Eat Like Ushi

One of the main attractions of Bratislava is the quite unattractive bridge (Novy Most) on which sits an equally out-of-place looking spaceship. Hence the name UFO seems appropriate. Despite the ugly exterior, reviews suggested the food is relatively nice fusion and the degustation menu was good value.

I didn't have enough time to enjoy the degustation, but the menu, views and cold weather outside was enough to convince me to go in. The interior is very nice - white table service, modern clear chairs and a surrounding shelving with cushions and books. Then mere centimetres more is the expanse of space, the view over the Danube River and the prominent (but also quite ugly) Castle.

The menu is fusion with strong elements of European, Western and Asian jumbled together. Some dishes seem disjointed like this, but for me it's intriguing. As I wasn't looking for a full meal (that was to come after at the pub), I settled on an entree and two soups.

- Crispy tiger prawns, daterino tomatoes, coriander, coconut milk;
- Tom ka gai, frog legs, dried tuna, oyster mushrooms;
- Pumpkin soup, coconut tofu, tapioca pearls, basil oil.

Considering this is Bratislava, the prices are remarkably high. Obviously you are paying for the setting, the view (including in the toilet), fusion food and ingredients and overall the privilege of being there.

After a great brunch at Avoca, there wasn't a lot left to do around town. I have to admit I don't find Dublin very interesting and if it wasn't for the trip purpose of Watch The Throne tour (Jay-Z and Kanye), I wouldn't have gone back there at all.

The Guinness Brewery tour cemented my position that beer is not for me, especially harsh strong bitter dark ones that the Irish seem to prefer. However one of the magics of cooking is that flavours meld and transform.

The Beef and Guinness Stew seemed the most quintessential Irish item on the menu and given I was in a sports pub where everyone around me was drinking Guinness, watching sport, and occasionally looking at me wondering why I was there, it was an easy food choice. It was a dense mix of potato mash balls, vegetables and slightly stringy beef in dark stew. 

All in all it was fine and filling although it definitely wasn't the best Irish stew I've had (I think the best was somewhere else in Dublin back in 2009. I'll have to look it up).

Soon after the light meal at the UFO, it was nearly time to board the bus to the airport. Given there wasn't much I had pencilled in to do in Bratislava, the remaining time meant I could squeeze in one more meal for the road.

This place with the incredibly long name had a reputation (as limited as it is for Bratislava online) as a cheap pub with good local food. Considering it was enroute to the bus stop, it proved a convenient last encounter with Slovakia. The setting is a nice friendly pub, with English-speaking staff (serving me anyway) who was helpful in recommending local food and drinks to enhance the experience.

- Cesnakova Kremova v Bosniaku (garlic creamy soup in "bosniak" bread) - not quite the same experience as Boudin's chowder in San Francisco, but the soup was reasonable. The bread was chewy and a little tough, so I couldn't bring myself to finish it;
- Bryndzove Halusky (potato dough dumplings in sheep cheese topped with bacon) - extremely heavy and thick 300g serve of carbohydrates, cheese and bacon. Think of a thick carbonara with extra density. It was nice but I could only muster half of it before it got the better of me;
- Apple strudel with cherries, ice cream, cream and sauce - filling, simple, not overly sweet and nice.

I'd happy come back here ideally with more people to enjoy the atmosphere and food for longer. As the website has limited English and no menu, I took a few extra photos to help out.

The concierge at our hotel (the exceptional Hanoi Elegance Emerald) recommended us a topline cruiser for the Halong Bay overnight trip. The Calypso Cruiser was supposedly the best of the lot and many guests had enjoyed a stay there. Although the weather was cold and skies winter bleak, the junk was lovely and comfortable. The rocking motion didn't induce any form of nausea. At night looking out across the bay you can see other boats anchoring.

The staff assisted us in a small cooking class to make cha gio (spring rolls) which added a little fun. Otherwise dinner included a mix of prawn cocktail, salad, clams, spring rolls presented electrifyingly on a pineapple, not very good fries (for some Western familiarity), chicken, fish and fruit.

None of the food was outstanding but it was satisfying enough. It is a boat after all.

After returning from the trip, I commented to the concierge that the stay was nice, however there were some cockroaches in the rooms (not mine but others) and that other guests had managed to get a discounted fare of about USD20 less from a travel agent. The concierge took this on board - later that day the manager of the junk company came to the hotel in person. He greeted me and apologised for the cockroach issue. I was reimbursed the difference in the discount fare and offered a free hotel transfer at the expense of the junk company.

This service is impeccable. I think given that you can't completely immune any cruise from the issues I noted, I can't recommend the hotel or junk enough.

This is far from a restaurant and more like the back section of a house that spends all day opening oysters. After being slightly disappointed with the oysters from Wheeler's (Pambula) and Zanzibar (Merimbula) and enjoying more the selection from Eat Merimbula, I hoped this would be the best of the lot saved for last.

As you enter the garage toward the oyster section, you are surrounded by awards of medals from Sydney shows. The premium (12 for $24) are supposedly the most recent winners although the website mentions supreme and extreme grade also. It seems the older they get, the large and stronger they are.

With nowhere to eat them, I placed them on the mailbox across the street. I'm sure many people have used this a table in its time. The premium oysters are a reasonable size (I'd call them medium) and have a solid strong ocean-flavour, quite a creamy core and a slight metallic aftertaste. Overall an excellent oyster. I ended up getting some gems and cocktails for the road.

