Eating Germany
9th to 15th August 2010
Germany is an under-rated tourist destination; spectacular landscapes, vibrant cities, a rich history, a great music and arts scene, a plethora of beer, some of the World's best white wines and the food, well the food is... . A week in Germany is enough to turn off even the biggest devotees of roast pork, but aside from the knuckles, sauerkraut and kartoffelklösse Germany is also the land of the sausage. My motto is "a sausage a day is the German way".
Mmm, tasty stuff to start; the classic Bratwurst.
Grilled not boiled; Bockwurst at its best.
Doubling up; a delicious pair of bratwurst.
OK so it's not technically a sausage, but it's still pork in bread. A rather tasty roasted cured pork roll; a speciality of Munich.
They're little but there're three of them. The Nuernberger; a trio of grilled Nuremberg sausages, a speciality of, well Nuremburg obviously.
The sausage was good; the view in the background is the streets of Nuremburg.
Currywurst; I'm normally a fan but this one was pretty uninspiring. The sauce was too sweet and the sausage dry and overcooked.
Caw-Oy, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
Visited 25th April 
A brief tip to Philippines for the Cebu Rugby 10s left a big bunch of hungover blokes looking for something to divert the pain come Sunday morning. There really wasn't much for it but to hire a boat and go for a cruise. Our first stop was the fish feeding area off the side of Olango Island that I've visited before; this time unfortunately there weren't many fish so the whole snorkelling thing was a bit of a letdown. Suddenly it was lunch time and we were shunted across to a Topie & Dinah 'Live Seafood Restaurant' further around the island. This place claims to be 'floating', though in reality it sits
on stilts just off the Island. The restaurant itself is really basic; just a concrete floor and roof. We sprawled out, ordered some San Migs and started to think about food.
There weren't menus, just a few of tubes of fish to choose from so a couple of blokes took responsibility and ordered up a decent mix of fishy goodies. First came some char-grilled tiger prawns; these guys were big, tasty and flavoursome. Next up were some big grilled clams with garlic and fried calamari. The squid was ruined by the thick, ugly batter that consumed it; however the clams were better, though a tad dry. 'Lapu-Lapu' is how the Filipinos refer to Grouper and it's considered a bit of a national delicacy. The fish we were presented with was tiny, though tasty and well prepared in an almost Chinese style with ginger, garlic and soy. Last was a whole tuna, just big enough for our table of hungry rugby players. The fish was simply grilled on coals. It was cooked too quickly which meant that different parts were cooked to different degrees, but if you found the right part it was delicious. Cold bottles of San Mig were the order of the day, though I think I saw someone sensibly sipping on water. 
OK so the food wasn't Earth shattering, but our lunch at Topie & Dinah 'Live Seafood Restaurant' certainly scores points as an experience. The tab came to a fair PHP550 (HK$100) each. My biggest concern however was the environmental consequences of my lunch. The restaurant was located atop coral in or near a marine sanctuary; coral which we were forced to walk across. The grouper was clearly well under-sized and many types of tuna are endangered. Oh the toilet also flushed straight into the water. OK so If I'm such a raving hippie why did I bother writing the restaurant up at all? Well despite my reservations I still think the lunch deserves recognition as part of a great weekend. I was in Cebu for under forty hours yet managed a rugby tournament, dinner, partying, a dawn ANZAC Day Service, boat trip, seafood lunch and a bit of pool time; it just shows you what you can do in a weekend!
Knicks vs. Bulls, Madison Square Garden
17th February 2010
From Vegas it was onto New York and after a couple of days of sightseeing, snow and culture it was time for a night out. A New Yorker mate had organised tickets to the basketball and I was one excited camper. As a kid I grew up watching the NBA and was excited to be seeing my first game. I was also pretty pumped to be visiting the iconic Madison Square Garden, a venue that had somehow found a place in my heart because of its appearance in one of very favourite movies; the 1980s classic Highlander.
We had beers beforehand, beers afterwards and big plastic cups of beer during the game. I was in America watching sport and drinking beer, there was only one thing I could do; eat a hotdog. The dog itself was an average affair; a flavourless sausage, stale bread and disgustingly synthetic 'cheese', and 'pickle' toppings. Despite a good first half by the Knicks at the final buzzer it was a win for the Bulls, a headache for me the next day and one very fun night.
A Country Town in Australia
2nd January 2010
Who in Hong Kong knows what a dim sim is? While Chinese in origin, a dim sim or ‘dimmy’ is very much an Australian dish. I’d assume the name is the corruption of the Chinese ‘dim sum’. These popular snacks are available from takeaway shops, fish n chip joints and Australian Chinese restaurants across the country. So what is a dimmy? Basically it’s a big, nuggetty, think skinned dumpling filled with cabbage and pork or chicken and either deep-fried or steamed. They are traditionally served smothered in soy sauce. 
