8 Kirkegata, Tromsø, Norway
Visited 3rd August 2010
Norway is spectacular, but Norway is expensive. Camping, nights sleeping on ferries and trains and a diet of fruit and sandwiches (though sandwiches packed with reindeer salami I might add) all helped to make my trip that little bit more financially feasible. During my two weeks in Norway I only ate at three restaurants, basically because that’s all the budget could handle. Anyway the previous day I’d celebrated my birthday with a couple of pints and a sleep on a sofa of the Hurtigruten coastal ferry. Back on dry land and in the Northern city of Tromsø I decided it was time to treat myself to dinner and splurged at Emmas Drømmekjøkken or 'Emma's Dream Kitchen' as it translates.
The cute little restaurant is located opposite Tromsø's unique wooden Cathedral.
The influence of local, fresh produce is obvious across Norway (well at least during the summer) and the menu at Emmas Drømmekjøkken featured plenty of it. I started with a lamb and feta salad. Lettuce, asparagus and vodka poached tomatoes were topped with crumbly feta and locally cured lamb. The freshness of the greens nicely complimented the gamy lamb, however my only grip was that he vodka poached tomatoes were flavourless and kind of weird. The previous week on the Lofotens I'd caught a fair few Char so couldn’t resist indulging in a dish of this Arctic salmonoid. Poached until tender the fillet of fish was accompanied by a creamy basil sauce, asparagus and new potatoes. Simple and honest; the reason I loved this dish was the quality of the delicious Char. To drink they matched a couple of glasses of wine to my meal; the first was an OK Italian white, but the 
Loire Chenin Blanc that was poured with the Char was fantastic. It was a perfect match; delicious and with just a touch of sweetness to complement the richness of the fish.
Maybe I just needed a bit of civilization, but I walked away from dinner at Emmas Drømmekjøkken a satisfied man. The food was excellent – well prepared and made with what were obviously quality ingredients. The staff were knowledge, friendly and more than happy for a chat whether it was about fishing or wine. Value is a matter of perception and while I honestly can’t remember what my meal cost (maybe I’m just blocking it out), whatever it was it was worth it. If you're ever lucky enough to be visiting Tromsø definitely pop into Emmas Drømmekjøkken for a feed. 
Visit restaurant website.
Trip to Stari Grad, Croatia
Visited 6th August 2009
From Bol our Dalmatian adventure continued with a night in the tiny port town of Stari Grad. The Island of Hvar is better known for the popular tourist spot of Hvar City, but quiet Stari Grad's makes for a relaxing alternative. After an evening wandering narrow streets, 
starring wishfully at big yachts and sipping drinks on the waterfront we ended up in a lovely backstreet restaurant. I've no idea of any of the details of our dining destination and I don't think I ever even caught the place's name.
Occupying a humble, yet beautiful old building the restaurant utilises a lower outdoor courtyard and a higher open-aired balcony; a lovely setting filled with fragrant climbing plants. The menu featured lots of fresh seafood, but my brother went for a tasty steak, healthily stuffed with Chinese and ham, while I chose the local Dalmatian seafood stew - a mix of squid, prawns and fish in a rich tomato and wine sauce. Accompa
nying this was the usual bread, salad and mandatory carafe of local wine.
Great food in a lovely setting made for a memorable meal, but a real highlight was the excellent service. The bloke waiting the tables was packed with personality and keen for chat. His interesting discussions included insights into life in modern Croatia and the tough times that exist behind the glitz and glamor of the tourist towns. Our visit to Stari Grad was brief, but memorable.
9 Uz Pjacu, Bol, Brac, Croatia
Visited 5th August 2009
After the excitement of Shrewsbury the next stop on my summer holiday was a visit to the Island of Brac on Croatia's Dalmatian coast. The four days we spent in Brac's main town of Bol were great and a part of our enjoyment came from the great local food. On our last evening we dined at Restaurant Jadranka. Slightly back from the beach and through the square where the post office is; the restaurant sprawls through a couple of large, open-aired, walled gardens. The setting is fantastic, especially when lit by candle light of an evening. The owner is an accomplished carver and a series of interesting wood sculptures decorate the restaurant. 
