Eat Like Ushi

A friend who ours (Cantonese who likes expensive Chinese food) now living in New York gave us a few options to meet over dinner. Her favourite was Uluh, although she had been there the night before already. Considering she told us she goes there 1-2x per week anyway, she was quite happy to go again (and they certainly recognise her) and it definitely had the most interesting menu of the places recommended.

I remember Chinese food up until about 12 years ago was basically Cantonese - it was only when I discovered Hunanese and Sichuan did I realise there is so much more (and better in my opinion) Chinese regional cuisine out there. Sichuan has been my favourite since then and I'm always happy to try a new place for this especially one with some more modern touches. Actually our waiter said the menu was very traditional, although I would have to say it is definitely different to the standard menus, nicer ingredient options, and prices to match (even for NYC).

A drink of cold Uluh soymilk with red bean and mochi USD12 was a nice sweet starter to the hot, humid NYC weather. The mochi was very gooey. Definitely not a traditional start.

- Woodear mushroom salad USD10;
- Lobster with salty egg yolk USD46 - I really like salty egg yolk coatings but most often find them on prawns or tofu. This fancy lobster version stood out and definitely needing to try once in my life. The coating was crisp and mildly salty and not enough to overpower the lobster flavour (maybe that's why the prawn versions seem more flavoursome in the coat?), the lobster meat was good although maybe a touch on the chewy side. Still nice;
- Mapo duck blood tofu USD20 - I was a little hesistant to order this, not so much for myself but for my fellow 2 diners who didn't seem sold on it. It's my partner's favourite Chinese dish (minus duck blood) and so wanted to see how they did it. I am so glad I did, because this remarkable dish had silken tofu that was texturally similar to the silken blood cubes (discernible by colour obviously and a more earthy flavour) in a spicy oily coat topped with spring onion and angel hair chillies. Simply the best version I've ever had and one of my favourite dishes ever eaten;
- Vegetarian dry pot USD26 - a simple dish ordered for more vegetables. This was an outstanding dish with perfectly balanced flavours of spice, numbing and savoury. The textures of soft fungus, chewy tofu skin and crunchy lotus was a wonder;
- Stirfried okra in XO sauce USD18 - more tastiness in a more savoury and chewy sauce. Excellent once again;
- Mango juice sago pomelo with mochi USD12 - a sweet ending to wash down the salt and flavour.

It ended up being way too much food for 3. I suppose I expected smaller serves because of the more upmarket menu. Also the strong heavy flavour means you eat less overall anyway. Looking at their online menu now I can see all prices have gone up by about $2 (or in the case of the lobster $12!!).

It is simply one of the best Chinese meals I've had. I wish we had a fridge/microwave so I could have taken the leftovers home myself. I would come back for that mapo duck blood tofu alone though. Until (if there is a) next time...

Once settled into our (near) airport hotel, it was time for the final meal in Jordan. I really wanted to go somewhere for traditional dishes like mansaf (https://eatlikeushi.posthaven.com/rainbow-restaurant-wadi-musa-06-2021) but really just couldn't find anywhere online during my search. I suppose we could've gone into Amman proper, but I suppose a bit of laziness and also many reports of driving there being hectic (I wasn't too worried, probably just the lazy part mainly) kept us more local. A restaurant online (Arabic name only) showed pictures of beautiful pieces of chicken sitting on top of a massive amount of rice and that inspired me. Unfortunately the restaurant was closed (or absent - I can't remember which) despite walking up and down the street a few times.

This neon green building nearby seemed popular and lots of tables of young men were there. I wonder if they were workers finishing late or not. It did seem like the sort of place that taxi drivers would go and eat cheap and merry.

 The Turkish Restaurant is what it was called (although didn't know that from the outside). Google maps has over 1400 reviews so it must be alright. It felt as though tourists may not commonly be seen there, I guess with an Arabic only name online wouldn't help that. But they had a simple English menu so there must be some at least.

Half-Turkish chicken JD2.25, mashawi (kebab, meat) JD2.35 and lentil soup JD0.55 came. It was served with this paper thin bread that had been lightly touched with a red (not too chilli) oil. I also saw every other table get a plate of redness so I wanted one too. It was diced tomato and onion topped with I think I remember a mild chilli or harissa (or maybe it was tomato paste...).

