Upon our return, I was a bit bummed for having to miss out on some of the food we had eaten on the road and relegated myself to eating sub par Westernized international fare. You see, while on the road, we cooked quite a bit as it was fun because we would visit markets, saved us money, and allowed us to control how much or little we wanted to consume. Generally, it was a lot as we can both eat......
So, to my surprise, right in my neighborhood, a mega supermarket catering only to international food opened with aisles dedicated to nothing but noodles, tropical fruits, vegetables, fish, sauces, Thai peppers, and more along with ingredients to make food as varied as Mexican, Chinese, Indian, and Middle East. So far we have delved in Asian cooking but will next follow up with some Mexican and Central American cuisines.
Another plus is that the supermarket is well priced, so that along with the convenience is a definite winner.
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
No Reservations
Ok, so the title isn't original..sorry Anthony Bourdain. If you're reading, please read on....
Ok, when I used to think of French food, I used to think pretentous uncomfortable atmosphere with weird food items and an unprouncable menu. Ok, the menu is still unprouncable but the remaining items are completely untrue.
Over the last week, I have had the pleasure to dine in a restaurant built in 1896. The place really hasn't changed much, its a huge dining hall, kind of one that probably drew working class people back in the day, has a big clock in the center, and long brass shelves overhead that probably once held canes, top hats, long tails from yesteryears but now hold backpacks, laptops, and cameras. The place, called Chartier is definitely a French dining place with classic dishes and waiters in shirts and ties but none of the stuffy atmosphere. In fact, the restaurant is down right cheap, you can have a entree and a dessert for about 20 bucks. The restaurant gets very.......very crowded, so sitting with a complete stranger is perfectly expected. This was good, since I was dining alone and the lively atmosphere was welcoming.
In my case, it was a French accountant, who at first didn't say much but when I heard English at the table next to me, found out they were Canadians, we all started talking. The Canadians were on holidays, spoke worst French then me, and in general were really curious about being in France as it was their first time.
Tonight, I just had another great dining experience. I was feeling lonely today, really missing Sabeen and so like all evenings, walked out in search of a restaurant and showed up at La Bontendrie that had a few diners but the menu looked nice. The minute I walked in, the waitress greeted me and immediately made me feel comfortable with her ability to go back and forth in English and French and the best part was her contagious laugh and care free and happy personality. The soundtrack was good too, had on Red Hot Chili Peppers.
She kept coming by asking if the food was good and would then run off trailing in French and laughing and even swore wasn't drunk but thats just the way she was. I ordered a grilled rabbit with mushrooms and baked potatoes, which were delicious and paid my compliments to the chef. I even managed to sell the dish to a few walk-ins from Russia and Finland.
I think this might have been the best dining experince in Paris so far, so with my colleague returning, will be back again tomorrow.
Ok, when I used to think of French food, I used to think pretentous uncomfortable atmosphere with weird food items and an unprouncable menu. Ok, the menu is still unprouncable but the remaining items are completely untrue.
Over the last week, I have had the pleasure to dine in a restaurant built in 1896. The place really hasn't changed much, its a huge dining hall, kind of one that probably drew working class people back in the day, has a big clock in the center, and long brass shelves overhead that probably once held canes, top hats, long tails from yesteryears but now hold backpacks, laptops, and cameras. The place, called Chartier is definitely a French dining place with classic dishes and waiters in shirts and ties but none of the stuffy atmosphere. In fact, the restaurant is down right cheap, you can have a entree and a dessert for about 20 bucks. The restaurant gets very.......very crowded, so sitting with a complete stranger is perfectly expected. This was good, since I was dining alone and the lively atmosphere was welcoming.
In my case, it was a French accountant, who at first didn't say much but when I heard English at the table next to me, found out they were Canadians, we all started talking. The Canadians were on holidays, spoke worst French then me, and in general were really curious about being in France as it was their first time.
Tonight, I just had another great dining experience. I was feeling lonely today, really missing Sabeen and so like all evenings, walked out in search of a restaurant and showed up at La Bontendrie that had a few diners but the menu looked nice. The minute I walked in, the waitress greeted me and immediately made me feel comfortable with her ability to go back and forth in English and French and the best part was her contagious laugh and care free and happy personality. The soundtrack was good too, had on Red Hot Chili Peppers.
