Eat Like Ushi

I wanted to eat somewhere nearby home and new. My first choice was sadly closed for the Christmas season so wandered down the road and came across a name I remember reading on the hot-dinners website so decided to wander inside.

Lupita is a Mexican chain with a new branch in Spitalfields. It isn't in the main market area, but further down along the quieter parts of Commercial Street, which possibly partially explains why it wasn't particularly busy.

- Horchata - I like this Mexican drink, although I felt they added too much cinnamon that it formed chunks;
- Tostada de Atun Intramar (yellowfin tuna slices on a crispy corn tortilla with caramelized onions, avocado, chipotle sauce & lime) - tuna had been cured for so long it had cooked through. The combination of avocado, chipotle & lime was adequate;
- Taco Carnitas (Mexican-barbecued pork with cheese) - basic-flavoured pork with the cheese adding no flavour;
- Huitlacoche (Aztec 'truffle' served as a taco) - recommended as an unusual mushroom dish, which did have a few nice earthy flavours but nothing I'd consider special.

The place itself looks a bit too much like a school cafeteria. The wait staff are excellent however.

Next time I would order from Boho Mexica instead - excellent Mexican food, not far down the same road, lovely evening atmosphere.

A newcomer to the London food scene in 2012 was based upon American-style barbecue ribs. I can't think of any other place here that specialises in these and they were a welcome addition to the options on my list. It still took me 6 months to get here but I'm glad I did.

As they have a no-reservations policy, both times I've gone mid-afternoon and thus not needed to wait at all for a single lonesome seat upstairs at the bar.

The menu concept is simple - select a meat and a side and decide if you are hungry enough for extras.

I've always liked pork ribs more than beef ribs since I had them at The Slanted Door, but the waitress on my first visit thought the Beef Ribs was better. There were tasty but chewier meat than I expected for something cooked on the bone. I left satisfied but expecting something more.

Luckily on my second I followed my instincts and order Pork Ribs. The meat was tender, delicious and a pleasure to chew through - much preferred to than the Beef Ribs. Being greedy I also ordered the Hot Rib Tips which are the end bits of the pork ribs deep fried with chilli sauce. They were similarly fantastic with even more flavour to the meat and sauce than the ribs themselves.

Both times I ordered the side of Green Chilli Slaw which is a great combination of red cabbage, Spanish onion, green chilli and some kind of orange crispy rice that contrasts well with the dense meat flavours. Sliced green pickles were also provided but the bread slice was pretty average.

Both times I drank the awarded Cornish Orchards Cider which was too big for me to finish on my own during an early afternoon but would be great for socialising.

Next time I would order either Pork Ribs or Smoked Beef Brisket with Green Chilli Slaw. Hot Rib Tips are great and so you could get these instead of the Pork Ribs and have an alternative main instead.

2013

I returned a few times in 2013. The food remains good, although I was consistently disappointed to find that the hot rib tips had been removed, pork ribs were no longer available, and often beef ribs weren't on the menu or had run out. Smoked featherblade became a regular feature as were some lesser known cuts. All were still good but I miss the items that made them famous and made me think of them as my #1 favourite place to eat in London.

Looking for new places around Shoreditch/Spitalfields revealed three new places located in a row at the converted Old Bengal Warehouse. The places are Old Bengal Bar (drinks), New Street Grill (meat) and Fish Market (seafood).

Fish Market supposedly only serves sustainable seafood and as I was craving ocean flavours, this seemed the logical choice to try for lunch. There is a cheap lunch menu but the a la carte selections sound much more inviting.

Complementary bread had a wonderful crust to start things off.

- Fish Market Prawn Cocktail - recommended to me over the lobster cocktail. Small prawns and cocktail sauce were average, but the large boiled prawn sitting atop was deliciously sweet and I wanted more;
- Fish Pie (haddock, Loch Var salmon & prawns) - pie filling ingredients cooked perfectly with a hint of dill. Crunchy prawns, soft delicate salmon, meaty haddock all with their individual tastes and textures.

There are plenty more options on the menu I will go back for.

Next time I would order some new things to try - Lobster Bisque, Sea Bass Ceviche, White Wine Mussels, Fish & Chips or Crustacea in the Shell (whelks, winkles, shrimps). 