They still don't quite hit the heights of Richard Haward's for me yet, but maybe I'm coloured by their clams I remember the best.

Sunday night dining in Merimbula is more limited. I actually wanted to go to Ritzy (tapas) which I walked past the night before and was impressed by the general feel and food I saw. However given it is closed on Sundays, I looked for something where I could have more local seafood exposure. I was a little hesitant about Pier One as I figured if I really liked the sound of it (and reviews) I would have penned it in. But in the end, with not many other options than the RSL and fast food, this was the choice.

I'm glad I came here.

- Gorgonzola Tart (with pear & walnut salad) $16.50 - very mild cheese (which I prefer) presented in a tart with the salad wedges on top;
- Tempura Tasting Plate $18.50 - 2 scallops (well cooked to rare in the middle), 2 king prawns (flesh had crunch) and 3 Merimbula Lake oysters (juicy and tasty) in well seasoned (slightly salty) tempura batter with Wakame seaweed;
- Swordfish served on Thai-inspired Red Coconut Curry (with jasmine rice & tempura battered soft shell crab) $31.50 - the swordfish was overcooked unfortunately. The curry is coconut based but not red. Nonetheless it is a delicious slightly sour lime and coconut concoction that I wish there was more of. The soft shell crab is the star of this dish with exceptional flavour, meaty crab and fried crispness;
- Reef & Beef Wellington (eye fillet pieces with prawns & scallops wrapped in puff pastry topped with king prawns, served with Tuscan potatoes & drizzled with creamy Chardonnay sauce) $33.50 - usually the fillet is medium (but they tried to accommodate me with as rare as possible) and ended up a tender medium-rare. The prawns and scallops were a pleasant surprise, potatoes crisp and flavoured and the sauce was excellent to cut through the flavours. A good dish overall.

The food I had this evening was great, particularly the mains. It is reasonably expensive, but given the view and general Australia seafood prices it isn't out of place.

Next time I would order either of those two mains again (or any of the mains to be honest) but I'd probably try the calamari or baby octopus as the entree.

It isn't an easy place to get to (requires a car) but the reward of quality coffee or mocha, good looking breakfasts (which I didn't try) and muffins (which I did have a pretty good pear, cinnamon and honey - although the edges could have been crispier and fluffier) makes it worth it. Combined with an excellent view, a quieter and smaller beach and a swim in clear waters to another embankment makes this an extremely choice spot.

San Sebastian - one of the few cities on Earth I've actually fallen for. The culinary scene is just the tip considering it contains extreme fine and creative dining in 3 Michelin stars and Top 50 restaurants, the best in social basic dining with the old town pintxos bars, as well as typical Spanish markets with exceptional ingredients. I long to live here one day.

The pintxos crawl started at a place I missed back in 2009. I walked past it several times but elected not to go in. I can't recall why - perhaps it was too busy... but it is certainly the coolest looking place to eat at. The colours and atmosphere are electric.

- Makobe with Txips €3.7pp - wagyu beef slider with tomato ketchup in the bun;
- Zebitxe con Granada (tigreton de mejillon, mama de bakailu) €3.5 - cod ceviche with mussels;
- Bacalau Enkarbonao con Pepitas de Pimiento €3.7 - cod with red pepper seeds.

I think the food flavours are better at San Telmo, but nowhere creates and presents as well as here. The entire experience is enchanting.

After running out of opportunity to have fish and chips in Merimbula (apparently Cranky's might have a decent one), it seemed a great opportunity to get some from Tathra on the way out. Luckily Tathra Seafood is close to the beach and happens to have an excellent urbanspoon rating (94%) for fried greatness.

They told me they try to get as much local seafood as possible. On this occasion the flake was from Lakes Entrance, sole and cod from Queensland and scallop from Japan (usually Tasmania when available).

- Seafood basket for one (with extra piece of fish) - the crumbed sole was excellent, soft, well cooked and the crispy thin coating great. The flake was a little tougher. Together with the scallop was coated in an extremely thick batter that was a little too much. The squid was extraordinarily tender but a little over seasoned. The prawns and calamari were good and the seafood stick was fine. Chips were a quality filler. Everything is salted but not ridiculously so meaning I only had to add pepper (which I prefer) and a few lemon squeezes.

Next time I would order mostly crumbed items as I felt they were better quality overall in both texture and taste. However realistically once you sit on the beach and enjoy the smells and tastes I don't think you'll mind what you order.

San Sebastian pintxos stop #2. Probably my favourite restaurant of the lot in terms of flavours and the one place I missed out on back in 2009 (as it was closed on the day I tried). The food is outstanding. I often have reservations about the most highly recommended places in LP and RG, but this time it was spot on for a reason.

- Carrillera de Ternera al Vino Tinto - veal cheek in rioja red wine sauce;
- Vieira Toro Ennuelta Tocino Bellota - large sea scallop wrapped with Iberico bacon;
- Oreja de Cerdo Iberico Asada y Crudiente - roasted crunchy pork ear.

The ingredients sing to me - cheeks, ears, scallops. The menu also contains trotters, foie gras, suckling pig, octopus... what more could you want? If it wasn't for it being a pintxos crawl, I would have stayed longer.