Cheap, tasty and local (even if it is Turkish rather than Jordanian).

The cafe in a wall sits near a bunch of shops and locals (I assume) were about their day wondering why were there - maybe a combination of summer, Covid and the less central part of Aqaba.

The menu at this place is completely in Arabic. Unfortunately the owner (I assume) who was the falafel maker didn't speak English either. There was a man sitting at the door who helpfully translated for us. I thought he might have been an employee or cashier, but in the end realised he was a regular customer just helping us and the shop out.

I suppose being in a falafel place means you know what you're going to order anyway.

Bread, fol, falafel which were lightly crisp with a strong chickpea flavour, hummus, tahini salad. Everything had a lot of oil (hoping it was EVOO). A tasty meal washed down by their homemade ultra fermented ayran. And the price was JD4.

I can't say it was the best falafel I've ever had (probably at this point it's between this mysterious one I remember in Amman in 2009 although no idea where it was now, London's pilpel or my most recent local discovery Tahini in Fitzroy was phenomenal) but it was a good one and a great overall meal.

After a hard afternoon of snorkelling against the strong Japanese Garden current (worth it though), we freshened up at the accommodation. Given the real limit of food places here, a trip to Aqaba and to watch the sunset was on the cards.

Aqaba traffic was so busy compared to what we were used to (ok, not that bad, but the main roundabouts are a pretty mess). We wanted to go to the beach promenade to see the sunset but there is nowhere to there. Every bit of strip is occupied by restaurants and their tents, only allowing guests to sit. It really makes it quite unpleasant for the casual stroller. It didn't take long to leave that area and head to my choice of restaurant (using Google for inspiration).

Although others have reported difficulty getting a table, the quieter summer meant we had an immediate table outside near the sidewalk. Large outdoor airconditioning units (what's the point really?) hummed away in the background without any real noticeable cooling. And that menu with those prices - I wanted to try it all...

- Hommus with meat (topped with ground beef & almond) JD2.85 - deeply savoury hummus with almonds crunch and tasty mince beef;
- Tabulle salad (chopped parsley, tomatoes, bulgur wheat mixed with olive oil & lemon) JD1.85 - well balanced tangy tabbouleh;
- Tahini salad (chopped parsley with cucumber, tomato & tahini sauce) JD1.65 - decent;
- Lamb with vegetables (well spiced lamb with garlic, onion, carrots, oven baked) JD5.50 - tender lamb pieces and baked potato and vegetables in a salty meaty sauce, with some tangy sweet tomatoes for contrast;
- Fresh orange juice JD1.75.

I could have (given an extra stomach) gone for mutabal, eggs with mix cheese, and araayes.

Next time... (altough a third time in Aqaba this lifetime seems unlikely. Then again I probably thought a second time was too).

After the amazing Red Sea experience in Egypt, we weren't intending to go see the Jordan side of it as we thought it might just be too much time to drive down and then back up toward Amman/the airport. However during the enduringly hot afternoon in Wadi Rum spent indoors keeping cool and reading about it, we decided one last bucketlist swim and snorkel (hopefully won't be the last regardless) was worth the trip. Although not in Aqaba itself, the South Beach area is known for the best snorkelling in the area, particularly the Japanese Garden.

Our accommodation nearby was one of a few located directly across the road which triple as accommodations/resorts, dining facilities and dive centres.

We ate a nicely grilled fish with local savoury spices and crisp crinkle chips, and a local dish (can't remember the name now) of tomatoand  chicken mix with bread which was decent. It did take a while to cook, but probably because an American family with a very large number of children with large appetites were there just before us. In any case it gave us fuel to spend the next few hours on the beach, snorkelling against the relatively strong current, seeing the miracles of life there. Afterwards a quick dip in the pool to refresh was a nice touch.

Petra Moon hotel was the closest hotel to the entrance to Petra other than Movenpick (which was much too expensive for us). It was a very nice room at an affordable price, and had a lovely rooftop complete with a pool to escape the nearly 40C afternoon temperatures we were experiencing. The other side of the rooftop overlooked Wadi Musa and the sunset and meant for a pleasant dinner setting.