It seemed a bit unusual that there would be availability of a respected two-chef hat restaurant for a Friday night when booking only a few hours earlier. I suppose it is because Matteo's is not a new place, it isn't in the middle of the city, and doesn't follow any current food trend. Additionally the name suggests an Italian focus, but in fact it is a very Japanese-inspired menu.

The clientele is very western european with many Greeks and Italians. Given that the restaurant is in Brunswick, that probably shouldn't be so unexpected.

Given it was our first trip here, we opted for the degustation menu with the addition of some oyster shooters (which is only listed on the lunch menu for some reason). The 10 servings of the set are presented as 4 courses of 2-3 each, which is a more casual way rather than continuous procession of waiting staff and plate/cutlery clearing.

- Oyster Shooters (with mirin & sake) - same base as the benchmark from Ezard. No chilli or wasabi in this version, but still the strong sweet mirin followed by a lovely salty oyster flavour. Much cheaper too at $3.50 each.
- Hiramasa Kingfish Sashimi (with prawn remoulade, shiso sauce) - nicely textured sashimi slices with a tangy yuzu sauce;
- Citrus-cured Ocean Trout Tataki (with lattice chips, creme fraiche, Yarra Valley salmon roe) - almost a biscuit sandwich of salmon slices with some roe that I couldn't taste. Nothing special;
- Teriyaki-glazed Smoked Eel (with potato & egg roulade, bonito mayonnaise) - strange dish of potato salad and eel wrapped in nori. The eel was thicker than the delicate Japanese unagi I expected and did not have the sweet thick brown sauce;
- Steamed Scallop Dim Sum (with roasted parsnip, yuzu-witlof sauce) - sweet juicy scallop dumpling with a tart citrus sauce. Delicious;
- Tempura Zucchini Flower (with fetta, watermelon, radish, coriander & peanut salad, tamarind vinaigrette) - excellent fetta-filled tempura on a lovely combination salad mixing sweet and sour, soft and crunchy;
- Chinese-roasted Five-spiced Duck Breast (with Tokyo turnip fondant, Yakiniku barbecue sauce) - beautifully rare duck with wonderful flavour;
- Seared Wagyu Beef Sirloin (with spinach fondue, kimchi-capsicum piperade, miso-shiraz sauce) - small cube of medium rare beef with some visible marbling and good texture. I think wagyu should not be served with sauce as the beef flavour wasn't discernible through it;
- Vanilla Bean Bavarois (with summer berries, macaroons, strawberry sorbet) - vanilla ice-cream, cold fresh fruit, sweet marshmallows (which they said were macaroons), and meringue pieces moddled together. Refreshing and lovely;
- Roasted Yellow Peach Tarte Tatin (with raspberry & almond frangipane) - outstanding soft sweet peaches in a circular moist and slightly crispy pastry. Enjoyed every bite;
- Poached Meringue with White Chocolate-Nougat Parfait - very heavy and sickly, too much for me.

Next time I would order the degustation menu for the first time. The degustation dishes sounded a lot more interesting in words than the a la carte menu. Many dishes were delicious and well executed, without any one demanding a return just for it. Overall a very good meal.

Neil Perry's expanding restaurant empire in Melbourne relatively recently added an Asian food focussed place at Crown Casino next to Rockpool. Although seemingly predominantly Szechuan-based, the main attraction for me to come here was for the reputation of having a more upmarket and diverse take on yum cha.

As yum cha translates to drink tea, it is expected to have tea with the meal. The standard Cantonese restaurant will vary from providing free standard (usually Jasmine) tea or charging $1-2 per person for this. Some specific tea houses provide tea flowers or leaves generally for $5-7 per pot. Spice Temple charged us $5.5 per person to share one pot of tea. $11 for a pot of tea is quite extortionate. I suppose that comes from having a restaurant in Crown and being known for reputation, expense and more upmarket takes.

