From Japan to China in under 45 minutes...

On Saturday I went along to investigate a Japanese Matsuri festival being held at Spitalfield market near Liverpool Street station. It was the 150th anniversary of Anglo-Japanese amity and the Japanese ambassador was in town to smash a keg of sake to start celebrations. I’d seen a tiny advert in the London Lite newspaper and also checked out the website, which promised food and knick-knack stalls, J-Pop performances and sushi making classes. So we rocked up around 1pm thinking we could enjoy a tasty selection of Japanese lunchables – in particular Takoyaki (Octopus balls). I was really excited and thought that this would be a brilliant photo opportunity! How wrong I was.

1pm was clearly a stupid idea. Peak lunch-eating time. Oh dear. The festival layout was poorly organised and due to the fact that it was free meant it was absolutely packed. When I say packed, I mean packed. Imagine a tube in rush hour when you’re sardined on, multiply that by ten and add about a billion extra people and that might come close to how packed the festival was. Not fun. There were at least 6 rows of people in front of the first bout of food stalls circling the food-making stage, so those were out of the question. It took 20 minutes to inch our way about 100 metres into the next area where the majority of food and knick knack stalls were situated. The large J-Pop stage was at the back and the crowd seemed to be moving that way, taking us with it…

There was a very un-British feel about the hustle and bustle. Yes, I know – that’s because it was a JAPANESE festival d’urrrrr! But the majority of people attending were actually Caucasian, assuming them to be Brits (big assumption I know but I don’t care). The hustle and bustle was just chaos; there was no set direction for streams of people, it was pretty much inch whichever way you can. This, I thought, was very un-Brit like especially since we’re world-renowned for our queuing.

I saw a sign for the Yakotori stand and made a bee-line for it…well that took another 10 minutes to traverse the 3 metres to where the sign was positioned. I then discovered that the queue for said Yakotori was infact 50 odd metres in length. Not happening. We’d had enough by that point. The heat of the mass combined with the wailing banshee on the J-Pop stage was starting to get on my nerves. Abandon ship was decided and off we shuffled to find the exit. That took another 10 minutes and then we were free and out into the open air. Phew. By this point I was quite, quite hungry! Having thought about munching on Sushi, Tempenyaki and of course, those bloody Yakotori all day, my stomach was a-rumbling.

So off to Chinatown we went. Good old reliable Chinatown. And rather pleasantly due to everyone (in the whole wide world) attending the Japanese festival over at Liverpool Street there were far less people in Chinatown. Much better. I breathed a huge sigh of relief when we got there and found we could walk down Gerrard Street without having to struggle, as you would normally do on a Saturday afternoon.



Now I know in my post about Hung’s restaurant, where I go for won ton mein, I had mentioned that I tend to avoid the overpriced restaurants on the main strip. Well, I’d forgotten about one restaurant that I’d discovered back in March which was on the main Chinatown street and was actually very nice and very cheap. We went there. Yes I know, I’m eating my words now. It’s called London Chinatown Restaurant. And as mentioned, it’s situated on the main Chinatown strip, Gerrard street. It’s next to Gerrard’s Corner which is a karaoke restaurant (been there too and the karaoke is very good!) at the end of the strip just where the gates are. Unfortunately eyes-bigger-than-belly syndrome had kicked in and A LOT of dim sum was ordered. We had everything and I think even the waiters/tresses were surprised at how much was brought to the table.

Having eating there before I knew the dim sum was good so all of the classics were ordered. This time we left out the har gau (king prawn dumpling) and siu mai (pork and prawn dumpling) – I’ve eaten so many of them in the past that I just don’t won’t to eat any more! So we order prawn and chive steam dumplings, I love the herby bite the chives give to the juicy prawns. A good sign of quality steamed dumplings is if the rice wrappings don’t all stick together or to the bottom of the steaming tray. These didn’t and they tasted good.

We also order one of my new favourites, scallop cheung fan (rice rolls). The scallops work so well in these because they’re beautifully sweet and light compared to the slippery soft rice rolls.