The hotel had set menu dinners on offer, essentially paying for a large amount of shared salad and then a main. The hamour white fish (Googled to mean grouper) was so delicate and soft. The mixed platter contained a lamb chop, lamb kebab, chicken kebab, and kofte. All of the meats were good with probably the kebabs being the best. The grill plate was partnered with parsley salad, grilled zucchini, tomato, hot chilli, peppers, blanket bread, and baked potato. Salad was fresh with mild cheese, and also was served some very bitter leaves which were a strong acquired taste.

Breakfast was quite expensive for the quality given - the dips were ok, antipasto a bit weak and the breads not fresh (which should be the easiest thing to get right). Fine for the very early start before Petra but not worth paying for going forward.

That evening two of us shared one dinner menu and it was enough food for 2.

An excellent hotel, setting, facility and dinner. Next time I'd probably stay a little closer to the main part of town for better/closer dining options but this would be a fine option to go back to also.

After several weeks in Egypt I was still yet to find a place that made kunafa freshly. After ordering food at Rainbow Restaurant, I went for a walk across the road to the general store just to see what they sold (yes, it's what I enjoy). Turning back across the road I noticed a little bakery/sweet shop just a few shops down from Rainbow.

I saw the round metal tins on a table outside and I knew I had finally found it.

After our meal we sat at the sole table outside and had our dish made fresh to order. It was a nice sweet version, crisp on the shell, although not as cheesy as I was expecting. Still the only one I found and the it hit the spot.

This little outlet isn't on Google Maps (another one seems to be) but just around the right hand corner from Rainbow Restaurant.

Staying down toward the Petra end meant it needed a drive (and a really detoured one also considering the main road was closed off for works) and finding street parking which was lucky to be in a quiet season. I actually wanted to primarily try Bahia Rooftop to see the sunset from high up, but it was closed. Rainbow was the second choice and only 1 minute walk away. I did mentally note that the restaurant directly across the roundabout Beit Al-Barakah was really busy - maybe a sign to try it next time.

But Rainbow was a little hole on the roundabout with a bit of outdoor seating to see the sunset down the descending road and get a bit of street atmosphere.

They seem to be best known for the kebabs and shawarma. But the reason I chose here was because they had local dishes that I wanted. I recall eating mansaf at a restaurant in Amman back in 2009, and it was the best food I had in Jordan maybe also because it wasn't part of the tour group restaurants.

- Jordanian mansaf (lamb cooked in yogurt served with rice, local bread & nuts) - reasonably tender lamb in a rich creamy yoghurt served with additional slightly tangy sauce to drizzle over and soak into the rice. Delicious;
- Mandi (chicken & rice with special blend of spices & vegetables cooked in a pit underground) 7JD - grilled chicken with mildly seasoned but nicely coloured rice.

Both meals were topped with a very thin paper bread. If I was cynical, I'd say that after ordering the young waiter went out down a lane and brought some takeaway boxes back. Just being cynical. At least the food was authentic and delicious and I would definitely go back.

There is also a fresh kunafa place just around the corner called Sanabel for a fresh dessert.

I spent a LOT of time figuring out where to stay in Hurghada to maximise diving and snorkelling. Diving centres are mainly located in town, and snorkelling off the beach is best much further south in Makadi Bay. Fort Arabesque seemed to popup as the place most commonly mentioned for great local snorkelling but there were comments about it being old and staying next door at Sunrise Royal Makadi being a better option for food and just wading/swimming over for the better reef.

In the end I decided upon FA, only really because we were only staying for 2 nights (meaning the food options albeit limited would be adequate) and convenience to the reef for the best possible snorkelling was really what I wanted.

The location is incredible for the snorkeling - it is simply amazing with schools of tropical fish and colourful coral. This is the real reason to stay here and makes up for the negatives. Beach BBQ dinner is vastly better than the buffet, but needs to be reserved (they don't tell you this in advance). It comes with a series of salads and sides and you choose from a grilled main such as fish or mixed meats. All were nicely prepared and tasty.

Club 159 live singing each night is really lovely and turns into a little dance too. Drinks at Club 159 from the standard included cocktail menu are made much better than those from the beach bars. Air conditioning in rooms works well. They also have a PCR service at the hotel (didn't use it as didn't know, they need 72h notice). Not sure how much they charge.