Eat Like Ushi

With a food reputation based upon the many chains and repetitive Chinese restaurants, there isn't much web information about where is recommended in Cambridge.

Urban Larder is a little off-track, moving away from town when walking from the train station. It is known for bakery good, deli items and reputedly soup served in bread bowls.

A morning brunch of pea soup was a little disappointing. It was a decent soup served with slices of sourdough topped with butter. What didn't impress me was the soup was taken out of a plastic container in the fridge, microwaved and served in a plastic (not a bread) bowl and the sourdough slices lacked the acidic tang.

What was much better were the delicious pasteis de nata (Portegeuse egg custard tarts) they sell from Norfolk Street Bakery and the bread loaves from Loaf For Life which included a delicious Russian Seeded Rye sourdough with sunflower & pumpkin seeds. I'd return to Urban Larder for the bakery items but not the soup. However a better idea might be to head to the actual Norfolk Street Bakery and the next-door deli, for the tarts, bread and sandwich lunches.

The other brunch option in town mentioned is Massaro's (for coffee and sandwiches).

Magdalen Arms received a huge newspaper review in 2010 that proclaimed it as not only the best food in Oxford (which it admitted wasn't a huge accolade) but also as some of the best food in the UK. As a result lots of people have made their way here when in town, and because it is a short bus or a 15min walk from central Oxford it does take a small dedicated effort to make it.

Some of the reviews recently have been mixed about the dishes recently being average, duck overcooked and strongly overly salted. But of course some reviews were positively glowing. As usual who better to test than to know for myself? Part of the reason was the lack of other choices that piqued my interest (the other was The Anchor Inn, which I'd possibly try if I visit Oxford again).

- rosemary bread - complimentary first serve, and very highly salted crust, perhaps a little too much. Nonetheless very nice;
- Fish soup & rouille gruyere crouton - a tasty fish soup with small clams and lots of dill. The crouton was more a piece of bread but the rouille & gruyere were quite good toppings;
- Two-way Kerry Hill lamb, mashed potatoes & pickled red cabbage - firstly loin meat picked and set into a terrine mold then deep fried, and beautifully medium-rare lamb loin wrapped in belly. The fried lamb had a rich fatty flavour whilst the roll was soft and tender with a well-salted belly exterior. Excellent;
- Baked vanilla cheesecake & rhubarb compote - dense cheesecake with a few fruit pieces for healthiness.

All dishes were decent, but only the two-way lamb was superb. I chose it based on the fact it was the only single main that was similar to the choices for shared mains, and I have had some of the best meat experiences as shared dishes.

Next time I would order the lamb for myself or ideally to share with others. Mussels are the only other entree and the Toffee or Marmalade Puddings the only other desserts that sound good. Otherwise an extra main could be a better option, since the mains from other tables looked great too.

During the Easter break, overseas travel sadly wasn't an option. As a result I had to look at the domestic offerings of places to explore. After much internal turmoil, I eventually decided upon a weekend in Oxford and Cambridge. Neither are particularly known for food. Oxford at least does has a better reputation, although much of what I read seemed to follow the theme of 'this place is good, but not London good'.

The Big Bang has nothing to do with the TV show, science nor the creation of the universe. It actually refers to the restaurants specialty in sausages or 'bangers'. Apparently it is much nicer in summer when the sausage range is BBQ'd outdoors on the patio, drinks flow freely and in the evenings there is either live music or a dj. However I went in the midst of cold during the day, so had nothing to look forward to except a rest from the weather and some decent sausages.

The menu is quite clever and comes as a newspaper combining some history of the restaurant, the menu and also some recent news regarding the restaurant.

Considering the restaurant name, you really shouldn't choose anything other than sausages. The Big Bang selection of your choice of 3 sausages, mash and gravy is really the only thing worth getting on your first (and if it likely will be your last) trip due to the ability to sample variety. My sausages were the classic Oxford (pork, sage), Wild Boar & Pigeon, and a special of Curried Pork recommended by the waiter. This was served with carrot & swede mash and red wine gravy.

The Curry Pork was the most distinctively flavoured with a powerful curry hit (and a little spice); the Oxford is a soft blend of tasty meat; Wild Boar & Pigeon had a firmer texture and a nice but not special flavour. The mash and gravy were fine as extra filler and flavours, but I much prefer my sausages on their own and without the gravy (otherwise I like ketchup and mustard usually).