Another favourite of mine that we ordered was lo mai gai (sticky rice with meat in lotus leaves). This was ok, not amazing, but ok. I always think these smell of cat food but once you get past the smell, the taste is quite good. This was a double portion though and considering we had a lot of dim sum on the table to plough through it did seem a little too much and in fact we didn’t finish this.

Next up was char-siu sou (bbq pork in pastry) – I love these. I love char siu bao but the bao is too filling when you’re eating dim sum and I get bored of them too because I’ve eaten so many so the pastry is a nice change. Neat little triangles of flaky pastry topped with crunchy sesame seeds encasing the sweet barbeque pork. Delicious.

Squid cakes were also present on the table; these are great because I don’t normally like lumpy, chewy food but this I can handle. Plus they come with a little dish of vinegar which adds a lovely flavour to the firm grilled squid meat.


I do have one dim sum which I can’t stand, chicken feet. It doesn’t matter what sauce is on them, I can’t stand them. There are just too many little wriggly bones and not enough meat. Yuck!! However, they were ordered much to my dismay. I won’t mention anything more about them as I tried not to even look at them during the feast.

As a compromise to the chicken feet being ordered I thought it was only fair to have dan tar (egg custard tarts). No dim sum meal is complete without them. The wobbly sweet custard sat in a thin but crispy pastry casing is the perfect addition to the flavours already present on the table.


And finally we had Vietnamese spring rolls. These were ok but I prefer real un-fried Vietnamese rolls – the ones with crunch fresh herbs and rice noodles. The Chinese-take on the Vietnamese spring rolls is a deep fried roll of pork meat with mushrooms and possibly rice noodles, I’m sure I saw a few in there. They were nice and especially nice when dipped in the accompanying vinegar.

I chose Chinese tea to drink with the food – always helps with the oils and rich ingredients. However beer was also ordered and the bill came to £25. Bargain. The service was impeccable, not too fussy but still attentive. The food came with just the right speed and in a consistent flow. I’ve eaten in a couple of the restaurants on the main strip and they’re not all great. My favourites all used to be situated outside of Gerrard street, these are unfortunately being taken over by buffets so I have had to move inwards. To my pleasant surprise though, a delicious and affordable meal can still be had on Gerrard street.

Julie/Julia film review

I saw Julie/Julia on one of those big advert posters on a tube platform and knew I had to see it! Not just because of the fact that it was a foodie film but also because I love Meryl Streep. Actually love. She's a brilliant actress and this was confirmed by the numerous film reviews I read in the collection of London's free newspapers all commenting on Streep's fantastical portrayal of the vivacious Julia Child. I couldn't wait!


So finally today I decided to go see Julie/Julia. I saw it in one of the Picturehouse cinemas which set the scene perfectly as the cinema is designed with an old-worldy flare. Soft red velvet seats, retro popcorn packs and Frank Sinatra playing before the film began.


On to the film. Julie/Julia is set in two periods, 1950s Paris and 2002 post-9/11 New York. Julie Powell (Amy Adams) is living with her husband above a pizzeria in Queens, NY and is stuck in a cubicle-job with flashy friends rubbing their much-better-than-you lives in her face. She gets the idea to write a blog where she must cook all 524 of American chef, author and TV personality, Julia Child's (Meryl Streep) recipes from her most famous cookbook "Mastering The Art of French Cooking" (1963) in one year. The focus of the film is one woman striving to make her life better and discovering what she really wants in life. Along the way we see how writing the blog changes her life, interferes with her marriage and culminates in a book deal.

The film is so charming and what I like to call "cosy". It flashes between Child's struggle to develop her cooking skills and writing a cookbook in Paris and Powell's dedication to completing her project by its deadline. It's a pleasant film aimed at foodies and especially aimed at women. It's great though because for once it's a women's film that doesn't involve a female trying desperately hard to bag a man and live happily ever after. It felt a little more real and also gave a nice comparison between women in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Most of all it got my mouth watering! The signature dish of the film was Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon which I have thought about making for a while now but have been putting off due to the length of cooking time involved and my short amount of free time in the evenings. However after seeing seen this film, I have been reinspired so expect a post on my boeuf bourguignon soon!

