Eat Like Ushi

After walking through and exploring the township and park of Oviedo, it was time for food. I didn't have many recommendations for the area other than sidrerias. A few places seemed a little too touristy or multi-multi-language menus but eventually this place had some good elements - a very small outside dining area to enjoy the sunshine, a nice cheap menu del dia, and very pleasant waitresses.

My second tasting of fabada Asturiana was arguably better than the night before in the sidreria. It was also warm, hearty and delicious but the broth had a stronger cured pork flavour. Also there was a little more meat on the pork this time, whereas often it is pure fat. The Asturian chorizo and morcilla were soft and delicate.

The main of ternera guisado con patatinos was a reasonably tender beef stew, although a bit too heavy handed on the salt.

Finally the postre was a creamy yoghurt with strawberries and a nut crumble.

All this with wine, fizzy water for the wine, still water and bread too? A great price of €15 (including €3 extra for the beauty of being outside).

The first evening in Oviedo started at midnight. It's a good thing that's an acceptable dinner time in Spain and so several sidrerias along Calle Gascona were still open and serving.

We entered one at random that looked reasonable (to be honest they are all probably similar in the area) serving a variety of local dishes and seafoods and meats.

The first hit of cider poured by the waiter from a moderate height was quite tart and acidic. But it smoothed out after a few more. It was an interesting introduction to Asturian cider and the ritual.

My first taste of fabada Asturiana was a good one too. A large pot filled with beans, some smooth, soft chorizo and morcilla, a bit of fatty pork, all encased in a warming hearty salty stew. The excellent bread was perfect for mopping it up.

It isn't the healthiest dish (no vegetables), but it's good.

Ever since David Thompson let Nahm slip away in 2012 (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/nahm-london-07-2012) in order to make a better version in Bangkok, London has been seriously lacking a decent modern Thai restaurant. I do like the nearby Rosa's although I'd call that more classic than modern. Melbourne especially has exploded modern South-East Asian with Rice Papr Scrs (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/rice-papr-scrs-melbourne-11-2014) being the first to top Tripadvisor. And moving up the scales, there is the ridiculously popular Chin Chin (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/chin-chin-melbourne-05-2016) and the fine dining of Ezard (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/ezard-melbourne-10-2012).

However my favourite restaurant of all time still remains the magnificent Longrain (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/longrain-melbourne-10-2012, http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/longrain-melbourne-01-2017) and I still think I'll be forever chasing a place to match the intense flavours that Martin Boetz uses.

Could London finally be catching up with the extremely highly rated Som Saa? The flavours here definitely reminded me of David Thompson's restaurant and what I've made from Thai Food/Thai Street Food previously.

After not being able to wait long enough last time, coming in solo on a Wednesday evening was a smart move. I sat at the bar and was entertained by the lovely bartender Marta. I also met a nice dude from OC named Nick who was also dining solo at the bar next to me. 

Dragon's Milk cocktail (sticky rice rum, tamarind, px sherry, coconut, condensed milk, salt, sesame) £9 was a lovely sweet, milky concoction that flowed down very easily. I've never heard of sticky rice rum before. It was only a little drink so would have preferred a taller glass to enjoy it more.

The food menu was difficult to pick from. Usually my gauge for places like this is either something with a palm sugar/chilli sauce, or a red curry to see how intense it is. Som Saa didn't have either of those (although the Pitt Cue red curry pork sausage would be the closest and I do like Pitt...) but 3 other dishes stood out clearly to me. A very friendly waitress (sounded like from NZ) suggested the curry and salad choice, and said would get me a complimentary taster of the third with a smile. So impressed.