Next time I would order any Curry sausage and try a few of the other different specialty ones on offer. For a first time, I suppose the city's own Oxford sausage should be mandatory too. Overall the meal was satisfactory without being anything to go out of the way for. Maybe in the sun with some atmospheric music might make it more of an experience.

The burger craze hit London. After the opening of MEATliquor and franchises, every food van and American company was suddenly announcing new venues. Not many of them are located in 5 star hotels in Knightsbridge and so it seemed reasonable to see if paying all that extra for a gourmet burger was worth it.

Although the burgers read like a dream of ingredients (BB - beef patty, foie gras, red-wine braised short ribs, truffle, frisee, horseradish mayonnaise, confit tomato, black onion seed bun; Piggie - beef patty, BBQ pulled pork, green chili mayonnaise, bibb lettuce, red cabbage slaw, cheddar bun), the sheer number and differing items made it difficult to appreciate. In fact, the much simpler green chilli cheeseburger at MEATliquor gave me distinct quality flavours, more enjoyment and at 1/2 to 1/3 the price.

The thick medium rare patties at Boulud were welcome but it seemed hard to justify the price in the end (especially when no sides are included).

My preference lies in MEATliquor and Tommi's.

One of the recommended districts to visit in San Francisco is the Missions. It is a poorer area that is known for good ethnic food, exploration during the day, and perhaps a shadier atmosphere at night.

In order to get there from the central and ferry parts of town, we decided upon the local bus. It wasn't the cleanest idea, with it being quite rundown and obviously catering to the more forgotten people in San Francisco. I didn't mind it, but some of my less adventurous travel companions felt a little uncomfortable. I leeched onto some very inadequate Blackberry internet to find a recommended Latin American restaurant for us to try. After a short walk around we came to Poc Chuc, a Mexican/Yucatan restaurant sitting all by itself in the quieter side of the Missions.

- Horchata - my first encounter with the delicious cinnamon milk drink;
- complementary crispy tortilla chips with a spicy dipping sauce;
- Tacos de carnitas (grilled pork leg topped with roasted tomato sauce);
- Camarones al Ajillo (tiger prawns, mushrooms, green onions and cherry tomatoes sautéed in a white wine garlic butter sauce, served with sautéed zucchini, carrots, red and green bell peppers and rice potatoes);
- Pescado Frito (pan fried fish, served with vegetable-bouillon rice and mixed salad and cherry tomatoes);
- Estofado de Borrego (lamb simmered with onions, carrots and celery, served with rice and a side of black bean puree);
- Poc Chuc (grilled citrus marinated pork, served with vegetable-bouillon rice topped with grilled tomatoes, red onions and a side of black bean puree) - the namesake dish was my favourite for flavours although the pork was a little tough.

Each dish was delicious and what I imagine true authentic Yucatan food to be. There was no frills, just strong flavours and simple cooking. Horchata lovingly washed down all the flavours. 

After dinner I took the bus. The others took a taxi.

In an unexpectedly ideal location in Santa Monica along Ocean Avenue facing the beach is a restaurant that served me some of the best seafood dishes I had in the Los Angeles and USA. I was lucky enough to be staying in an apartment around the corner from Airbnb (not the best place, but a great location with a window directly out to Ocean Avenue and the water.)

I saved this place for my last night, and between 4 of us raided the menu of their seafood joys.

- Raw bar combo (oysters, ceviche, prawn cocktail, clams) - fresh raw oysters and clams, mixed shellfish in a tangy sour marinade;
- Ceviche Peruvian - fish ceviche, from memory using the same marinade as that in the raw bar combo;
- New England clam chowder (cherrystone clams, light cream broth, bacon) - good, but not as great as the one from Boudin in San Francisco;
- Lobster Mac & Cheese (Maine lobster, gruyere, herbs, truffle oil) - best version I've tried, with the legendary flavours of chunky Maine lobster riddled throughout;
- Mussels (rosemary, lemon, garlic, red curry)
- Fish & Chips (ling cod, homemade tartar sauce, malt vinegar)
- Pesto Shrimp Pasta - thin pesto, good prawns;
- Bouillabaisse (shellfish, baguette croutons, rouille, gruyere cheese) - rich tasty recreation of the Marseille classic using shellfish (which I prefer) rather than fish.

What a fantastic meal of seafood flavours in different cooking methods and combinations.

Next time I would order the Lobster Mac & Cheese and Bouillabaisse particularly of the dishes I tried. I'd order one ceviche since they had the same marinade base (whether you prefer the more traditional Peruvian fish or the mixed shellfish version). The a la carte
has plenty of other options that would be worth feasting on - baked clams, crab dip, Main soft shell clam steamers, fish tacos, lobster roll, and if you're up for meat, even the kobe beef dog could be a winner.