I had heard of Julia Child - in passing on a cooking programme I think - but I wasn't fully aware of who she was and her impact on America. She was a major figure in introducing French cuisine to America and later went on to star in her own cooking series - you could call her the Delia of her day I suppose. Child was well-known for her unconventional height and eccentric mannerisms which Streep manages to capture perfectly and this provides many a chuckle during the film. Meanwhile half a century later, Powell is living her unfulfilled life in her tiny apartment and finds sanctuary in her blog-writing and begins to propel herself into a popular and successful new career. She becomes obsessed with Julia Child and even throws a Julia-themed 30th birthday party where her husband buys her a pearl necklace, replicating that of Child's. She sees a friend, a mother and an idol in Child and even when her marriage is suffering she continues to stick to her project.


What got me though was why the film included Child's disapproval of Powell's blog. Child, who died in 2004, had commented that she found Powell's blog disrespectful and a "stunt". Therefore the last chunk of the film felt a bit odd as I had been in a happy mood all the way through until Powell made her discovery and became upset...this put a bit of a dampner on my mood to say the least. However Powell finds closure in a Julia Child's museum where she finally says Goodbye to her idol.


Not all the reviews I read pre and post film viewing were positive. A lot focused on the uninteresting life of Julie Powell and the poor intertwinning with Child's more exciting life (She was an ex-spy, she lived in Europe and she became a famous American personality). However, I disagree with all the negative comments. Firstly, if it wasn't for Julie Powell's boring and unimportant existence in New York, Julia Child would never have become well-known with today's generation. Admittedly I recognised her name - but I am interested in food and studied American culture during the 50-60s at university. But what about everyone else? What about the people who hadn't heard of Julia Child the first time round. Well, they know her now and that is a direct result of one New Yorker trying to find her niche in life. So hmpf to those critics. Secondly, I also read criticisms of the film's lack of pace and point. Well I found it very engaging and it definately makes a nice change to every other film that is released thats either about alien invasions, war or man-hungry women. That's not to say that I don't enjoy those films, because I do, but it's nice to throw a little spice into the mix every now and then.

I recommend Julie/Julia to everyone, foodie or not. And remember to pop into your local supermarket to pick up your Boeuf Bourguignon ingredients on the way home...

My dislike for fusion food and my signature dish - Oriental Duck Risotto...oh the irony...

So I don't like fusion food. I just prefer cuisines to be separated by their nationality. I like to see a history in a national dish - not a forced fusion of two totally unrelated styles in an attempt to be "modern". A good example of what I like is Quesadillas. These are simple, peasant, quintessential Mexican street food. A corn tortilla filled with meat, cheese and beans. The tortilla being a product of Mexico, reflecting the indigenous dependence upon maize contradicts the rich dairy of the cheese produced by the cattle brought over by the spaniards during the conquering of Latin America. Oh the controversy. If I wanted to get really picky I could even delve into the subject of the aztec origins of chocolate and its effect upon the popular stereotype of french chocolat...endless possibilities...

However what I don't like is the stuff you get at some fancy-pants restaurants that involves a potato, a raspberry and tartar sauce = european fusion. Not tasty, just weird and not impressive. The definition of fusion food is a combination of elements of various culinary traditions while not fitting specifically into any. However combining flavours that just don't go is not justification for calling a dish "fusion". Maybe I've just had one to many bad experiences - but in my book, it is incredibly hard to do fusion cuisine well.

When I cook I tend to stick to certain countries to define the cuisine. Obvious examples would be plain and simple spaghetti bolognese if I'm feeling like an Italian or perhaps a ginger and beef stirfry for a chinese inspired dish. I don't tend to stray from these geographical boundries, not simply because it's easier but also it's all about economy gastronomy. Who can afford to buying random bits and bobs to create the Baltic Fusion Cuisine they heard about on tv etc?!

However...my signature dish would have to be Oriental Duck Risotto. The irony. I know. But seriously, this works and I like to make this dish a couple of times a month - whenever the duck breast is on offer in sainsbury! I don't know why but this fusion dish just works. If it was anything else I probably wouldnt like it but this dish involves all my favourite flavours. To make my irony drenched risotto just follow this recipe:

For 2-3 people you will need:

- 1-2 duck breasts (on offer at sainsbury preferable!) chopped

- Approx 75g aborio (risotto) rice per person

- vegetable stock cube + hot water (I just make a pouring jug full of it and use however much I need and top it up with boiled water from the kettle if needs be...)

