Eat Like Ushi

Looking at Tripadvisor for inspiration, I was curious at the #1 restaurant - a Caribbean tapas place with repetitive reviews stating how happily shocked diners were eating here, only choosing the place based upon the TA rankings. It seems a continuing circle of good reviews being fed by good reviews of an unexpected place. My curiosity had to know.

I ventured into the unexpectedly empty restaurant that night. One couple were leaving, one solo diner came in after me - that was it. The very friendly English female host even stated how quiet the region was that week and that just last week they were turning away people. Lucky for me then to ease nicely into dinner.

I was recommended a few of the Caribbean specialties - goat curry, jerk chicken, 5-spice beef amongst others. The bread was simple and toasted and only particularly useful to mop up some sauces. The homemade chilli sauce with scotch peppers was intensely hot on the tongue but doesn't linger.

- Curried Goat - tender goat pieces so soft you could chew them without teeth. Relatively spicy but otherwise not overly powerful curry sauce;
- Prawns & Mussels in White Wine, Coriander & Ginger - very large king prawns and sweet mussels both slightly overcooked but still nice in an oil-based white wine sauce;
- Caribbean Fried FIsh of the day - told the English name of the fish that day is Stoker. Firm and chewy in an oil-based red & yellow pepper sauce - not great all round;
- Rice & Beans - good accompaniment to soak up curry sauce and buffer the heat;
- Cheesecake - saw this recommended by someone on TA as outstanding but unfortunately I can't agree. It had a good smooth texture but the taste was very plain. Only the berry sauce to the size made it nice;
- Complimentary Vodka Caramel shot - sweet

Overall very good, but I find it difficult to agree on it being TA #1. It certainly would hold that spot for being unique in a a town littered with Spanish, British, Irish and Chinese restaurants.

Next time I would order the fantastic Curried Goat and I'd be happy to have the Prawns or Mussels again acknowledging they are cheap, tasty and large although not the best cooked. If in a big enough group, other reviews have suggested 5-Spice Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff. Lamb, Mint & Sweet Potatoes sounds like a potential winner also. The Jerk Chicken reviews have been mixed suggesting it isn't that necessary.

Food pickings in the main resort town of Puerto del Carmen are extremely numerous. Restaurants, cafes, bars and supermarkets lie side-by-side along the entire seaside. Despite the choices finding something particularly good amongst the rabble is difficult, especially given the majority of people roaming the streets are English and German tourists. Even reading all the internet recommendations for restaurants, there are very few located within PDC itself.

Nonetheless one place that sounded promising was La Canada. Located off the main strip but still right in the middle of the longest beach Playa Grande makes it easily accessible.

In the remarkably quiet time of mid-January, there were only 2 other tables eating for lunch, both of which were Spanish - a promising sign.

The waiter recommended a starter of mussels and a main of grilled merluza (hake). Both were fresh and local.

- Mussels steamed in White Wine - quite simply the best mussels I've eaten in my life. Fat, large (from 3-6cm), rich with their own ocean juices and soaking in the most lovely white wine & garlic brine broth. Cleaned and debearded perfectly with minerals firmly on their shells showing how natural they are;
- Pan-fried butterflied Hake with Canarian potato & salad - nicely cooked fresh fish well seasoned, although not an particularly unique taste. The potato was skinless boiled and cold - very unexpected.

The fish was served with traditional Canary sauces - green garlic & coriander (Mojo Cilantro) and a quite spicy red pepper/paprika (Mojo Picon)

Next time I would order the Mussels every day of the week - they were phenomenal. I'd suggest listening to the waiters recommendations for fresh local ingredients of the day, although (like nearly everywhere), molluscs and crustacea are safer.

Seafood and paella are two of the most common recommendations people seem to ask about in Barcelona food threads. Paella is from Valencia but I suppose since Barcelona is relatively near and also the most commonly visited Spanish city. Barceloneta is the port area in Barcelona known to be home to the city's best seafood restaurants.

It was lucky that one place came up with recommendations for both quality seafood and paella. There are certainly other options mentioned around, but Can Majo seems to have the least number of negative reviews of the lot. The food turned out to be fantastic.