She kept coming by asking if the food was good and would then run off trailing in French and laughing and even swore wasn't drunk but thats just the way she was. I ordered a grilled rabbit with mushrooms and baked potatoes, which were delicious and paid my compliments to the chef. I even managed to sell the dish to a few walk-ins from Russia and Finland.
I think this might have been the best dining experince in Paris so far, so with my colleague returning, will be back again tomorrow.
My Consumables
I have really been rambling on about food. I can't help it, I am in Paris. Ok, just for my own shameless purposes, below is a list of food consumed so far:
- Confit du Canard
- Foie Grais
- Veal Carpaccio
- Beef Tartare
- Mushrooms with chestnuts
- Duck sandwich
- Rabbit Stew
- Ratatouille with Catfish
- Chicken livers in a potato puree
- Veal with Couscous
- Chicken Paillard
- Consumed in regular quanities are (croissants, baguettes, cheeses)
Any other recommendations, feel free to share.
Dinner's on Me
One of the biggest advantages when traveling for work and maybe the only one is the fact that your meals and lodging are paid for. Such was the case when my colleague and a few other folks went out for dinner.
Let me backtrack a bit. When I was last here as a solo independent traveler, I lived on bread and cheese, while still delicious, which I still regularly eat, I never had the money to foray into the more exotic tastes. Ok, so enter my visit so far. My colleague had picked out a restaurant in the 1st Arrondisement called Les Fines Gueules and the plan was to meet up soon after we finished work. When I reached home, I decided to stretch my legs a bit and walked to Soecur Coeur to get some exercise and shake off the work weariness. I had just reached the top of the church when I received a call from my work friend asking me to come by the restaurant. The place where we were dining was on Deux Rue De Petite Champs near the Opera Palace and I was at the opposite end.
I love walking, especially when I get a chance to practice my little used French and ask for directions. So took a path back but must have taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up further down. Luckily, I had my map but it was getting dark, so with the help of a few kind locals, got going in the right direction. I arrived about an hour later, saw that my colleagues had already eaten their way through a plate of cheese and bread and the Couterrie was also disappearing fast. I was starving from the walking, so while others sipped wine, I ordered bread and a plate of delicious Veal Carpaccio. I devoured the meal in about 10 mins, just in time for my client to join us for the dinner.
The vibe in Europe and pretty much in lot of countries is they enjoy life. Here for example, it was coming on close to 10 PM on a weeknight and the restaurant had just started filling up with diners. I ordered a Ratatouille with fish, another delightful meal that was done right. By the way, I haven’t eaten a bad meal yet.
We closed the evening surrounded by convivial diners and good conversations.
Let me backtrack a bit. When I was last here as a solo independent traveler, I lived on bread and cheese, while still delicious, which I still regularly eat, I never had the money to foray into the more exotic tastes. Ok, so enter my visit so far. My colleague had picked out a restaurant in the 1st Arrondisement called Les Fines Gueules and the plan was to meet up soon after we finished work. When I reached home, I decided to stretch my legs a bit and walked to Soecur Coeur to get some exercise and shake off the work weariness. I had just reached the top of the church when I received a call from my work friend asking me to come by the restaurant. The place where we were dining was on Deux Rue De Petite Champs near the Opera Palace and I was at the opposite end.
I love walking, especially when I get a chance to practice my little used French and ask for directions. So took a path back but must have taken a wrong turn somewhere and ended up further down. Luckily, I had my map but it was getting dark, so with the help of a few kind locals, got going in the right direction. I arrived about an hour later, saw that my colleagues had already eaten their way through a plate of cheese and bread and the Couterrie was also disappearing fast. I was starving from the walking, so while others sipped wine, I ordered bread and a plate of delicious Veal Carpaccio. I devoured the meal in about 10 mins, just in time for my client to join us for the dinner.
The vibe in Europe and pretty much in lot of countries is they enjoy life. Here for example, it was coming on close to 10 PM on a weeknight and the restaurant had just started filling up with diners. I ordered a Ratatouille with fish, another delightful meal that was done right. By the way, I haven’t eaten a bad meal yet.