Croatia food echoes Italian cuisine in many ways. Pizza, pasta, grilled meat, simple seafood, salad and bread all have an obvious presence as does the importance attributed to the quality and freshness off the ingredients. Before we had even ordered we were presented with bread, butter and pesto. The thick, heavy bread was delicious and the pile of bright pesto had obviously been freshly made; excellent stuff. For our main we decided upon a platter of grilled meat and were presented with a towering pile of lamb chops, chicken, steak, kebabs and pork fillets, all simply grilled. Accompanying this feast of flesh were a few simple fries, lemon for squeezing and a delicious capsicum based sauce, again homemade. We ordered a side salad and the simple dish of lettuce, onion and tomatoes impressed me with its freshness and I wasn't surprised when I was told that the lettuce had been grown in the proprietor's garden. To drink we did our usual and ordered a carafe of the highly drinkable local wine. 
I really liked Restaurant Jadranka. The courtyard made for a relaxing setting and the staff were friendly and welcoming; however what impressed me the most was the freshness of the ingredients and the quality of the obviously homemade food. I'm not a bit fan of fluffy foam and sparkly garnishes so well prepared, simple food is a recipe for success in my book. We ate lots of good grub while in Bol, but Restaurant Jadranka would have to take the award for the most memorable meal of stay.
Visit restaurant website.
46.674889°N / 7.999667°E
Visited 29th July 2009 
You've really got to love an address that's just grid coordinates; no road, no street just a hotel atop a Swiss mountain. To get to the Faulhorn Mountain Lodge from Interlaken we caught a train to Grindelwald, a cable car to First and finally walked for a few hours through some of the most spectacular scenery I've ever encountered. The Faulhorn itself is a 2683m (8803ft) tall peak in the Bernese Alps. You'd almost assume that a building plonked in the middle of such an awe-inspiring natural environment would be out of place, yet the hotel - which has been there for 180 years - somehow fits in perfectly. The 360° views, I'm sure you can see, are spectacular.
The menu's got a bit of all the classic Swiss stuff, though to be honest we really weren't that interested in food. A couple of cold soft drinks followed by a couple of cold beers were the order of the day. As they're stuck on a mountain, resources are scarce and everything, apart from solar energy and glacier melt water, is imported. Food and drink isn't cheap, but that's more than fair as everything is either hand cared in or air freighted by helicopter.
Even though I didn't eat a thing I can still recommend a meal at the Faulhorn Mountain Lodge. I know it's a bit of a long shot for a Hong Kong food blog, but 'if you're ever in the area' I'm definitely telling you to put in the effort and trek up the Faulhorn. The beers are cold and the view is absolutely superb.
Visit restaurant website.
Trip to Tuscany
22nd to 29th December
Thousands of years of history means Tuscany has plenty to offer the visitor. We had an absolute cracker of a time wandering the ancient streets of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni and Volterra; climbing the dome of Florence's Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral, walking in the woods around the house and exploring the coast. Tuscany also has a culinary tradition stretching back thousands of years and, as good culture tourists, we made a point of giving it due importance in our itinerary.
Coffee and cake
Italy, coffee, coffee, Italy; well it's a given and that's the thing I like most about drinking coffee i
n Italy - it's essential necessity is assumed. We enjoyed caffè lattes (probably officially later then is allowed) and delightful little cakes at Volterra's great patisserie. Another top spot in Volterra was Web and Wine where the internet was juxtaposed next to ancient Roman ruins. Naomi was very enthusiastic about the thick, gluggy, ultra rich Italian hot chocolate; her favourite example w
as from a tiny cafe hidden in the back streets of Florence.