- Stirfried Welsh mutton with snake beans, chillies, cumin leaf, holy basil - this was actually a half-serve rather than a taster. The mutton and cumin give the dish a deep earthiness, with a small amount of chilli heat. I associate this kind of flavour more with Muslim cooking and Northern China/Uyghur/Xinjiang usually rather than with Thai but was pleasantly surprised to see it on the menu (it isn't on the online menu currently);
- Crispy fermented fish salad with longans & orange chilli dressing £10 - the other salads were also appealing but green papaya salad has been pretty standard for me recently (admittedly moreso the Vietnamese version). The last time I had a Thai version included the tiny crabs which I spent all meal spitting out in between gasping for water due to chilli. This salad was more exciting sounding and turned out to be a very well balanced collection of papaya strands, coriander, lime and crisp fried fish. The sauce had good balance of fish sauce and sourness and a little chilli;
- Aromatic yellow curry of salted goat with potatoes, Thai shallots, cucumber "ajut" £15 - my most desired dish was a heavy, thick, grounded, coconut milk curry with tender goat meat. It had beautiful flavour and texture. A cucumber chilli relish added more sweetness and vinegar to the curry, although I'm not sure if I enjoyed it more before adding it to the mix. Regardless the dish was great;
- Sticky rice £3 - served in a plastic packet in a little bamboo container. Stylish and means it all comes out in a nicely formed ball. £3 is quite a lot for rice for 1 person, but they kindly gave me some to takeaway with my leftover curry. Maybe coconut rice may be on the menu next time...

Marta also gave us a small shot glass of Muay Thai Kick (Thai basil infused gin, Thai basil, kaffir lime leaf, basil seeds, lime) which was an excellent mild flavoured G&T with the strong Thai basil herb taste and some basil seed texture. Really great choice for next time.

The flavours here equal the chills I've had from Needoo's dry meat curry, Hopper's duck heart chukka and Dishoom's chicken pomegranate salad. Maybe not as much as Longrain's crispy fried pork hock in chilli caramel, but that is a salty sweet flavour explosion unrivalled by anything else. Nonetheless the combination of food and friendliness of the staff are simply the best I've had in London and possibly anywhere in the world.

I'll definitely be back for all of the dishes again, particularly the fish salad and goat curry. The soy braised beef cheek with chilli vinegar will certainly be tested someday, so will the Pitt Cue smoked red curry sausage and the dtom klong gung (or maybe they might do tom kai gung if I ask...)

After sampling cheap pre-made student lunch tapas at the downstairs whitewashed haven of Bambu, I wanted to see what else Salamancan tapas had to offer. I managed to go twice to Cuzco, which is so close to the centre but far enough away that I was the only non-Spanish person in there. It's crowded at the counter but the serving staff do an excellent job of noticing everyone and taking food and drink orders.

The first night I sampled 3 delights for the tiny price of €7.70 (which can be almost considered expensive in Salamanca):
- Mini Hamburguesa de Morucha €1.9 - the cheapest turned out to be the best. My first taste of the local Morucha beef was an exceptional one with a medium rare succulent patty, as good as it could be for a patty that thickness;
- Solomillo de Cerdo con Salsa de Setas €3.5 - this was a fine slice of pork tenderloin, soft juicy and tender served with a mushroom sauce;
- Hamburguesita de Morcilla con Cebolla Caramelizada €2.3 - I adore morcilla and black pudding and this was a decent version although not the strongest in flavour. Nonetheless devoured happily.

I went back a week later and didn't take photos but tried an excellent special of grilled octopus and also what seemed to be their most popular dish in Tosta de Jamon con Foie y Cebolla Caramelizada.

A wonderful and more local feel to a tapas venue in Salamanca.

I'm not sure how long this place has occupied this space in Shoreditch. Online suggests 2015. I was used to it housing the branch of Yalla Yalla that I enjoyed during its short inception in 2013 (http://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/yalla-yalla-london-02-2013-03-2013-05-2013-10-2013). However now this little haven has a foosball table, actual seating tables rather than the short stools of old, and the food has been replaced by a pizza place, a mexican place and a relatively quiet burger stand. I suppose the good news is that where the portaloo with alcohol handrub used to be is now an outdoor seating area to accommodate the smokers.

I actually wanted Dishoom but a 45min wait just for 1 seat wasn't going to cut it. I planned to look at the food vans I've seen in the petrol station looking lot down the road but they were closed on Sunday. So I ended up here, finally trapped by the idea of 60 second sourdough pizza.

Franco Manca still remains one of my favourite pizza places of all time, all over the world. His cookbook taught me how to make pizza at home. How would this place compare?

I enjoy anchovies immensely but the dude recommended the mushroom pizza as being good. So be it. There's a very nice chewy fluffed base with reasonable seasoning to it. And the taste of the sauce and ingredients is good too. What I didn't like was how the outer half of the pizza (so more than half in area terms) had no toppings. And when you pick up a slice, the centre caves and all the ingredients slide off. It may be more fun to eat like that picking up ingredients with your fingers but it isn't better. I suppose I wouldn't mind so much so I didn't have to move ingredients toward the pizza crust to spare it out more.