We closed the evening surrounded by convivial diners and good conversations.
Food so Far
I went walking in my neighborhood of Montmarte and went up to Sacre Coeur today. Its an interesting neighborhood more culturally diverse with Muslim mini marts, Jewish pastry shops, and Middle East restaurants.
The day was warmer but rainy and despite the gray skies the shimmering cobbled stones street added character to this already charmed city.
The real surprise of the day was the bustling market atop the stairs outside the church brimming with food vendors manning stalls selling fresh cheeses, honey, Foie Gras, sausages, baguettes, oysters, wines, and beers. Many of the food was ready to be consumed so I had a duck sandwich and a few samples of delicious cheeses.
The French love their food and despite the weather will happily sit outside a cafe and eat or drink just to be social and enjoy. I saw people sitting on park benches shucking oysters and washing it all down with wine. Even saw a little kid pop a cork on a botte.
My feet were starting to hurt from the many hours of walking from yesterday, so after a rest at home, went out for dinner. It was a quirky Italian restaurant, run by an elderly man, who as soon as we walked in put on the record player. The place had no menu, so after agreeing to the delicious sounding food, settled in for the evening. The food was good, except my chicken dish tasted the same as the pasta but the fried egg plant in olive oil and the picked vegetables were delicious.
Great way to start the week.
The day was warmer but rainy and despite the gray skies the shimmering cobbled stones street added character to this already charmed city.
The real surprise of the day was the bustling market atop the stairs outside the church brimming with food vendors manning stalls selling fresh cheeses, honey, Foie Gras, sausages, baguettes, oysters, wines, and beers. Many of the food was ready to be consumed so I had a duck sandwich and a few samples of delicious cheeses.
The French love their food and despite the weather will happily sit outside a cafe and eat or drink just to be social and enjoy. I saw people sitting on park benches shucking oysters and washing it all down with wine. Even saw a little kid pop a cork on a botte.
My feet were starting to hurt from the many hours of walking from yesterday, so after a rest at home, went out for dinner. It was a quirky Italian restaurant, run by an elderly man, who as soon as we walked in put on the record player. The place had no menu, so after agreeing to the delicious sounding food, settled in for the evening. The food was good, except my chicken dish tasted the same as the pasta but the fried egg plant in olive oil and the picked vegetables were delicious.
Great way to start the week.
French Food
Of course French food is famous and despite the fact that you see now more western chains (Starbucks, ever present McDonalds, Subway, etc). Even many of the brasseries are owned by corporations, good food is still to be found.
The nice thing is even if one is observing dietary restrictions, like me for example, I found good halal Pate at a Muslim corner shop. Ok, I don't always keep a strict diet, so last night had delicious Foie Grais with Fig chutney, and a few bites of Beef Tartare.
I'm still new in Paris, so any comments on places to go, please write.
The nice thing is even if one is observing dietary restrictions, like me for example, I found good halal Pate at a Muslim corner shop. Ok, I don't always keep a strict diet, so last night had delicious Foie Grais with Fig chutney, and a few bites of Beef Tartare.
I'm still new in Paris, so any comments on places to go, please write.
Singapore
Singapore is not a police state that many expect to see but it is different from the rest of SE Asia. Sure it's clean, has lots of air conditioned malls, Western food chains, so so food again offered at malls or at semi indoor hawker centers, and little air pollution. Dig a little deeper however and you'll find more than just a sterile city. The public transportation is great, I guess being a small country help. Lots of buses, extensive MRT (subway) system, and taxi drivers who don't tout or try and cheat you to pay more.
Singapore for a country of 5 million has a sizable Muslim and Hindu population often with many in close proximity of each other and witnessing the huge Eid celebrations was a surprise as we did not expect parts of the city to be so lit up and decorated.
We spent the month of Ramadan here at the oldest and biggest mosque, known as Sultan Masjid built in the 1800's. In our observance, found the hospitality of the Malays, one of the few ethnic groups along with a predominantly Chinese and Tamil Indians to be curious and friendly. Our time spent during Ramadan was one of peace and a regularity to a day usually filled with lots of decision making and running around. We would wake up each morning at 5, have our morning meal and then go back to sleep after praying. In the afternoons, it was usually too hot, so we would take a short stroll to a park or spend time at the wonderful National Library nearby.