The quality of the patisserie merchandise was top notch and most Italians aren't afraid to indulge. My favourite sweet treat was a custard tart with ultra crisp pastry and an airy, subtle filling. Purchased from an unknown bakery in Florence it was all the sweeter because I had to buy it to get change for a parking metre; of course it was great telling the others all about how good it was afterwards. 
Restaurants
Italy's contribution to world food is undisputed; you can buy a pizza in any isolated backwater and even the most inept home cook can somehow manage to throw together a decent bowl of pasta. Being in Tuscany I was keen to see how the professionals did 
things on their home turf. We usually ate a restaurant lunch while we were out and about, with dinner tending to be a more subdued affair at the house. Regional produce was everywhere and we sampled some excellent salami, cheese and of course the local vino.
I've already written about Osteria Castelvecchio and Ghostbuster Ristorante Pizzeria, but another culinary highlight was Ristorante Il Sacco Fiorentino in Volterra. We visited this spacious restaurant on our final night for a thoroughly enjoyable meal. I had a delicious serve of fresh pappardelle pasta and venison ragu, followed by 
wild boar steaks topped with cheese and sage. Chocked with seasonal dishes and reflecting the local love of hunting the menu included an interesting selection of game and winter vegetables.
We stumbled across Il Gambero in Pontedera; an industrial town we passed on our return to Pisa airport. The pizza oven was devastatingly turned off so my brother missed his calzone, but we were more than happy with hearty pasta and plates of fresh seafood. My calamari was flavoursome and tender and everything was again awesome value at under €40 for the four of us. It was interesting to note that most restaurants had very similar menus, but when it's so good who really cares. Everywhere there was an emphasis on quality ingredients and I just love the fact that people in Italian aren't afraid to eat. 
and a sly slice of Pizza
Italy's famous for lots of things: fashion, art, cathedrals, bad drivers, shonky towers and of course pizza. The
re are a couple possibilities if you're keen to chow on a slice of Italian pizza; the first option is to order at a restaurant and devour. The second is to buy a slice to takeaway from a bakery; where it's usually cut from a gigantic slab, weighed and heated.
In 2000 my brother and I were backpacking through Italy and got really got into the pizza by the slice scene - so much so we had to ration ourselves to two slices a day to try and maintain some kind of dignity about the waist. Our all time favourite spot was the 'bakery on the corner' a couple of shops down from our guesthouse in Florence. I was off to rediscover the 'baker
y on the corner'. While the others stood patiently shacking with cold amongst the treasures of San Lorenzo leather market, I triumphantly stumbled through memories to find the pizza at the end of the rainbow. The place was called Forno di Stefano Galli, the cake display wasn't quite as big and shinny as I remembered but the pizza was just as good. Now if only I had a chance to try to find that tiny little bar in Venice... 
Via Aurelia 961, Castiglioncello
Visited 26th December 2007
Italy is a long way from the MCG so making the Boxing Day Test was going to be difficult; instead of the cricket we went to the beach. Tuscany isn't known for its coast and the stretch we drove between Cecina and Livorno was a pleasant un-touristy area with quiet little towns, rocky cliffs and the odd dark, sandy beach. Ghostbuster in Castiglioncello won us with its name and logo, but instead of a shrine to 80s tack we were greeted with a stylish, airy restaurant, packed with satisfied looking locals.
Ghostbuster's menu is classic Italian and I couldn't go past seafood gnocchi. These delightfully tender little gnocchi were
served with whole prawns, langoustines and a rich, creamy sauce. The others went with pizzas, linguine with mussels and pesto and the usual insalata mista on the side (surely one of the snappiest named dishes in Italy). The food was superb and deliciously fresh, however Naomi was shocked by the anchovies crowning her Napoletana pizza (which later research proved to be spot-on authentic). Surprising I drunk water - perhaps I was feeling sorry for my brother who stupidly put only his own name on the car insurance and thus limited his mid-day wine consumption or perhaps I was just hung-over.
Ghostbuster was perfect; friendly service, excellent food and a slick setting. The bill came to only €45 which was 
great value for such a satisfying lunch. That evening we pulled out a VHS copy of Ghostbusters found hidden at the house and lost ourselves in classic 80s cinema and some Bill Murray magic.