- Pan con Tomate - Barcelona's staple of toasted bread with olive oil & fresh tomato. I felt it needed a little salt to stop it from feeling like cold tomato juice;
- Navalla del Delta del Ebre a la Planxa (grilled razor clams from Ebro) €15.45 - I had eaten razor clams at several places in the prior few days so wasn't going to order these, but the waiter insisted they were shorter and better. Indeed he was correct and their grilled sweetness and released juices were intensely stronger, unique and much better;
- Calamarsets a la Planxa (grilled medium squid) €15 - bargain collection of whole squids cooked to perfection, a soft elastic texture without any hint of chewiness;
- Paella de Marisc al estil Can Majo for 2 (shellfish paella Can Majo-style) €43.86 - excellent paella finished (probably) in the oven so the top rice and seafood also had a charred surface. Serving for 2 contained 2 bugs, 4 whole prawns, 4 clams, some loose mussels, prawns and squid. Deep hearty satisfying flavour.

Next time I would order any of the three dishes I ordered (the bread was automatic) but there are many others to pick from. Their unique options such as Barnacles or Sea Cucumber or Anemones would be high on my list next time.

I tried for about 3 years to get a reservation at El Bulli. Sadly Ferran Adria closed the place down before I could be successful.

The follow-up ventures 41 Degrees and Tickets in Barcelona are subsequently well regarded and sought out. 41 Degrees has a 41 course menu that can only be booked for specifically 4 people - sadly there were only 3 of us visiting Barcelona. Tickets reservations can only be made 60 days in advance (which I missed out) but they do have tables for walk-ins.

Even though this trip was on a weekday in the midst of winter, I couldn't be sure how long the queue would be. For that reason we started queuing 30mins prior to opening and managed to be right at the front. Opening time came and we were the first seated. Coincidentally it happened to be a quiet night with about half the seating place empty while we were there.

There are many a la carte tapas options to pick from or alternatively you can ask the waiter to create a tasting menu comprised of the a la carte items. They predict 15-18 courses. Given it was our first visit, we allowed a tasting menu, but I would certainly choose myself next time knowing what I liked. Especially as I also noticed the tasting menu neglected all the items under Tapas from the Sea or Tapas from the Land which did have some good sounding options.

- Fish Crackers topped with Nori (fish and potato cracker with seaweed sprinkle) €5 - like paperthin fish-flavoured chips;
- Tickets' Olives (green marinated in olive oil, cinnamon, star anise, peppercorns, lemon peel) €7.8 - famous from El Bulli, creamy green olive-flavoured liquid inside a thin shell;
- Crostini with Tomato Seeds & Cantabrian Anchovie (with sprinkles of silver paper) €4.3pp  - tomato "caviar", soft salty anchovy on bread, like an upmarket version of a typical Basque tapas;
- Tickets' Olives (kalamata marinated in olive oil, rosemary, peppercorns, orange peel) €7.8 - black version of the olives with an incredibly strong kalamata flavour;
- Slices of Tuna Belly with Sea Urchin (with wasabi, ginger, nori) €12.5 - delicate tuna belly, slight hint of pepper, soft creamy with only a subtle salty sea urchin after taste;
- Mini-Airbags stuffed with Manchego Cheese (topped with cheese slice, hazelnut caviar & powder) €8.9 - creative cheese bags and hazelnut caviar although not sure they added much together;
- Airbaguette of Joselito's Iberian Pancetta €3.9pp - dry flaky hollow baguetta with minimal pancetta flavour, a waste of time;
- Steamed Brioche with Truffled Cheese (Provolone, Mozzarella, black truffle) €4.4pp - soft bread with minimal cheese flavour and no truffle flavour;
- Smoked marinated beef, smoked cream cheese, onion, thyme, vinegar powder (off menu item) €4.1pp - heavily smoked ingredients in an unusual combination. More creative than good per se but worth trying;
- Orange Salad with Gordal Olive Nectar, Mint & Cumin €8.2 - orange slices in a soup of olives, mint, orange, lemon & cumin. Refreshing intermission in the menu;
- Slightly Spicy Tuna Belly Cone with Lime Zest €4.8pp - nice tuna pieces mixed with apple topped with flyfish roe & wrapped in crispy nori paper;
- Artichokes with Idiazabal Cream & Moroccan Lemon €8.65 - crunchy soft artichoke, rich cheese cream & slices;
- Avocado Cannelloni with Crab & Romesco Sauce €12.6 - mild crab & sour cream filling avocado roll;
- Razor Clams in Escabeche, Saffron Pearls & Soy Sauce Shards (45sec cooked, olive oil caviar, vinegar, paprika, soy crisp) €14.8 - tender clams in a mix of flavours;
- Oysters No.2 with its Pearl & Sea Lettuce Water (smoked sea water, pearl of silver filled with wakame water) €4.6pp - pretty decoration of a pearl. I think I ate this too quickly to appreciate it other than the water was very heavily smoked & brined;
- Oysters No.2 Tepid with Chicken Jus & Truffled Duck Fat (& gold dust) €4.3pp - sounded creative & tasted like a Cantonese cooked oyster with some chicken broth. Good but I can get it elsewhere;
- Steamed Brioche filled with roasted pork & cheese (off menu item) €3.9pp - better than the plain version above simply due to the additional of stronger flavours with pork & cheese;
- Tickets' Tiramisu (with coffee, mascarpone, almond biscuit) €8.4 - stunning deconstruction with a mix of warm & ice cold ingredients, coffee, chocolate & mascarpone. Real winner;
- Warm Lava Cake of "Turron de Jijona" with Raspberry & Thyme Sorbet €9.7 - almond cake filled with nutty caramel with a refreshing sorbet.

