Melbourne, Australia

When I first moved to Australia, the three adjectives I heard most associated with this city were cosmopolitan, cultural and "livable". After being in Sydney for 3 months, I decided to find out what all the fuss was about and booked a weekend trip to Melbourne.


Determined to show me how culinarily superior Melbourne was to Sydney, my friend, Matt, took me to a delightful cafe called Dead man espresso in South Melbourne. I started with a delicious "flat white", which is steamed milk with a shot of espresso. The french toast here was unlike any other I had tasted: Ciabatta French toast with dried fruit compote, poached pear and crème fraiche. Over breakfast, Matt was telling me about the third-wave coffee movement that was becoming hugely popular in Melbourne, which aims to produce high-quality coffee that is considered an artisanal foodstuff (like wine) rather than a commodity. So, I decided to get a cup of the pour-over coffee made from unblended Brazilian beans. I was very impressed with its smoothness and sweet currant flavour.

After a tram ride to the Melbourne Cricket Club and a tour of the Central Business District (CBD), it was time for lunch: High Tea and Chocolate Indulgence at Aria. Leaf tea was served with delicious English favourites such as cucumber finger sandwiches and scones with chantilly cream & preserve, on a traditional three tiered silver stand. The Chocolate Bar, which was also included with the tea, had some exotic chocolate creations from Yucatan, Costa Rica and Madagascar as well as fine chocolate houses like Lindt, Callebaut and Haigh’s.

In the evening, we met up with some friends for drinks at Roof Top bar in the CBD. This place has some great downtown views and serves up some mean cocktails. Dinner was at Portello Rosso, a Tapas and Jamon bar on Warburton lane, and it was an absolute feast. We had red peppers with goat cheese, delicious little Croquettes, lentils, chorizo, mackerel and Paella to share. For dessert, we all split a plate of Churro with chocolate and warm, Spiced chocolate pudding.

There's no shortage of chocolate & cake shops like Cacao is St Kilda and Koko Black at the Royal Arcade. I now understand what's so great about Melbourne. With its trams, bustling downtown, pubs, bars and cafes, it's a little slice of Europe with an Australian twist.

Beijing, China (Part II)

By day 4 in Beijing, I considered slowing down the pace. So, my breakfasts were very light consisting mainly of Congee (a healthy rice porridge) and tea. Lunch was usually ice creams and fresh fruits, providing some relief from the sweltering heat and sun. Dinner, however, was the one meal where I splurged.

Our friends, Ran Xiao & Gretta, invited us for dinner to try some authentic roast duck, which is a local favourite. They took me to Xiao Wang's home restaurant inside Ritan park. In addition to its great location and decor, this place is known for great food. We started out with plates of mushroom, bitter gourd and pickled radish, followed by one of their signature dishes: Deep fried spicy spare rib. The roast duck, served with pancakes and sweet soubean sauce, was mouthwateringly delicious. The main course also included a platter of sweet potato, boiled chestnuts, groundnuts and purple corn. Unlike in the West, alcohol is usually consumed after a meal. So, our hosts took us to the swanky Xiu bar at the Park Hyatt hotel for some great cocktails, whiskey and ambience.

The next night was another culinary adventure. A few friends took me out to Mala Youhuo, also known as Spirit Spice, for some tongue-numbing Sichuan food. I let the lovely Soo and Jie Xia order for me and what a great job they did. We had Beef tripe & duck blood in chili sauce, Spicy hot frog, Curry beef, Steamed sparerib in sticky rice wrapped in Reed leaves, White pear in red wine, Chicken with pepper, Deep fried kidney beans and Bean jelly in chili sauce. The highlight was a giant bowl of Boiled snakeheaded fish in hot oil. This dish is quite oily but the fish has really good flavour. Fortunately, there were 8 of us sharing this meal or I wouldn't be able to try a little bit of everything.

Another place that came highly recommended was "Ghost Street". Tucked behind Beijing's Inner Dongzhimen Street, this area is said to have derived its name from the city's old "Ghost Fairs". Known to Beijingers as Gui Jie (which actually does not mean ghost), this place is a favourite amongst locals with its red lanterns, traditional courtyards and hundreds of restaurants along the street.

I could go on and on about Beijing and its amazing food culture but this is one place where you have to experience it to understand how good it really is.

Beijing, China (Part I)

Beijing is one of those cities where no matter how much food you try, you always feel like you're just scratching the surface. And rightfully so. Restaurants, bars and food stalls, serving local & international cuisines, line the streets of this sprawling metropolis. This blog entry is merely a humble attempt to capture my 6 day culinary experience.

The first meal was a piping hot bowl of noodles with spicy, shredded pork at the Raffles city mall in Dongzhimen. Although this was a great start, I was hungry for more. For dinner, I ventured out to Wang Fu Jing to try some of the local street foods. You can find everything from giant turkey legs, meat on sticks, fried beetles and dumplings. I settled on scorpions. The scorpions, kept alive on sticks for freshness, are fried right in front of you. They were absolutely delicious! Crunchy and juicy at the same time. I loved it so much, I decided to go back and try some more.

The next day consisted of an exciting trip to the Great Wall. Lunch was included with the tour and it was a feast! Fish, spicy tofu, fried pork fat, flat noodles with pork and rice, all meant to be shared by everyone at the table.

After an exhausting day, dinner that night was a welcome affair. Guocheng Luo and his lovely wife Jane treated us to a great meal at In & Out restaurant in the Sanlitun area. The Chinese name for this restaurant Yi Zuo Yi Wang (一座一忘), meaning "Sit for a while and forget your troubles", is a more fitting name for this sanctuary inside the bustling city. The food is typical of the Yunnan province. We started with Lijiang black jelly, fried potato cakes, fried egg with jasmine flowers, and BBQ fish bundled with lemon grass (dongba style). This was followed by pineapple rice, served inside a pineapple, and "over the bridge" noodles, accompanied with sweet rice wine served in a bamboo barrel. Yes, people here know how to eat and they eat well....

The next day, after a mandatory trip to the Forbidden City, I decided to visit Nan Luo Guxiang and its Hutongs, a quaint little street, packed with bars, cafes, restaurants and shops selling souvenirs and traditional crafts. A great place to eat and drink or just hang out at night.

To be continued....