Via Castelvecchio 65, Siena
Visited 24th December
On our second day in Italy we headed to Siena after a brief stop at the spectacular fortified hilltop village of Monteriggioni. Walking the winding medieval streets of Siena is fascinating in its own right, bu
t Siena's two main attractions; the huge town square, the Piazza del Campo and its beautiful cathedral, the Duomo are both magnificent highlights. Hidden in the back streets north of the Duomo Osteria Castelvecchio was a superb choice for lunch. Though we were the first to arrive the place quickly filled up with locals who I happily observed drunk a lot of wine and devoured numerous courses.
The bloke running the show was a welcoming and friendly host who translated the daily menu with passion and gusto. I went for roast pork with potatoes and a thick mushroom sauce, while Naomi and my brother got stuck into deliciously rich, beer cooked chicken. My meal was superb; the pork tender and the mushrooms an interesting companio
n. Dessert tempted us and we ordered a couple of sampler plates piled with the three daily selections of which the white cheese smothered with rich caramel, rum sauce was the highlight. I washed it down with a couple of glasses of a tasty Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and of course finished with a little espresso.
I was a worried about the potential expense of Italy, but the bill for the four of us was less than €70 which even in Hong Kong is good value for two courses, wine and coffee. The service was fantastic and the locals on the surrounding tables companionable and welcoming. For me Osteria Castelvecchio satisfied stereotypes of good Italy food; robust, delicious dishes served with passion from a seasonal, daily menu. Siena good town; Osteria Castelvecchio bloody good restaurant.
Via Guarnacci 3, Volterra, Italy
Our Tuscan residence was just outside of beautiful hill top town of Volterra. The surrounding countryside was glorious and town itself a spectacular maze of winding medieval streets and Etruscan ruins. As magical as all this was, sadly my priorities were focused on the fruits of the local
vineyards. After visiting the towers of San Gimignano we returned for a wander through Volterra and thankfully stumbled across Enoteca Scali, a fantastic wineshop.
Housed in a beautiful medieval building Enoteca Scali certainly looks the part and the huge collection, of mainly Tuscan wines, on display are enough to quicken the pulse. We shared a couple of confused looks before doing the only reasonable thing and asking for a recommendation. The guy running the show was great and selected an interesting mixed dozen; he chose a variety of local DOCG wines and their more mutinous Tuscana IGT brethren. His knowledge was fantastic and we appreciated the bottle of sparkling he snuck in as a Christmas gift. Enoteca Scali do
esn't disappoint in the gourmet department and offers a good selection of local cheese, cured meats, oil, vinegar, dry goods and panforte. Even though we walked out happily laden my brother and I did some quick calculations and questioned whether a dozen bottles would last the Christmas period; we snuck back the next day for another sly six.
Enoteca Scali also doubles as a wine bar. It's possible to grab a bottle off the shelf, relax at one of the small tables out the back and munch on a little local produce. On our final night in Italy this is what we did and enjoyed a Castello Di Ama Chianti Classico 1999 and Moris Avvoltore Maremma Toscana IGT 2004. The Castello Di Ama was classic Chianti; spiced, medium bodied and complex, while the full-bodied Moris Avvoltore was a more fruit driven, but equally delicious with silky oak treatment. The accompanying pl
ate of cheese, salami and lardo was delicious and good value at €8. I was also surprised that there was no corkage charge and the wines simply cost their shelf price. Everything about Enoteca Scali impressed me; the service, ambiance, knowledge, passion, range, prices and salami were all spot on. It's a place that made me very excited and one I'd most certainly recommend; Enoteca Scali is an absolute joy.
Visit website (currently under construction).
The cute little restaurant is located opposite Tromsø's unique wooden Cathedral.
Loire Chenin Blanc that was poured with the Char was fantastic. It was a perfect match; delicious and with just a touch of sweetness to complement the richness of the fish.
Posts