The meal was creative and different although I have to admit I wasn't excited by the flavours as much as anticipated. Next time I'd be specific with my menu so hopefully I'd be more satisfied in the end.

Next time I would order definitely Olives, Crostini, Tuna Belly Cone and Tiramisu. I would likely order the Tuna Belly & Sea Urchin, Orange Salad, and Artichokes. But I'd be more interested in the Tapas from the Sea/Land items such as Confit Tuna Belly, Grilled Unilateral Cooking Lobster or "High Level" Sirloin Steak.

London has a well known negative reputation for Asian food (ie. Oriental to the locals). In particular all the Europeans who I've met in Melbourne universally agree London Japanese food is expensive, overpriced, poor quality. Even the recent opening of a Japanese restaurant by a well known Kyoto kaiseki Michelin-star chef hasn't been well received for a variety of reasons. I have had a ramen and udon bar on my list for a few months now, so it seemed appropriate now that winter is coming to try one and hope for the best.

Bone Daddies (odd name for a ramen bar?) is the first ramen place I've considered going to here. Maybe because of good advertising and simply the fact that it is new and hip. Reviews have been mixed so far - the main complaints have been about the T22 chicken ramen. I don't think I've ever had a chicken-based ramen in Japan, so I was happy to avoid that anyway.

Peak times supposedly involve lines, so 2pm on a weekday seemed perfect. The setting is made for all sorts - sharing tables, window seats for singles, small tables for privates. The walls are nicely decorated with Japanese posters.

I tried two typical staples - Fried Chicken and Tonkotsu Ramen.

The Fried Chicken (aka tori kara age) is the same as you'd find in Japan - crispy fried, juicy good quality chicken, no added flavours. Simple, effective, authentic. A touch of lemon helps and chilli on standby if you roll that way.

Tonkotsu Ramen (aka pork broth) is as basic as it gets. Like all great Asian noodle soups, the broth is the most important part, and they have done it well. Simple light pork flavour, some murky fat emulsifying through and just done well. Often Japan places to layer this with salt, soy or miso flavour but this was plain and tasty. I had to specifically ask for 7-spice (shichi-mi) and even the wait staff didn't seem to know what it was, which was strange. Within the broth was some typical Japanese char-siu (not the same as the red and 5-spiced Cantonese if that is what you are expecting), bean shoots, garlic chips, bamboo shoots, spring onion and a perfectly soft-boiled egg. My only suggestion would be to have more broth added to the dish as it runs out pretty quickly after a few initial ladles to taste it on its own.

The prices aren't cheap, but expected for a new place in Soho London. I suppose the only real complaint here is a cup of green tea for £3 - extortionate.