- Fried Salt & Pepper Silken Tofu with Spicy Coriander Salad - tofu with lovely flavour and delicate texture with a very spicy chilli sauce (I think the word salad is a bit generous);
- Soy-Baked Fremantle Octopus with Broad Beans - tender octopus, crunchy broad beans, inconspicuous flavour;
- Hot & Numbing Dry Wagyu Beef - fantastic deep salty meat that served the best dish of the lot. Surprisingly not very hot despite the name;
- Crab, Flathead & Spinach Dumplings - thick gelatinous coating a pretty unmemorable filling;
- Cumin Pork Ribs - delicate meat off the bone, great texture but needed a bit more salt to accentuate the cumin;
- Braised & Fried Pork Hock with "Floss" - pieces of crispy pork with skin and fat to chew through the various textures;
- Egg Custard with Crab & XO Sauce - really tasty and chilli sauce lifting a smooth custard with intermittent morsels of crab meat;
- Steamed Scallop Dumplings - quite small dumpling with a watery scallop filling. 

Next time I would order the Fried Wagyu Beef. Most of the dishes from the Fried list are worth getting. Avoid the standard dumplings as they cost 2-3 times more than other yum cha restaurants for a smaller dumpling that doesn't taste particularly different nor with finer ingredients. If you are ordering tea to share for two, try specifying it for one - I can't possibly justify on their behalf charging double just to provide an extra cup.

I didn't want to make a trek all the way back to Melbourne and not try somewhere new and cool. Along the top end of Gertrude Street near the dining haven of Cutler & Co came the new venture from what could be the best tapas in Melbourne at Bar Lourinha (still on my list to try).

It seemed like an excellent combination for a Thursday night - staying out of the middle of the city, ample free parking around, takes reservations and had availability last minute, and on the new and cool list being awarded "Best on Trend" in The Age Good Food restaurant wrap for 2012 only one week prior.

On this day the specials from the coal roast pit were kid and veal ribs.

- Yellow-Fin Tuna 'A La Gallega' - expected a cube of raw tuna and actually got a piece cooked straight through. Didn't like it and wouldn't recommend it.
- Kingfish Ceviche, Lemon Oil - honestly don't remember it;
- Anchovy Montadito - fried bread rectangle housing a thin but powerfully strong anchovy slice. Delicious;
- Northern King Prawn, Smoked Chilli, Lemon - deliciously succulent large prawn, charred crispy shell and full of flavour. Outstanding;
- Tomato, Buffalo Mozzarella, Parsley - juicy salad to cut through the grilled flavours;
- Five-Spiced Pork Belly - like an outstanding and quality version of char siu. Less crispy and thick crunch (which of course has its own appeal) and more delicate meat, sweet pork and five-spice flavour. I like it;
- Pit-Roast Kid - quality thick portions of goat meat to chew on and be happy. A couple of pieces were a little tough, but the majority was delicate and smooth;
- Chocolate Bunuelos & Hazelnut Sauce - soft balls of fried dough with a deep chocolate enriching the insides and a lovely nutty sauce. 

Next time I would order from the standard menu Pork Belly, Anchovy Montadito, Northern King Prawn plus any meat special of the day from the coal roast pit. It isn't particularly cheap, but the food and open atmosphere are nice.

I would never have thought I'd select a sushi place in Dubrovnik. My reasoning was based on Japanese food in London being expensive and poor quality, that I hadn't had any sashimi for 9 months, Dubrovnik and Croatia generally having reasonably priced and excellent quality local seafood and good reviews online.

The chef I had the pleasure of chatting to is a young man named Marejan, who was taught locally in only a few weeks how to make sushi a few years ago. He since opened Bota to share his skills and make a living. He has never been to Japan and so was keen to ask my feedback on his food.

Unfortunately there was no toro available the day I visited.

- Fresh Oysters €12pp - mild sweet with thin meat only (same as from Kamenice);
- Tiger Prawn Tempura HRK14pp - warm sweet prawns with crisp coating;
- Rainbow Roll (shrimp in panko tempura, avocado, Philadelphia cream cheese, tuna/greater amberjack/salmon on outside) HRK38 - crisp tempura inside surrounded by soft rice with softer varied sashimi outside, nice flavour and texture combination overall;
- Nigiri Salmon & Nigiri Seared Salmon HRK13pp - quality local fish with rich salmon flavour but with more rice:fish than standard nigiri. Rice is also much more strongly vinegared than standard, but this is something I like;
- Salmon Skin Roll (salmon skin, cucumber, avocado, lightly seared salmon/sweet miso/unagi on outside) HRK36 - warm roll good for a colder night with smooth salmon and sweet eel flavours;
- Layered Cake of soft dough base, banana, smooth chocolate on top - this was an experimental dish by Marejan given complimentary to me. It was a tasty topping of deep dark smooth chocolate cream with banana combination. The base was like a doughy flat bread which I wasn't overly fond of. 