I'd still be willing to go try the anchovy one and the Mexican stand there, but it's not an essential eat. I'd prefer finding Franco again.

Hailing from Melbourne, cafe culture is something I am used to. Particularly at a certain standard that nowhere else has been able yet to compete (Canberra was extraordinarily close thanks to Local Press and Cupping Room though). Even though London is trying to be more Melbourne-esque in terms of coffee and cafes, there's still a way to go.

I ventured over to the expensive heart of the west in Notting Hill for a Sunday brunch. Pomona's is actually delightfully decorated and very colourful internally. There's a small outdoor area which at 1030am was lucky to be shaded from the rare sun.

The juices weren't the most exciting on the list and the Chia Fix (chia seeds, coconut yoghurt, fresh pineapple) £6 was essentially all pineapple flavour with a little thickness from yoghurt and bits of seed texture. It didn't have the luscious gelatin ball feel I was expecting from some plump chia. For the price too it was quite disappointing.

I initially wanted the Buttermilk Chicken & Waffle (with Duck & Waffle coming to mind) but they were sold out. The other breakfast items didn't really sound all too interesting to me. Luckily the specials menu was pointed out and I ended up with an excellent plate of delicious crisp chilaquites rojos, soft decadent pulled pork, a runny fried egg and salsa verde £15. I also liked the sound of the jalapeño hash brown from another special and managed to score that as a side for £4, but it wasn't very exciting and didn't have enough seasoning.

It was an expensive brunch at £25 although I would have been just as happy with the chilaquites alone. Maybe the Express Kale smoothie next time if I really feel inclined.

London reached 25C. That's incredibly hot and on a Sunday the swarms of people made it feel even hotter. The only solution was to get out of Oxford Circus and naturally find something refreshing enroute.

I found this place from a Google Maps search. It feels like a rockstar juice place with the loud music and the cool kids sitting around sipping their drinks. I learnt long ago that juice needs to be pretty exceptional to excite me (usually requiring some form of gin or tequila) however I am partial to a good smoothie.

A particularly nice and unhealthy sounding one was the Avo Shake (avocado, banana and vanilla milk - unsure what actual milk base they use for this). It isn't cheap at £5.25 for a large but it is cheaper than some of the others. At least it was good and satisfying with the fat content providing a partial meal. The pale green had mild forms of all the elements including the occasional chunk of avocado, banana or ice. I would prefer a stronger avocado taste or the added extra of pistachio or another nut but that's because I'm particular and have dreams others don't.

It's a price for a special occasion and as European summer approaches, I can afford a few of those. The very similar Re-Build or the Breakfast Club are more expensive options for next time.

Even though my WSM 22.5" is still waiting to be used after 4 years, I am lucky enough to still have the opportunity to indulge in smoked delights. Last year it was Meatmaiden and now I have the full London arsenal at my disposal. With the recent sad demise in my opinion of Pitt Cue Co, I've been looking elsewhere.

Smokestak is a very industrial corner with mood lighting inside or views of the Shoreditch Street outside. Since I was alone, I was treated to the best seat in the house - sitting at the corner of the bar right next to the service counter watching the man himself and his minions continuously cutting, grilling and plating up dish after dish. These people really do work hard.

Smoke £8.5 cocktail had a strong discernible tequila, a touch of smoke, a burnt slice of lime and very weak ginger (more like unfizzy lemonade). I was a good drink and something I needed after the day of work.

- Crispy ox cheek £4.5 - excellent fried croquettes filled with soft, shredded cheek and served with a (?aubergine) sauce. Delicious;
- Pigtails £4.5 - a collection shiny fried pieces of crispy skin, fat and a little meat around a centred bone served with an Asian soy-sugar inspired sauce (reminiscent of the pig bones at Bone Daddies);
- Brisket bun, pickled red chilli £5.0 for small - this place was reputed for brisket and I thought having a bit of carbohydrate wasn't a bad idea. Short slices and little pieces of tender brisket were drizzled with vinegar and chilli (with non-existent heat). The brisket itself was very minimally seasoned, with just a mild flavour of beef and the soft meat texture being noticeable. It was a nice showcase for the brisket;
- Charred greens, tahini, pomegranate £4.5 - greens served with tahini (couldn't really tell much sesame) and black sauce (oyster sauce I think) with some pomegranate and a huge amount of peanuts.