Next time I would order the Tonkotsu Ramen for a safe bet. Chicken broth would be an unusual change just to test it (since 6 dishes are chicken broth based and only one pork) of which the Sweet 3 Miso Ramen appeals to me most. The snacks are all supplementary options but none seem necessary - you are here for the ramen.

2013

As my time in London came to a close, Bone Daddies became the restaurant I most frequently ate at and the one I would unhesitating go back to for any meet. I may have attended 6 times in 2013, of which 4 were during my final month of October. The reason was simple - the tonkotsu ramen was still delicious but the addition of the spicy pig bones was a sensation. Soft pork ribs doused in a thick sweet sauce (honey/sugar, mirin, rice wine, soy is all I could determine from it) are incredible. Keep going back.

A lot has been made of the opening of Duck & Waffle a few months ago. London's first 24-hour restaurant; one of London's very few high rise restaurants/venues; serving London's drinkers with a good range of shared plates including the odd combination of duck and waffles. In many ways it has been likened to the spirit of New York City - high up, late night, poultry and waffles.

The reviews have been mixed - the view is universally applauded, the difficulty of reservations frustrating, the service average and the food variable. Hmm. Nonetheless being located close to my area, open after finishing work late and being hyped up for the above, the 3rd attempt to eat here proved successful - only after booking for 10:30pm on a Monday night a month in advance.

Due to timing, luck and winter coming, the seating area was only half full and the wait staff good enough to honour a request to move tables from the middle of the room to what is probably the best corner with a spectacular view of the gherkin and tower bridge. Not many people have seen London from high up at night (the only other way I know being London Eye) but as a city with landmarks it is definitely worth seeing.

There is no cocktail menu (which I found surprising given the bar is a large part of why people go - no reservations required or taken) and at £10.50 each not the cheapest, but adequate to supplement the view and dinner.

Now on the food. Overall great. Unexpectedly great. 

- Raw Scallop (with Apple, Black Truffle, Lime) - nice and simple, although couldn't taste truffle;
- Raw Yellowfin Tuna (with Watermelon, Balsamic, Basil) - very creative combination of raw tuna, cube of sweet watermelon with tart vinegar and basil;
- Thinly Sliced Pig's Head (with Olive Oil, Amalfi Lemon) - odd slices of a little bit of meat and a lot of cartilage. Strange;
- Herdwick Mutton Slider (with Harissa, Lime Creme Fraiche) - average mini-burger, nothing special;
- Seasonal Vegetable Salad (with Toasted Nuts & Seeds, Ricotta Salata) - the healthy option which used parmesan (not ricotta on this day), pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pepitas, sesame seeds and balsamic over greens and tomato. Very nice complement to the meal;
- Roasted Octopus (with Chorizo, Lemon, Caper) - deliciously succulent and flavoursome octopus tentacles. Chorizo was a nice additional flavour but not required;
- Foie Gras 'All Day Breakfast' - calories-on-a-plate combo of toasted brioche, covered with nutella, bacon, pan-seared delicious foie gras, fried black pudding balls and topped with a quail's egg. Simply unhealthily grand.
- Spicy Ox Cheek Doughnut (with Apricot Jam) - a fried ball encasing some not-so impressive ox cheek;
- Duck & Waffle (Crispy Leg Confit, Fried Duck Egg, Mustard Maple Syrup) - juicy soft duck meat housed in crispy skin, lying sandwhiched between a waffle and a runny yolk duck egg (one was a bit too overcooked). So good we ordered 2. And then a 3rd.

Desserts were also impressive. Given this is a 24-hour venue, I should not have been so surprised.

- Warm Chocolate Brownie (with Peanut Butter Ice-cream, Crunchy Caramel) - the heavy sweet dessert of all the elements you'd expect from the name;
- Cinnamon Pear Cappuccino (with Toast Gingerbread, Pear Caramel) - the dessert dark horse was a special combination of sorbet, pear, gingerbread and a delicious "cappuccino" of pear milk froth in the basin. Fantastic.

I came here for a lovely view, good company and hopeful expectations for food and ended up with a gem of an experience. Not all food hit high notes, but enough dishes to easily warrant coming back and having a more informed selection.