The evenings we really looked forward to because we could break our fast and finally eat. All the mosques like many around the world, provide free meals, so we would go to our favorite (Sultan) and sit with hundreds of people on long tables and share our evening meal of chicken, rice, sambal, gelatinous rice pudding, lamb porridge, tea, dates, and fruits. It was a great way to spend time with the locals and get to know a few familiar faces.
While Singapore for us didn't present any awe inspiring moments, we enjoyed the every day, such as cheap and tasty food at the hawker centers, where the two of us could get a meal for about 6 SGD, walks in parks, botanical garden, and even mundane things like grocery shopping. We also got to know a few people from our time spent at the Mosque and had a wonderful week spent with our friends Nadia and Adnan who had great views of the harbor and nearby East Coast Park from their high rise apartment.
The highlight was visiting Astana, the Presidential Palace, open only four times a year. We happened to be there at the right time, so were able to check out the site with its expansive manicured lawns, fountains with swans, and a sea of calm in an otherwise fast moving city.
Singapore would be the last country on our year long trip, so we both looked forward to but also with some hesitation about homecoming.
Singapore for a country of 5 million has a sizable Muslim and Hindu population often with many in close proximity of each other and witnessing the huge Eid celebrations was a surprise as we did not expect parts of the city to be so lit up and decorated.
We spent the month of Ramadan here at the oldest and biggest mosque, known as Sultan Masjid built in the 1800's. In our observance, found the hospitality of the Malays, one of the few ethnic groups along with a predominantly Chinese and Tamil Indians to be curious and friendly. Our time spent during Ramadan was one of peace and a regularity to a day usually filled with lots of decision making and running around. We would wake up each morning at 5, have our morning meal and then go back to sleep after praying. In the afternoons, it was usually too hot, so we would take a short stroll to a park or spend time at the wonderful National Library nearby.
The evenings we really looked forward to because we could break our fast and finally eat. All the mosques like many around the world, provide free meals, so we would go to our favorite (Sultan) and sit with hundreds of people on long tables and share our evening meal of chicken, rice, sambal, gelatinous rice pudding, lamb porridge, tea, dates, and fruits. It was a great way to spend time with the locals and get to know a few familiar faces.
While Singapore for us didn't present any awe inspiring moments, we enjoyed the every day, such as cheap and tasty food at the hawker centers, where the two of us could get a meal for about 6 SGD, walks in parks, botanical garden, and even mundane things like grocery shopping. We also got to know a few people from our time spent at the Mosque and had a wonderful week spent with our friends Nadia and Adnan who had great views of the harbor and nearby East Coast Park from their high rise apartment.
The highlight was visiting Astana, the Presidential Palace, open only four times a year. We happened to be there at the right time, so were able to check out the site with its expansive manicured lawns, fountains with swans, and a sea of calm in an otherwise fast moving city.
Singapore would be the last country on our year long trip, so we both looked forward to but also with some hesitation about homecoming.
Moving South towards the Mediterranean
The town of Bergama boasts some fine Roman ruins as they have left their legacy throughout Turkey. At our hotel in the morning as we were heading out to get some cheap breakfast, ran into Imdad, an Australian Turkish guy, complete with the accent to go with it. We chatted for a while and when he found out of our Pakistani origin elected me to cook some masala chicken and opted to buy the supplies for us. I happily agreed as Sabeen and I hadn't had much of a chance to practice our culinary skills outside of cooking pasta at a few random hotels.
Imdad was nice enough to even chat with the hotel owner and convinced him to drop the price for us even further. We both grabbed a cheap and filling breakfast of olives, cheese, tomatoes, butter, honey, and Turkish tea. Walking past the Red Basilica, spotted some carpets being sold and went in to chat with the owner, who of course offered us tea and told us of his 180 year old building and family business going back generations.
Both of us love conversing with locals and it breaks the monotony of walking around.
It was a hot day, so had originally planned to walk the 6 KMs to the Roman acropolis but ditched the idea and instead walked into a pastry shop and got some free samples of halva.
