Eat Like Ushi

Turin dining turned out to be more disappointing than I anticipated. Considering the Piedmont region is well regarded for food and not particularly heavily touristed, I found it surprising my choices were subpar.

On this cold rainy evening, I had tried to book at the two restaurants that really had my interest and intent - Kido-ism (a Japanese chef with fusion Italian cuisine, TA #2) and Combal.O (a reputedly amazing Italian molecular gastronomy restaurant that has featured in the San Pellegrino Top 50). Unfortunately these were booked out on a Saturday night. The last option was for a more local experience at Ristorante Il Circolo dei Lettori, but I decided to pick La Conca which also had favourable reviews and much better location very close to where I was staying near the train station.

I'm disappointed I went and sat amongst predominantly English speaking diners for a meal that was very average.

- Agnolotti di Plin alla Piemontese - typical Piedmont ravioli topped with parmigiano reggiano. Adequately cooked al dente although not particularly tasty nor special.
- Braciola Frentana - involtini of pork filled with celery, carrot and pancetta and topped with a tomato-based sauce. Very average overcooked pork outside with an inspired filling.

Next time I would order at another place. I suppose this restaurant is convenient if you are staying near the main train station and don't want to go far, but I would suggest putting a bit more effort and not joining the rest of the tourists and American businessmen who come here.

I've never thought of German food as particularly exciting. It really does tend to be just lots of fried and roasted meats. Although generally quite simplistic in flavour, they do these things surprisingly well.

Thus when I saw the Tripadvisor number 1 in Heidelberg was a German cuisine place, I was curious. There isn't a lot of information out there to compare for this city, which is surprising as it is a gorgeous classic city very near the enormous transport hub of Frankfurt.

Schnitzelbank gets easy full marks for atmosphere - a rather small cosy bar with mainly communal tables. On my Tuesday night during a cold evening seating was easy to find amongst mainly Germans eating, drinking and making new friends with whoever sat near them.

The wintry special of Gluh-wein was a very sweet version and easy to drink.

Schnitzelbank had to have gotten schnitzel right or it would be laughable. Luckily the schnitzel was a really tasty 1/2 inch thick pork fried in a crispy and nicely uneven textured surface. It was a real difference from the complete uniform breadcrumb versions I've had in Austria and Slovenia. This was more like a fish'n'chip style coating with a slight taste of having been fried with some butter. The pork itself was a little chewy but the flavour especially with lemon made up for it. This came with crisp fried potato pieces which were a decadent man's fries. The healthy part was a pickled spinach in a buttery mash.

I was tempted by the Apple Strudel dessert but the barman didn't seem that excited by it, recommending instead a dessert of Stewed Raspberries in a hot wine sauce with vanilla icecream and cream. Very very sweet; a little too much for me.

Next time I would order any of the 3 schnitzels that give Schnitzelbank its name. I chose mine as it is the classic version and I particularly wanted the fried potatoes. I'd also try the Apple Strudel just to know.

Trying David Chang's pork bun at Momofuku Noodle Bar in New York City was an eye opening experience. Since then I have found an equivalent - Yum Bun in London. On my Saturdays off I will regularly go to Broadway market just to have two for myself. It gave me the idea of using it for my imaginary plan of a food van in Melbourne. Unfortunately I've been beaten to it by Wonderbao.

Tucked away in an area that is generally not visited other than by those who study across the road, Wonderbao has brought the Chinese bun as well as the more recently popular open circle version to a permanent store.

We tried a few different ones on this day - Braised Pork Belly, Roast Pork Belly, Fried Silky Tofu and Egg Custard. My favourite was surprisingly the Fried Tofu with its crispy flavoursome texture. The Braised Pork was also quite good. Surprisingly I didn't like the Roast Pork taste combination that much, maybe because I was expecting it to take like Yum Bun.

This was all washed down with freshly made soy milk, a lovely version miles apart from the carton we are all used to.

Next time I would order the Fried Tofu and Braised Pork. I would also try their version of the standard Char Siu Bao just for curiosity. Soy Milk is a must.

A brief break in between a wedding ceremony and reception seemed like the perfect opportunity to try Melbourne's reputed best burger. Given the explosion of London burger joints, it isn't surprising we've been putting many to the test.

I tried the Denise burger, which is a Huxtaburger - beef pattie, mustard, mayo, tomato sauce, tomato, cheese, lettuce, pickles - upgraded with jalapenos and sriracha mayo. What can I say, it is an ugly but very soft breaded bun (from Breadtop I've heard), a strongly flavoured salty meaty pattie and some standard supporting ingredients. Overall very good and split the crowd as to whether it was preferred over MeatLiquor (I prefer the latter for its unadulterated meat and megagrease bun).