Next time I would order a Duck & Waffle for every 2-3 people, Foie Gras 'All Day Breakfast', Roasted Octopus and Cinnamon Pear Cappuccino. These were all undoubtedly going to be repeat offenders in my stomach. From the November menu, the Roast Beetroot Salad and Whole Roasted Sussex Chicken looks like a good way to supplement the rest. The Crispy Pig's Ears were sold out and something I've liked from other places before.

06-2013

It came as no surprise that at 7am on my birthday after a Ministry of Sound night, the logical decision was to go for food at the 24-hour D&W. Duck & Waffle as a dish is probably a little heavy for that time of the morning with an alcoholic stomach, as was the Smoked Salmon, Poached Eggs and Hash Brown. They still tasted good. I managed to try the Crispy Pig's Ears too which were an unusual snack of heavily smoked thin twigs of super crispness. I'm not sure whether I liked these or not, but they are a snack that complements drinks well.

09-2013

Another two visits for some views and cocktails. The bar staff are excellent at making fruity cocktails tailored to your preference. Became one of the *it* places for me to take guests to enjoy a new quintessential London experience.

Dishoom has been long on my London breakfast list. I'd been particularly slack with this as most times I have mornings off, I much prefer lying in bed and blessing that I'm not required to get up. However on this occasion shopping around Covent Garden loomed and thus nearby Dishoom seemed like its time had come. The cafe has an elegant seating area upstairs with dedications to (assumably Indian) actors. The open kitchen behind includes a fire grill and tandoor from which meat scents entice you.

Unfortunately (or not?) I arrived too late to sample the much anticipated breakfast naan, but at least the House Chai was still flowing. Delicious, thin, milky with nice ginger richness. This is the first chai I've had in an Indian cafe and sets the standard very high. It is also only the second acceptable chai I've had in London (after Bea's of Bloomsbury near St. Paul's Cathedral)

After careful perusal of the menu I selected the Chicken & Pomegranate Salad (juicy jumble of pulled Murgh Malai spiced chicken thighs, Dishoom Slaw, pomegranate, mint & coriander) and a waitress-recommended Dishoom Chicken Tikka Roll (rosy warm chicken, lavish salad & tomato chilli jam).

Firstly to the Salad - absolutely spectacular. One of the best dishes I've eaten this year, with a playful collection of sweet, sour, mint flavours and soft, crunchy textures. The only equivalent salad I've ever eaten would be Hellenic Republic's Cypriot Grain Salad (in Melbourne) or an exceptional Vietnamese goi.

The Tikka Roll was a contrasting warm roti roll encasing tandoor-cooked chicken and crisp salad. Tomato chilli jam added additional kick and flavour, and I felt the roll worked even better with the Mint & Coriander sauce provided separately at the start.

I left a happy boy.

Next time I would order the Chicken & Pomegranate Salad at any time of day or night. There are many combinations of meats, roti and naan that I'm sure will taste fantastic. I will be back for breakfast and also for dinner.

2013

In late 2012, Dishoom opened a second branch in the hip happening region of Shoreditch. Unlike the Covent Garden branch, this seemed a much cooler venue with an open drinking area at the front behind some metal gates, an excellent bar which served as the table waiting area, and two main areas for dining including long tables, couple tables and retro booths.

I had the pleasure of finally making it for breakfast on a couple of occasions, most notably after Hawthorn won the 2013 Grand Final.

- House Granola (oats, seeds, cashews, almonds, pistachios, and much cinnamon, toasted in butter and honey. Served with fresh fruits and creamy yoghurt infused with Keralan vanilla pods) - healthy and delicious;
- Infamous Bacon Naan Roll (baked naan wrapped around char-striped back bacon direct from the grill, with a most palatable combination of chilli tomato jam, cream cheese and herbs) - a simple tasty combination of flavours, although I felt the dish was a bit flat (physically) and although nice wasn't worth hyping over;
- Bollybellini (raspberries, lychees, rose and cardamom sparkling with first-class Prosecco).

I was also lucky enough to have a 3 nights of dinner and drinks during the year and try a large collection of dishes.