My masala chicken turned out pretty good as Imdad back at the hotel had already bought the chicken and the rice and were just missing a few key ingredients. I ducked my head out the window and before long the entire hotel staff was running around to get me what I needed. We found two guys from Germany and brought them over as well to share in the food.
Imdad was nice enough to even chat with the hotel owner and convinced him to drop the price for us even further. We both grabbed a cheap and filling breakfast of olives, cheese, tomatoes, butter, honey, and Turkish tea. Walking past the Red Basilica, spotted some carpets being sold and went in to chat with the owner, who of course offered us tea and told us of his 180 year old building and family business going back generations.
Both of us love conversing with locals and it breaks the monotony of walking around.
It was a hot day, so had originally planned to walk the 6 KMs to the Roman acropolis but ditched the idea and instead walked into a pastry shop and got some free samples of halva.
My masala chicken turned out pretty good as Imdad back at the hotel had already bought the chicken and the rice and were just missing a few key ingredients. I ducked my head out the window and before long the entire hotel staff was running around to get me what I needed. We found two guys from Germany and brought them over as well to share in the food.
Food on the Road
Some of the best and cheapest food we had was on road stops on the numerous buses we took during our trip.
- Indonesia: The food comes to you as many vendors board the bus and sell bananas, Nasi Goreng, Lontong, gelatinous rice, and fruit juices
- Laos: Rolling past endless rows of fried duck and chicken sold on wooden carts
- Thailand: Delicious spring rolls with equally delicious sweet and spicy sauce
- Nepal: Hot tandoor roti with daal, rice, and vegetables served on long tables. The food is all you can eat as women go around with a bucket and ladle and pour more food into your plate until the bus leaves.........delicious
- China: Uighur food is finger licking and we had plenty of it in tiny restaurants warmed by a wood stove with diners gathered all around drinking pots of green tea and delicious mutton with greasy nans or pasta
- Tajikistan: Sitting on the floor eating nan, fresh yogurt, and mutton
- Cambodia: Delicious coconut rice, fish, and noodles
A Blessed Ceremony
One of the French men staying at Natalie's Kitchen has been in the country for 11 years and has completed building his home and so while we were having breakfast there were invited to attend his house blessing ceremony and to partake in the celebrations.
Nothing is Laos happens without a religious ceremony and so we along with a few other tourist packed into the van and drove off into the countryside towards the house. Upon arrival, the food preparation was well underway with women handling the cooking working huge pots of food on open flames in the grassy area. A local priest arrived and the ceremony began with the priest and all the guests completing four circles around the house. We then went inside, sat down around the food offering, and were given kramas to wear around our chest. The priest began chanting prayers and women went around to all the guests with plates of food, while another would tie white strings around our wrists symbolizing guardian spirits. More offerings were made of rice, fruits, and alcohol, which the priest would squirt out of his mouth and shower the guests with. After the ceremony ended, we walked out on the large wooden platform, sat on the floor, and were presented with a bounty of food consisting of sticky rice, grilled fish, fish stew, blood soup, noodles, skewered meats, and salad. We ate with gusto, chatted, and met the men who put together the house in five days.
We spent the day lazing on mats in the grass overlooking the river eating and chatting. We were definitely honored guests as we didn't have to lift a finger and one of the women would bring us pillows to make our horizontal life even more comfortable along with plates of food if we got hungry. As if we hadn't eaten enough, plates of Papayas were served for desert along with cold fruit soup, which was delicious. We ended the day with another pretty sunset and came back into town to end a perfect day.
The rest of out days here were spent getting bikes and riding out to a lake to picnic along its banks and visit some stupas along the way.
Nothing is Laos happens without a religious ceremony and so we along with a few other tourist packed into the van and drove off into the countryside towards the house. Upon arrival, the food preparation was well underway with women handling the cooking working huge pots of food on open flames in the grassy area. A local priest arrived and the ceremony began with the priest and all the guests completing four circles around the house. We then went inside, sat down around the food offering, and were given kramas to wear around our chest. The priest began chanting prayers and women went around to all the guests with plates of food, while another would tie white strings around our wrists symbolizing guardian spirits. More offerings were made of rice, fruits, and alcohol, which the priest would squirt out of his mouth and shower the guests with. After the ceremony ended, we walked out on the large wooden platform, sat on the floor, and were presented with a bounty of food consisting of sticky rice, grilled fish, fish stew, blood soup, noodles, skewered meats, and salad. We ate with gusto, chatted, and met the men who put together the house in five days.