Crinkle cut chips were simple to complete the classic pairing, and washed down with some nice cider.

Next time I would order the Bills or Theo just for some change and comparison. Chipotle chips are also available on specific request and I think they would more memorable than the basic one.

I've long-sampled most of Melbourne's reputed yum cha venues. The popular favourites around town are Golden Dragon Palace, Taipan, Gold Leaf, Shark Fin House, David's. My regular is the lesser known Minh Tan 2 in Abbotsford. The latest front runner is Neil Perry's Spice Temple - but unfortunately I wasn't around on a day on which they were serving lunch.

One place on the list that is conveniently located in the middle of the city is Oriental Tea House. Actually it is unexpectedly in the business district of town rather than in Chinatown which would potentially be off-putting. How surprising it was that the food turned out to be great.

First of all, as the name suggests, this is a tea house. They specialise in drinking tea, selling tea, teapots and other tea accessories. As an aside they serve yum cha to mainly corporates and caucasian retirees. I suppose this would usually be ominous for Cantonese, but give it a try.

- Chicken Feet (steamed with Black Bean Sauce);
- Scallop Dumplings (Minced Seafood wrapped & topped with a Scallop) - quality dumpling with a tasty scallop;
- Chilli Wagyu Beef Dumplings (Wagyu Beef Marinated with Kaffir Lime Leaves steamed in a Wonton Skin served with Special Chilli Sauce) - outstanding smooth texture with a beautiful chilli dipping sauce;
- Roast Duck Dumplings (Beetroot Wrapper with Shredded Duck, Chicken, Pork & Vegetables) - not a bad combination, but more striking appearance than taste revelation;
- Deep Fried Octopus - very nice fried flavour, although texture not as tender as Minh Tan;
- Sticky Rice (combined with Chicken, Mushroom, Egg Yolk, Prawns, BBQ Pork & Chinese Sausage steamed in a Lotus Leaf) - simple standard version.

The tea was a pure Jasmine flower in a clear pot. Perfect to complement the meal.

Next time I would order the Wagyu Beef Dumplings and any selection of the Seafood Dumplings (prawn or scallop). All the other dishes are standard but good quality Cantonese that probably cost a little more for the setting and table service. But you'll be satisfied. There are a lot of teas to select from also.

Osteria Nuova is a much more casual food option in Alba. It's open for dinner each day and also for lunch on weekends only. After being rejected on Friday night for turning up alone, I was lucky to score a seat for Saturday lunch. They seemed surprised and relieved when I told them I was happy if a random sat on my table.

- Ovetto al Pailot & Tartufo Bianca - they translated to me as an omelette, but turned out to be a fried egg with white truffle. Only one egg with not as much truffle as I'd expect for the price;
- Brasato al Vino Rosso - braised beef stew served with fried potatoes. Strong wine-flavoured stew with reasonably tender beef. Very tasty potatoes;
- Panna Cotta - really beautiful dessert of delicately smooth cream, laced with delicious sweet sauce and served with burnt caramel peanut sticks. Sensational.

Overall a nice relaxing place to eat. Definitely recommended as an alternative to all the otherwise fine dining recommended venues in Alba.

Next time I would order any you like and finish with the Panna Cotta. Whether intended or not, the many other Italians in the restaurant all ordered it too. The select daily pasta and meat dishes all look good to warm your belly.

I won't lie and say I intended to eat at Enoclub. In my indecision, I hadn't booked anything, expecting that on a Friday night in Alba there wouldn't be so many people as to book out most of the town's restaurants. I admit having the White Truffle fair on the Saturday may have skewed it against me, but nonetheless I thought I was unlucky as I walked around from place to place being rejected over and over, oftentimes because I was a sole diner and they didn't want me to take up a whole table. Bastards.

Just for the record, the places of note were Piazza Duomo (2 Michelin star, TA #1, be careful this is NOT the pizzeria of the same name), Osteria dell Arco, Osteria La Libera and Osteria Nuova.

Enoclub was actually suggested to me by two of my rejectors - I would otherwise not have found it or considered it. The venue is actually quite nice, and I happily sat at the empty bar section enjoying the more informal setting. The specials of the night obviously revolved around the white truffle and I selected two dishes which I hadn't tried with truffle yet:

- Uovo in Tegame all'occhio con Tartufo Bianco d'Alba - fried egg with sliced white truffle. Often thought the best way to enjoy white truffle with the scent and flavour accentuated by egg yolk. Not bad at all, but it feels painful paying €30 for fried eggs;
- Carne Cruda di Vitello Fassone con Tartufo Bianco d'Alba - Fassone veal tartare topped with white truffle to mix through. Good quality tartare with the occasional hint of white truffle flavour, although not enough truffle for €40.