Finding a recommended restaurant in Las Vegas is difficult. There are the buffets, the Michelin restaurants and the remainder of the strip with their supply to the mobs. A little bit out of the way of the strip is a Japanese grill called Raku. Be careful when taking a taxi as most of them don't know where it is, even if you give them the address and will try to drop you well before the venue. When you get there, you'll know - it's a turn off into a small carpark leading directly to the front entrance.

There's the options of a la carte, a set course made from the menu items ($50 back in 2011), and a separate more expensive kaiseki menu of special dishes (probably more similar to traditional kaiseki).

Our group of 9 had the set course served to us in the private room. To my surprise we didn't actually grill any of the food, rather it was cooked in the kitchen then brought out to us.

- sashimi
- steamed chicken, tomato
- grilled tomatoes
- seared rare beef
- grilled chicken thigh steak
- grilled matsutake mushrooms
- grilled mushroom wrapped with bacon
- seafood soup
- grilled portabella mushroom stuffed with ground chicken
- grilled Kobe beef outside skirt with garlic
- grilled Kurobuta pork cheek
- ikura don (rice topped with dried seasoning and salmon roe)
- grilled crispy pig ears (ordered from the a la carte menu)
- mixture of sweet desserts

Next time I would order the set menu with a large group, or from the a la carte for less. All dishes were very tasty and a welcome separation in cuisine and location from the rest of the Vegas monotony. There are some classic and some exciting selections that sound worth it like poached egg with uni & salmon roe, foie gras egg custard, uni & wakame soup, and green tea creme brulee.

My favourite London food place of 2012 had to be Pitt Cue Co. Neil Rankin was the ex-head chef of Pitt Cue Co before moving on to other ventures. His latest was moving into the bar John Salt in Angel. Although the menu didn't seem to feature the complete meat focus of Pitt Cue Co, it looked like a great reason to try for a special occasion in February.

Their is a large bar downstairs for casual stragglers and a more formal dining area upstairs for bookings.

- Raw beef, pear, sesame - cubes of nice chewy beef and pear with an Asian inspiration;
- Cod, foie gras, tempura, blood orange - perfectly cooked cod complemented well by tart blood orange. Couldn't detect any foie gras;
- Crab & fennel on pork skin - salty crisp pork skin was a bit too powerful to eat with the salad of crab meat, fennel, dill;
- Mussels - unfortunately small meat but cooked in a delicious orange spicy sauce of white wine and nduja (a southern Italian pork spread);
- Pork hash - pork belly, shoulder and shin, crispy fried potatoes, egg yolk. Beautiful flavour and textures in all ingredients;
- Skirt steak with kimchi hollandaise - beautifully tender medium-rare beef cutting easily, a rich spicy kimchi sauce of magic;
- Aged dripping frites with pulled pork, kimchi, cheese - not the best fries themselves, but topped nicely with pork slivers, cheese, spice;
- Keveral salad - raw greens, nothing more, nothing less;

After the feast above for 3, dessert was tempting. We only ordered the trifle, but as it was a busy night we were complemented another for the wait.

- The banana dog - squishy banner, an incredibly sweet caramel coating and some refreshing ice-cream;
- Old fashioned trifle - sweet cream topping blood orange, meringue pieces and sprinkles.

Next time I would order with my focus on the mails. For me the Pork Hash and Skirt Steak were easily the best two dishes, and the Mussel sauce equally great. I imagine the Rib for 2 would be fantastic - just like every meat dish from Pitt Cue Co.

 

Jose Andres trained under Ferran Adria at El Bulli. That in itself was reason enough to eat at his tapas bar in Beverly Hills. The previous year The Bazaar had been named one of the top 10 new restaurants in USA. Another reason to eat there. There was also good reputation from his restaurants in Las Vegas and Washington.

Even though I never managed to be lucky enough for a spot at El Bulli, I'm glad to have tried a sample of what I expect the food would be like, as well as some great classical cooking also.

Within The Bazaar, there are a few different rooms to select from. Rojo y Blanca seemed the best option offering a combination of modern and traditional tapas to select something experimental and new and wash it down with something classic. If that doesn't tickle your fancy, the Saam section is an expensive degustation with a menu I haven't seen before. Otherwise for a more limited tapas menu in a more informal setting, there are a few "bar" areas to relax in.