I can't say it was my favourite smokehouse meal of all time, but I did enjoy the ox cheek, the taste of the pigtails and the brisket bun. Next time I'd be more keen to have the incredible looking thick slices of pork rib. The wild mushroom with beef dripping toast also looked good, although I suppose you don't need to go to a smokehouse for that.

The main guy at the pass was pleasant and must have taken pity in my being the only solo diner there by saying hi at the end of the meal. What a nice dude. I'll be back.

One of the most exciting food items on the Salamanca radar is hornazo. It is advertised in the shop windows of many places including bakeries, cake stores and jamonerias.

I was lucky enough to sample a few different places during my two weeks. It is a pastry crust filled with pork loin (lomo), chorizo and jamon. Apparently some also have hard boiled eggs, but none that I saw. One other thing that is quite quaint to me is that these are eaten cold. They will heat these up upon request, but they told me that isn't standard.

Santa Lucia
These were the first I tried from Plaza Mayor. I decided to get a whole single one rather than a piece of the big shared version. Whether it was because of that or just the way they make it there, it was filled with very little meat and lots of pastry. I had it mildly warmed and although ok, wasn't that exciting. It was also a little more expensive at €3.7.

Viandes de Salamanca
This was the only one I tried from a specialty jamon store. It was the most expensive at €4 or €4.5. You can see the meat busting out of this one. I ordered it takeaway and heated it up myself in the microwave at home. It was nicer with a thick slice of lomo and salami. Not bad at all.

La Tahona de la Abuela
When researching online, Abuela's hornazo was the one that I had listed. And even though they are a bakery, cakeshop and heladeria, hornazo was the only item I had written to try. I'm not sure what stopped me from getting it before the other two, but for some reason I didn't. Maybe it was the helado brightness and a not very overwhelming multicereal bread roll I got from them. Eventually I got hornazo from the Rua Mayor location (not the ones in or just east of Plaza Mayor) and so thankful I did. The lady offered to heat it up so I expect she knows foreigners prefer it this way. The pastry was soft and a little crumbly, albeit not the same a good pie pastry. But the filling was an equal fill of lomo, salchichon (I think it was this, not chorizo) and a bit of jamon. It was the best of the lot and I had it twice from there. It was also the cheapest at €3.5.

La Tahona de la Abuela's hornazo from Rua Mayor was the best of the lot I tried. Look for the cut slices from the full one so at least you can see what the filling proportions are like. And I definitely prefer it warm, which means many jamon places wouldn't be able to do it.

After staying in Salamanca for 2 weeks, I had the opportunity to try many of the gelato places. Essentially each day where the sun warmed up the afternoon in Plaza Mayor, I would enjoy my helado as the sun started to set around 6pm.

Umami
I came across this on my first afternoon in delightful sunshine along the busy Rua Mayor. It turned out to be the best of the lot, with its Italian artesenal heritage and authentic steel tins keeping the goods safe. The pistachio was strong and not overly sweet, the coconut was a bit too mild, and the unpictured avellano had a potent beautiful hazelnut flavour.

Valencia
That first day I saw people queuing at Valencia around the corner from Umami. It looked like a fairy place for children. I tried their chocolate which was a little darker than standard (which I definitely prefer) but the pistachio wasn't as good even though it had little nut bits which I do like generally.

Santa Lucia
I saw the helado here but didn't end up having it. I got a hornazo that day instead. A friend tried the kitkat flavour on a later day and thought it tasted like standard chocolate.

Novelty
I was recommended this place by the profesora at my escuela as her favourite. I must say the huge mounds visible from Plaza Mayor definitely mean it would not have been my choice if it wasn't for her recommendation. I must say it wasn't bad at all, with the chocolate not too sweet and the avellano quite strong. I did get a small rather than medium for the other places, but the serving size was significantly smaller.

Overall Umami was my favourite. I'd be happy to go back for the pistachio and avellano/hazelnut. I'd have to remind myself to get a small though as I struggle to finish medium by myself.