We spent the day lazing on mats in the grass overlooking the river eating and chatting. We were definitely honored guests as we didn't have to lift a finger and one of the women would bring us pillows to make our horizontal life even more comfortable along with plates of food if we got hungry. As if we hadn't eaten enough, plates of Papayas were served for desert along with cold fruit soup, which was delicious. We ended the day with another pretty sunset and came back into town to end a perfect day.
The rest of out days here were spent getting bikes and riding out to a lake to picnic along its banks and visit some stupas along the way.
The Baguette Trail
We have been following the baguette trail as I like to call it since in Vietnam, Laos, and in Cambodia being former French colonies they consume the bread for breakfast with triangle wedges of cheese, which costs about a dollar. It also makes for a tasty afternoon snack and we liked ours with some chillies to add an Asian flavor. The Mekong river has also been our companion and we witnessed its life giving properties supporting rice farms, floating villages, and entire towns built along its banks. Our personal interactions included boating on its waters, cycling along its quiet muddy banks, watching naked kids bathe, observing women washing clothes, and seeing lazy sunsets.
We arrived in the sleepy country of Laos in the southern part of Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands) at night and hopped on a Sangthaew (a truck with 2 rows of seats) and made our way to the boat. The ride felt like a Hallowen hayride with distant village fires burning and pitch black. We came to our wooden boat and made our across the river to the other side with clear constellations above. The islands are made up of the three biggest known as Don Khong, Don Dhet, and Don Khon and a host of many other tiny specks of land. The islands recently got 24 hour electricity and consist of dirt paths lined with farms and plenty of farm animals and noise to settle you in quietly. At night the stars are amazing with the soft gurgle of the Mekong flowing by quietly. We rented bicycles, which in these countries consists of a rusty frame with squeaky to non-existing brakes, a hard seat, banana handlebars, and a single gear. The accessories sometimes include a bell and a front basket. For some reason my bikes would always throw the chain so after learning from a local would find some sticks and get the chain back on without blackening my hands. The trails on the islands are rutty and rocky so needless to say biking anywhere was painful and slow but an endearing way to observe everyday village life. We biked out to a beach by the river with mint green waters and to a high point to witness beautiful surrounding country and to try and get lucky and spot the Irrawaddy dolphins that make their home here. Most of the activity consists of watching the boats ply the waterways, writing in the diary, and eating.
We make our way northward from here to the town of Savannakhet to celebrate New Years.
We arrived in the sleepy country of Laos in the southern part of Si Phan Don (4,000 Islands) at night and hopped on a Sangthaew (a truck with 2 rows of seats) and made our way to the boat. The ride felt like a Hallowen hayride with distant village fires burning and pitch black. We came to our wooden boat and made our across the river to the other side with clear constellations above. The islands are made up of the three biggest known as Don Khong, Don Dhet, and Don Khon and a host of many other tiny specks of land. The islands recently got 24 hour electricity and consist of dirt paths lined with farms and plenty of farm animals and noise to settle you in quietly. At night the stars are amazing with the soft gurgle of the Mekong flowing by quietly. We rented bicycles, which in these countries consists of a rusty frame with squeaky to non-existing brakes, a hard seat, banana handlebars, and a single gear. The accessories sometimes include a bell and a front basket. For some reason my bikes would always throw the chain so after learning from a local would find some sticks and get the chain back on without blackening my hands. The trails on the islands are rutty and rocky so needless to say biking anywhere was painful and slow but an endearing way to observe everyday village life. We biked out to a beach by the river with mint green waters and to a high point to witness beautiful surrounding country and to try and get lucky and spot the Irrawaddy dolphins that make their home here. Most of the activity consists of watching the boats ply the waterways, writing in the diary, and eating.
We make our way northward from here to the town of Savannakhet to celebrate New Years.
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