- sliced mushrooms and courgettes (optional veggies)

- frozen peas

- Knob of butter

- splash of olive oil

- spring onions

- pepper

- drizzle of oyster sauce (optional)

 

1. Brown the duck in a drop of oil. I always do this first and set it aside to add at the end so it doesn't go hard during the cooking process.

2. Into a saucepan goes the butter and oil together. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and the courgettes and stir until softened

3. Add the rice and stir for around a minute - making sure all the rice has been coated in the buttery oil

4. add some of the veg stock and stir, keep adding the veg stock every few minutes when it becomes reduced.

5. While I'm waiting for the stock to reduce I usually chuck in the frozen peas.

6. The whole thing should take around 15-20 minutes for the rice to become al dente. Just before the rice is perfectly cooked, add the duck and the spring onions and a seasoning of pepper and mix.

7. Serve the risotto with a quick drizzle of olive oil and a splash of the optional oyster sauce on top and a final grind of pepper (for that faffy chef look).

 

Eat with crusty bread and an olive oil and balsamic vinegar mix (as I always do).

Yum...Bon appetit...

Tube-iquette

I sent this to the Londonpaper - the free newspaper from the tube - with the hope of getting it published before the paper closes next week. It's not food related but thought I'd put it on my blog anyway!

Tube-iquette

By The Little Welsh

I, like many other Londoners, spend a considerable amount of time traversing across this city on the tubes. In fact I spend a whopping 3 hours and 25 minutes on average everyday on the tubes. So since I spend a considerable chunk of my life being hurtled from one end of London to the other I feel that I am quite educated in the School of London Underground Etiquette. Some, however, have never been and are playing truant and lack all sense of how to behave while riding the tubes. I have kindly compiled a list of rules for those who do not know/understand what I like to call "tube-iquette". Those who dare disobey the regulations may feel the wrath and glares of frustrated, tired and over-worked Londoners. You have been warned.

Rule 1. Pre-Boarding the tube: When walking towards the desired platform, do not amble as if walking in a country garden. Pick up the pace and move it along, people have places to go. simples.

Rule 2. The Tube is not a playground: Yes, I - as is everybody else - am against the pushchair brigade. I mean really, just because you’re bitter that you had to give up your job and your social life to raise your spawn, do not take it out on us. If you must bring your screaming brats aboard then please do so outside of the OBVIOUS rush hour times. Also, as one reader mentioned - she cleverly and considerately used a sling for her toddler. Read and learn.

Rule 3. Pole-hoarding: The poles and bars on board the tubes are for holding - not for leaning your whole sweaty back and bum against. When the tube is busy please consider this.

Rule 4. Jumpers: Not the woolly kind, the suicidal kind. If you've decided you've had enough of life and would like to have yourself smeared across the train tracks then feel free to do so...just not in rush hour. Just because you're at a low point don’t drag us all down with you. That goes for ill people too - why get on the train if you know you'll be pulling the emergency lever and delaying the trains. What's wrong with you?!

You now have a handy neat list, which you can cut out and keep in your pocket for all your tube journeys. You’re welcome.

A birthday treat of Lobster and Noodles in C-Town...

When I go to Chinatown I never eat on Gerrard Street. The best places to visit for a less touristy, over-priced, tastier meal are all situated off the main strip. My favourite C-town haunt is Hung's located on Wardour Street, just outside the main Chinatown gates. From the outside it looks like a lot of the other eateries - big hunks of crispy belly pork and whole crispy ducks hanging up in the windows and a waft of stir-fry cooking encompassing the front entrance. The reason why Hungs is different to the other chinese restaurants is because its good. simples. It opens at 9am 7 days a week and the service is westernised. Classic chinese service that can be experienced in most of C-town's eateries could be deemed "rude" by many, I personally call it "cultural different". Hung's 9am start may sound unimportant however, it you fancy a chinese breakfast then it beats having to wait until 11am or noon as you do in other restaurants. I frequently visit Hungs on sunday mornings between 9.00-10.00am for won ton noodle soup - my all-time favourite breakfast. If I had to wait until 11.00-noon for this then I'd be ravenous!

