for €19.50 (whereas dinner of the same would be around €40 - accepted the serves are probably larger). Nonetheless can't complain.

- Burgundy snails & garlic butter;
- Grilled white sausage with tarragon sauce;
- Profiteroles, vanilla ice cream & hot chocolate sauce.

Traditional Belgian/Flemmish fare is necessary to understand the flavours behind the country. However all good adventures need a modern take of these classics. It invariably sends the price point up a bit (or a lot) and in Brussels this was Henri for me. As you walk north-west of the city centre towards the river, Henri stands quietly amongst a few other louder and more social options.

After the complimentary olives, bread and scallop amuse bouche came my selection of a la carte:

- Marbré de boeuf & foie gras au tartufata - a visually spectacular dish (albeit perhaps unappealing to the masses) of soft raw beef rolled with foie gras mixed with black truffles. The truffle flavour was quite mild, but the foie and beef stood out. An unsual dish of texture, flavour and only for the true foodies;
- Roasted seafood casserole with escargots;
- Fruit crumble with vanilla ice-cream.

The food is a large step in sophistication from the brasseries but I'm not sure the flavours in themselves are worth the extra money. But the experience of modern cuisine makes it worth at least one try.