- Spicy Lamb Chops (marinade of lime juice & jaggery, warm dark spices, ginger & garlic. Charred outside, pink inside) - these are impeccably cooked and wonderfully tasty. A lighter flavour than the Tayyabs/Needoo chops, but much better quality meat and cooking;
- Murgh Malai (chicken thigh meat is steeped overnight in garlic, ginger, coriander stems and a little cream. Still slightly pink when cooked);
- Kacchi Lamb Biryani (marinated lamb and rice cooked together in the traditional Hyderabadi style);
- Chaijito (smoky rum and Dishoom sweet-spice chai syrup muddled with fresh mint, coriander, ginger & lime).

All the food and drinks are great. The atmosphere is great. The location is great. Just go there.

Obviously eating well incorporates some of the simplest food pleasures, just done extremely well. After reading through the London burger blogs, I came up with the list of ones to get around during the year (consisting of MEATliquor, Honest Burgers, Lucky Chip, and also potentially Hawksmoor and Opera Tavern although these last two probably serve better other courses than burgers).

In any case MEATliquor was very close to a shopping trip at Bond Street and so seemed only natural.

On a Friday evening at 8pm the wait outside along the side of the building was similar to waiting for nightclub entry. You could peer insideto reveal an enchanted atmosphere of smiles, drinks and social people. This is certainly not somewhere to go alone in the evening.

Each few minutes of the 30-40min wait we inched closer to the entrance until burger aroma wafted over us. The wait outside led to a short wait at the bar before being seated. Enjoy the ceilings as it nominated one of the best decorated food places in London for 2011.

We ravenously ordered a fat-filled meal of Green Chili Cheeseburger, original MEATwagon Cheeseburger, Dead Hippie burger, Chili Dog, Chili Cheese Fries and Onion Rings. This was sealed with a Crack Pie with Ice Cream.

My Green Chili Cheeseburger was sensational - a thick rare patty of unadultered beef flavour, layered with green chili, cheese, pickles and sauce. The bun was soft, greasy and rich. Not a healthy burger, just full of tasy sin. My friends attested their burgers were equally sensational (equivalent to their experiences at Lucky Chip and the hidden burger joint in NYC).

Chili Dog wasn't all that great. The frankfurt tasted quite ordinary and similar to the cheap boiled kinds, although it was the toppings of chili, cheese, jalapenos and mustard were the main reason to enjoy it. Similarly the fries weren't particularly crispy but the toppings (same as the Chili Dog) are what it's all about. Onion rings were large chunks wrapped in crispy coatings - nothing special but a more simpler flavour to contrast the richness of everything else. Dessert was a simple effective way to wash down the meat, cheese and fat flavours.

Next time I would order any of the beef burgers. The Deep Fried Pickles also caught my eye and are apparently very noteworthy also. I'm sure the pork and chicken options would be good too, but if I only had one opportunity here the beef is definitely the go.

12-2012

The opening of the first offshoot called MEATmarket in Covent Garden was an excellent choice. A great central location in a different part of town, a place that didn't require queuing ridiculously and accepted takeaway, and some of the greatest hits from the MEATliquor menu to keep your stomach happy. It doesn't have the same atmosphere as the original place, but this is about a more relaxed atmosphere with the same great food.

The magic was the Ripper Hot Dog (although I thought it was a different name when I had it). A deep-fried bacon wrapped pork frank topped with mustard, onions, danish sauce and spicy relish. Easily the best hot dog I've had in my life (I haven't had *that* admittedly) but with such an explosion of delicious flavour I couldn't deny lusting. Unfortunately it wasn't on the menu the several times in 2013 I went back to find it. Not to worry - the burgers are still great.

10-2013

Headed back to the original MEATliquor for some lunchtime burgers in the quiet empty venue. The Green Chili Cheeseburger and Chili Fries still get my attention every time. What is new (and possibly not so great) is the intense smell of burger/meat in the air resulting from probably a lack of ventilation. Leaving the place was akin to the adherent odour from Tayyabs - not so nice. It's a shame.

They've also opened MEATmission in Hoxton, which I never was able to try. The Burger Sundae looks like a dream.

The Triple Chili Challenge is also something to keep in mind next time I venture that way...