So off to Hung's we went for my birthday dinner. Hung's advertised a special offer they were running for whole fresh lobster and noodles for only £15 when purchased with another main dish - not a problem! So the lobster noodle dish was order alongside another main of one of my other favourite dishes - gong pao ji dan...or kung pao chicken, and another favourite sam siu fan or 3 meat rice. I had high expectations for all 3 of these dishes. My most recent holiday to Hong Kong in April this year was more of a food fest than holiday...seriously I must of put on at least a stone from all the feasting I did! Most of the meals consumed in Hong Kong were of course seafood, good seafood, particularly including lobsters, squillas and clams. The best place to eat seafood in Hong Kong is on one of its many island, my favorite though is Lamma Island (you'll have to wait for my restaurant review for this!). I was also expecting the kung pao chicken to be up to my high standards having eaten this dish a lot in its native province of Sichuan in China. A chinese friend showing me around Chengdu told me, over a dish of kung pao chicken of course, that the reason natives of this province like their food hot and spicey is because it cools the bones during the hotter months. Interesting, not sure it it's true. Anyhoo, I was expecting tender chicken chunks with a knock-out punchy sauce and crunchy peanuts. And finally the sam siu fan. I always like having this as its a little bit plainer and is nice to eat imbetween more complex flavoured dishes to give the pallate a break.

The food arrived. I was excited. The lobster was huge and juicey and sweet. Perfect. It was delicious and I was happy. Happy and messy. The lobster comes whole in its shell and special deshelling equipment is provided with the obligatory bowl of warm lemony water for hand-washing. The won ton noodles below were slurped up imbetween mouthfuls of that succulent lobster. I was very happy.

Unfortunately the kung pao chicken was not good. I was sad. Firstly there were no peanuts!!! Its not a kung pao chicken without peanuts. Secondly it lacked any flavour. The chicken was dry and coated in what I can only describe as a packet sauce. I stuck to picking out the chunks of red and green capsicums. Hmpf. Finally, the sam siu fan. This did exactly what it said on the tin. The mix of roast duck, crispy belly pork (YUM!) and char siu pork over the plain boiled white rice was a welcome break from the disappointment of the chicken and exquisite fresh lobster.

I would always recommend a trip to Hung's - especially for early morning won ton noodle soup! However avoid the kung pao chicken and definately order the lobster. I cant wait to go back and have more!!

">

When in Venice, do as the Venetians do...

So off to Venice I trotted for my quarter-of-a-century-minus-one-year birthday celebrations. My imagination went into overdrive at the thought of all the wonderful new flavours and concotions I would experience. Alas, I was disappointed to discover that Venice is really not very famous in Italy for its cuisine and in fact there is no real Venetian cuisine any more. Unfortunately due to lack of time to plan and research, I did not realise this until I had actually got to Venice. hmm.

Venice is a stunning city, fact. At one time in history it was the most important place on the planet thanks to its omnipresence in the trading echleons. Modern Venetian cuisine is mostly seafood based, obviously - due to its geographical location! The Venetians enjoy a classic Italian style of eating; an antipasti or starter, followed by a primi plato or first course of pasta of some sort, followed by a secondi plato or a meat/fish dish. This was a bit of a shock to the old system as the most italian food I've ever had is a strada pizza...and I was raised a meat and two veg girl, all on one plate! To see my carbs and meat split up into courses was difficult at first. I persisted and managed to sample an array of seafood and pasta dishes, in their various courses. And I also learned such dishes as spaghetti bolognese and pizza are not part of traditional Venetian cuisine, so what is?

Cuttlefish. black, salty cuttlefish. This is Venice's traditional dish. The chargrilled smoker's lung (as it became nicknamed) is usually served with a few slabs of grilled springy polenta. I wish I had had warning before ordering this plate but due to my uncontrollable excitement at finally finding something labelled "traditional Venetian" on the menu I just jumped at it. What could this Venetian cuttlefish taste or look like I pondered eagerly awaiting the arrival of my secondi plati.