Next time I would order the Rainbow and Salmon Skin Rolls as they are the most interesting rolls on the menu. Nigiri is good as the fish quality is great, but you may prefer more fish or weaker rice vinegar if you are used to it. The Tuna Tartar a la Bota also looks like an interesting creation. Also if there is any toro available, I would order it as the price is incredibly cheap.

Support Marejan and eat here.

Just outside the east gates of Dubrovnik and connecting onto the harbour sits Lokanda Peskarija. What was interesting is that the reviews suggest a decent venue for seafood but without the prices you'd expect to be inflated for sitting alongside the harbour front.

For my last night, I ventured here to see for myself. I'm glad I did - it is well worth the combination of location, price and food.

Although on my own, I couldn't help but order enough food to several of me:

- Plata Peskarija (marinated and salted anchovies, fish pate, cheese kept in oil, octopus salad) HRK100 - anchovies were simple and satisfying, octopus salad was tender, fish pate was quite plain and cheese was a cheddar quite weak in flavour;
- Lignji na Caru (grilled squids) HRK75 - an intensely flavoured collection of whole grilled and charred squids in a delicious pool of salty oil and topped with lemon to be absorbed by bread. 

Next time I would order the Grilled Squids for an amazing flavour to make you smile. If there was enough appetite or people, the Platter Lokanda sounds nice to share and I'm sure they'd do a tasty Cuttlefish Risotto also.

Location on the very main central road of Dubrovnik Old Town would ordinarily mean beware. If it wasn't for a specific recommendation I read to have breakfast here, I wouldn't have come.

The prices are made for location and perhaps aimed towards lazier people. I must admit it is an outstanding place to people watch as the hordes filter through the town surrounded by the amazing buildings of Dubrovnik Old Town.

Considering the drinks were priced well beyond what I was willing, I opted for the sole item of Omelette with Dalmatian Smoked Ham HRK72. Smoked Ham is another well regarded gourmet item throughout the region and so it seemed the perfect opportunity to have breakfast, eat at this recommended cafe, people watch and try this meat.

The omelette  itself was very well made with a soft luscious creamy egg interior. The smoked ham was a revelation - beautifully smoked and cured and equivalent taste to some of the best jamon I've eaten. Wow that was unexpected.

Next time I would order the same Omelette with Dalmatian Smoked Ham. If you prefer to keep off the main road, there is another cafe just up from Kamenice in the market square that lists the smoked ham as a breakfast option with or without eggs and other things.

Located in one of the major town squares of Dubrovnik (which also has a uninspiring market during the day) was a place recommended to me specifically for mussels from a local elderly lady whom I was renting a room from. The staff at Kamenice are lovely - because there is only outside seating, it is in their interest to ensure guests are comfortable. On this cold windy day, my reluctance to eat outside was met by the loan of a large thick blanket to wrap around my shoulders and body. It helped a lot to break the wind.

Oysters from the nearby town of Ston are particularly noted and as such I had a few. The flavour is mild and sweet, but they consist of very little meat being extremely thin.

The Orni Rizot HRK70 (cuttlefish risotto) was a large serving of rice, basic salty flavour assisted by lemon, but with only small pieces of cuttlefish littered throughout.

The Musule na Buzara HRK60 mussels were the highlight of anticipation. I counted 63 mussels in the serving. What was most prominent was the white wine flavour was intensely strong with a slight bitterness that actually made the dish more memorable than the standard Brussels equivalent. Unfortunately as tasty and generous as the serving was, the mussels were not debearded properly (or at all) and so each mussel required separating the beard or spitting it out. Not a complete deal breaker, but something to note.

Next time I would order the same trio again. The oysters are cheap and worth trying. The risotto is a nice staple. The mussels are the main feature and as long as you don't mind the beards too much, they are delicious and different.