Next time I would order something more standard from their basic menu of salad, ragout, pasta, burger. Alternatively book one of the other places who seem to have more extravagant regular dishes.

Wandering through Alba looking for somewhere to eat lunch turned out to be more difficult than anticipated. Since I didn't have a dedicated lunch venue, I ended up walking around the small town centre until I found a place that looked promising.

Sognatori certainly ticked the right boxes - located on a street not on the main drag, a local tavern, filled with Italians, and a menu that only exists with a few hand written words on a piece of paper.

The service was great - the waitress didn't speak English but was friendly and smiled. The host of the venue spoke better English and was very personable complimenting me some free dishes, a free glass of house wine, and topping my pasta with additional butter and white truffle until he thought it was satisfactory.

Supporting dishes was a slice of mild Goat's Cheese topped with White Truffle. Since fondue is supposedly one of the main ways to enjoy white truffle, I imagine this was a more scaled down and simple version. It was adequate, although I wouldn't pick it as my favourite truffle dish. I also received a dish of Potato Gnocchi topped with a lot of parmesan - heavy and dense and probably a little too much richness for the end of the meal.

But the star of the show was their version of Tajarin with White Truffle. As mentioned earlier, after I tossed the truffle slices through, the host looked and took it away to add more butter and truffle as he thought it needed more. At €47 for the dish, you'd expect about 5-8g of white truffle for the €40 and it was certainly the most generous of any of the restaurant dishes. It was a stronger truffle and butter flavour and scent than Tre Galline. I added a little parmesan but in hindsight this was probably a mistake as the cheese dampened the truffle flavour slightly. It certainly wasn't mindblowing and I doubt I would pay that much for the dish again, but at least I left knowing this is what it is supposed to be.

Next time I would order whatever their daily menu is serving. Classic Italian dishes of pasta, rice, meat and seafood with house wine and port selections to complement. Service was friendly and inviting and would easily return again.

Considering the food reputation of Piedmont, it was unexpectedly difficult to find good information about restaurants in Turin. Perhaps it is because the city isn't often high on traveller's to-do lists. In any case I was quite excited by the reviews of Tre Galline - well reputed on a blog of someone living in Turin, decent reviews on Tripadvisor mostly by Italians, and even on a cold night where people kept off the street, Tre Galline was still full of Italian customers with more being turned away at the door.

Given it was white truffle season, the recommendations of the place were white truffle dishes and the bollito misto - the specialty dish of Piedmont.

- Starter - parsley, garlic, anchovies in a paste on a slice of pork;
- Tajarin Pasta with Butter Sauce topped with Fresh White Truffles - a rich buttery pasta with mild white truffle scent but slightly disappointing amount of taste;
- Bollito Misto - a selection of boiled meats (ox tail, veal, cheek, shin, tongue, pork sausage, chicken) with a chicken consumee and candied fruit in a thick horseradish gel. It was served with horseradish, apple & grape, mayonaisse, and tomato sauces. Sadly the meat was boiled in tasteless water, with the only meat with decent texture and not overcooked being the ox tail and shin (ie. those made for prolonged cooking). A surprising number of diners were ordering this - I wonder if they were as disappointed as me.

Next time I would order something else. It seems to be very popular with locals and for that reason alone I would give this place a try again for other dishes.

The variety of Shoreditch restaurants has Eyre Brothers representing in Spanish and Portugeuse flavour. The menu items sound fantastic with a great selection of ingredients and mixes. We sampled some of the following on our evening:

- Grilled Chorizo, Lentil & Parsley Salad with Sherry Vinegar;
- Salchichon Iberico (with Globe Artichoke, Broad Bean & Chive Salad);
- Pressed Madeira & Porto marinated Duck Foie Gras (with Chive Oil & Toasted Almonds);
- Grilled Mozambique Tiger Prawns Piri-Piri (with Pilaf Rice, Cucumber, Coriander & Sherry Vinegar);
- Grilled Fillet of Acorn-Fed Iberico Pig (marinated with Pimenton, Thyme & Garlic) served with Patatas Pobres (Oven Potatoes with Green Peppers, Onions, Garlic & White Wine);
- Beef Sirloin with Vegetables;
- Hake & Clams;
- Farofia (Portugeuse poached Meringue with Vanilla Custard & Fresh Raspberries);
- Three Spanish Cheeses with Quince Membrillo & Walnut Bread - mix of pasteurised and unpasteurised ewe's and goat's milk cheeses. Strong.

All of the dishes were fine, with the Fillet of Iberico Pig being the best of the lot. But it wasn't a meal that sticks in my memory to particularly recommend.