Oh. it's black and lumpy. This was reaction when the plate arrived. What is that. I studied it for a while before prodding it with a fork and boldly nibbling on the smallest blob. Salty and chewy. It didnt offend me but I was definately not in love with it. It's cooked with the ink of squids hence the black colouring. Why this is the desired effect I am not sure. I ate some more along with a chunk of the polenta, it was getting better. Eventually I decided that "Tradtional Venetian Cuttlefish" was not for me, but at least I had tried it. Never again though.

Other dishes sampled included a creamy risotto with blended langoustines which was scrumptious. This was eaten at the Ristorante Gatto de Nero on Burano island, about 45 minutes away from the main Venice island.

The service here was typically Venetian, awful. In most restaurants in Venice I found that I either had to wave like a madman for 20 minutes to get a waiter's attention or actually go hunting for the menu myself. Waiters in many of Venice's restaurants seem to be more interested with each other's lives and general chitchat than actually serving you, as their job description dares to dictate. This came as a total kick in the teeth as the prices of eating in Venice were insane. A cheap lunch for two cost around 50 euros (£50) if we were lucky. The general opinion of restaurant owners in Venice is if their customers are unsatisfied or ripped off, they don't care because there will be a fresh gang of tourists waiting to be pounced upon.

Other foods sampled were the likes of a rather tainted seafood spaghetti which came with a whole fresh lobster. I say tainted as the actual dish itself was not only ruined by the less than superior flavour of the lobster but also the drama that followed. We were conned. Told one price by one waiter who reeled us in only to be told another price by the manager when the time came to pay the bill. All my threats of phoning the British embassy, and even the police (!), failed and we had to pay. I notified my hotel immediately so they would not recommend this thieving restaurant (if it can even be called that!) to any more unsuspecting tourists and the response was "yes we already know about this restaurant, it has a reputation". Thanks for the warning. JUST SO YOU KNOW, NEVER, EVER, EVER GO TO THIS RESTAURANT! Rather typically I can't remember the name of it - I must have blocked it out! But it's in the Cannaregio district near the Ca D'oro vaporetto stop (waterbus) so just be warned!

The best meal was to be had on the last day of the weekend trip on an island called Murano, famous for its funky glass. This island is 10 minutes by vaporetto from the main Venice island. It's small and the entire island can be walked around in 1 or 2 hours (more if you stop for wine, *ahem*). The restaurant settled on was 'Restaurant B' tucked away from the main street. The dishes chosen were gnocchi with salmon and seafood tagliolini as the primi platos. These were fantastic and it was obvious there was some thought given to the presentation. The gnocchi was creamy but not overpowering and the salmon was generous and chunky.

The tagliolini was perfectly al dente and the selection of seafood included succulent prawns, baby squids, mussels and juicy crayfish.

The secondi plato was a salad of grilled king prawns, veggies, spongy polenta slabs and tangy rocket leaves. All washed down with a glass of red wine, of course.  Check out www.allvecciapescheria.it

The final meal to be had in Venice was in the airport! Hours after the Murano seafood pig-out our bellies began to rumble and we followed our noses to a hidden gem. A tiny wine bar in the heart of Venice's Marco Polo airport proved to be a treasure trove of classic meditterranean snacks. A moorishly delightful beef carpaccio with an intense slice of fromage franc was washed down with yet more red wine and some meaty green olives. The perfect way to end the venetian adventure.

Overall, my opinion of food in Venice is not great. It's not bad, but its not great. Obviously I can't generalise as I clearly haven't sampled all of the city's eateries. However I ate at enough of them to realise that a trip to Venice is more about the beauty of it's architecture and picturesque landscape than its culinary repertoire. The cost of eating in Venice is another factor. Its just ridiculous. It's beyond ridiculous. In the UK I would never dream of paying the amount that I did for food that lacked wow-factor and was served (if even served at all) by rude and obnoxious waiters. I would recommend a visit to Venice, without a doubt, as its intriguing alleyways, winding canals and enchanting palaces would certainly make up for its flavours.