Modern Tapas
- Olives (modern & traditional) - an El Bulli classic with normal olives and my first taste of spherical globules filled with intense olive-flavoured liquid;
- Sweet Potato Chips (yogurt, tamarind, star anise) - delicious sweet potato crisps either on their own or with a slightly tangy dipping sauce;
- American sturgeon caviar cone - small cone, nice caviar, enough said;
- Not your everyday caprese (cherry tomatoes, liquid mozzarella) - brilliant salad creation using pesto, basil, liquid balls of tomato and an even more wonderful small ball filled with warm mozarella liquid similar to the olives;
- Foie Gras Cotton Candy - thick slab of foie gras covered with sugar floss. Not a good combination in my opinion with the cold foie gras not great;
- Sea urchin, avocado, steamed buns - a play on the new-age pork buns crossed with sliders. Salty uni as it is meant to be (compared to the version nearby at The Hungry Cat);
- Your life will change Dashi linguini (parmesan, quail egg, basil) - dashi-stock turned into pasta with cheese, eggs and basil turning a play on Italian;
- Tuna ceviche & avocado roll (jicama, micro cilantro, coconut) - average combination of avocado wrapping small tuna pieces. Couldn't taste coconut nor cilantro;
- Just shrimp cocktail "yeah right" - nicely boiled prawns served with a pipette filled with cocktail sauce;
- Philly cheesesteak (air bread, cheddar, Wagyu beef) - an unexpected brilliant dish of crispy thin air bread filled with liquid cheddar and topped with wonderful Wagyu slices;
- Smoked yellowtail w/ yoghurt, grapes, capers, radish and fried rice crackers - nice ingredients, a lot of strong flavours.

Traditional Tapas
- Braised Wagyu beef cheeks (California citrus) - outstandingly soft tender beef cheeks with citrus to cut through the meaty taste. But I was happy with the meat by itself;
- Seared scallops (romesco sauce) - the biggest, juiciest, tastiest scallops I've eaten. Phenomenonal. So good I don't remember the sauce.

One of my most favourite meals. Highly recommended.

Next time I would order any of the dishes I tried except the Foie Gras Cotton Candy (as I didn't like it) or the caviar cone (as it was simply caviar on a cone). Everything else was fantastic and there are plenty more options I didn't get to try.

After the joy of eating in a typical Polish milk bar (Bar Smak) and the disappointment in the street food (zapiekanka from Plac Nowy), it was time to upgrade and try some finer cuisine.

Pod Aniolami seemed to have a lot going for it, not least being the translation of its name "Under the Angels", the gothic cellar built in the 13th century, and of course the reputation for good food coming from multiple websites (especially meat and fish).

It isn't expensive per se (PLN130), just more than you'd expect from other alternatives and more local places. Like everywhere else in the world, you pay for location, service and quality. Pod Aniolami formed a good memorable meal and I would be happy to return, with more focus on their specialties.

- Homemade Lard with country wholemeal bread - lard & bacon bits spread onto bread forming a rich buttery decadent treat;
- Lettuce with Spicy Ewe's Milk Cheese, tomatoes, cucumbers & vinaigrette - token fresh salad with very soft mild cheese;
- Pierogi stuffed with meat/mushrooms/cabbage, cottage cheese/potato/onion, pan-fried with butter & onion, served with cranberries - pan-fried pierogi had the best outside texture as I'm not a fan of the thick boiled Eastern European standard. The cranberry sauce was the standard feature bringing the pierogi to life;
- Traditional Polish Red Borsch - clear, hot, thin, sweet beetroot soup. Very good;
- Veal Chops marinated in herbs, with forest chanterelles, green asparagus, garlic butter - decent veal although not especially tender, with nice crispy potatoes;
- Famous homemade Apple Cake with vanilla ice-cream, whipped cream, egg liqueur - deliciously soft warm mesh of apples, soft crust, cinnamon and fresh blueberries;
- Two slices of mild Polish highlander's ewe's cheese (oscypek) from Rantulowa;
- Prunes macerated in alcohol - intensely alcoholic with a touch of prune sweetness;
- complimentary mint vodka shot. 

Next time I would order the Homemade Lard, soup (such as borsch, zurek or fish soup) and a focus on the grilled dishes from a la carte. I wouldn't order anything with cheese and none of them seemed to really have any significant flavour. Given enough people (15-25) and notice, they also offer large fired items like whole young pig, boar's leg or Polish lamb all which sound delicious.