Driving back from the beach I called into an average looking take-away joint with the intention of getting Joey’s reaction to a dim sim. Tradition labels poor quality dim sim as being filled with a whole assortment of miscellaneous meat and so I was almost disappointed when the smiling proprietor told us he was from Hong Kong and hand-made all his dim sims. The verdict? Joey was almost laughing when she saw the “monster dumpling” and while there’s nothing dainty about a dimmy, we both enjoyed are little snack of Australian Chinese fusion.
Read about dim sims here.
Port Philip Bay
2nd January 2010
We’re up before down, trying to beat the storm clouds gathering over the Bay. A group of us grabbed the required mountain of gear and headed out SCUBA diving in an attempt to get a feed or two of scallops. Port Phillip Bay is a massive body of water on which the city of Melbourne adjoins and lots of Victorians spend summers fishing, swimming and boating. 
I hadn’t dived in a couple of years so was hopelessly incompetent and retired from the adventure early. Before surfacing I did see a massive school of crabs that had swarmed for breeding and were churning up the ocean floor; an impressive sight. The others however did their job and returned with bags full of the fresh molluscs. 
Eating scallops is easy, but cleaning them is a different matter. Slaving away with a knife opening shells at least had that benefit of being able to munch on them, sashimi style, I worked. We had to head back to Melbourne, but took a bag of the fresh, juicy scallops for lunch. Pan-fried with and garlic and butter, they became the feature of a delicious salad. Fresh scallops gathered in the morning and eaten latter that day; oh Australia I’ll miss you.
Lunch at a mate’s
24th December 2009
Drawing up a list of things I miss about Australia wouldn’t be an easy task. On top, of course, would be friends and family, but then what? Clean air? The bush? The open road? A half decent education system? But surely, near the very top somewhere, would have to be the subtle joys of fishing. So when I see the fish my friends catch it tends to make me just a tad jealous; jealous of all the casts I’ve missed since being away. 
It’s my first morning back in Australia and time to begin the circus of catching up with friends; something, that unfortunately for Joey (on her first visit), tends to dominate trips home. First stop is lunch at a mate’s and alongside the super company and delicious wine is this massive Snapper he caught; stuffed with rice, herbs and onion. Freshly caught, well seasoned and packed with juicy flavour it’s a memorable meal that brings buckets of joy, but also just a hint of regret at what would be a much more regular occurrence if I still lived in the Land Down Under.
Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei
Visited 24th October 2009
A public holiday in honour of the Chung Yeung Festival means a sneaky trip across to Taipei for the long weekend. After arriving late Friday, Saturday was all about sightseeing: Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, the Wanhua District, Sun Yat-sen Hall and Taipei 101. Later in the evening, somewhat under duress I found myself at the massive Wufenpu Clothing Market. While originally a wholesale operation this massive market now does a roaring retail trade 
for the fashion conscious looking for a bargain. As I obviously don't fit that category I adopted my usual shopping strategy and grabbed a couple of cold beers from a convenience store and found a perch to watch the world spin past. After the bargains had been shot, bagged and hung it was only as short stroll to Raohe Street Night Market.
When ever I mention Taipei to my work colleagues they begin to rant about snacks, street food and night markets; while it may be a bit of a stereotype, it seems to me that Hong Kongers main interest in Taipei is their obsession with Taiwanese snack food. On my last trip I visited the vibrant Shilin Nightmarket and grotty Huaxi Street Tourist
Night Market, so this was my first trip to Raohe Street. The market was smaller than I expected and the close sided street was jammed with stalls and a pulsating mass of punters. Though it was crowded the market had a vibrant and lively feel with plenty going on.
We arrived just planning to have a 'snack' but ended up having several. First off it was a couple of big, juicy pan-fried buns purchased from a bloke frying them
up right in the middle of the road. Beautifully textured with soft, light dough and crispy bums, these were some tasty buns. We stepped into a little restaurant for some noodles and had a serve of la mian with beef and chilli, along with a really interesting plate of seaweed and tofu; a dish I'd never had before. The spicy noodles were good, though really rich with all the fat from the meat. The seaweed was an interesting dish that offered a good contrast to the heat and oily richness of the noodles. 
Apart from the always popular food stalls there were plenty of places selling a variety of clothes, handcraft, household stuff and crappy souvenirs. And yes somehow we managed to do more shopping on the way out. Too be honest I wasn't expecting much when I arrived at Raohe Street Night Market, but I loved it. Packing a surprisingly good punch for its size it is one of the better options amongst Taipei's parade of nightmarkets.
Visit market website.
Borough High St, Borough, London
Visited 15th August 2009
For an Aussie teacher living in Hong Kong I tend to visit London a fair bit. While Borough Market isn't my reason for rocking into town I always try and find time for a trip to this great market. It's situated just past the southern end of Tower Bridge, under the train lines next to Southwark Cathedral. It has been running on its current site since 1796, though there has apparently been a market in the area since Roman times.
The key to Borough Market is not shopping, but browsing; though a better term would probably be grazing. Before the commitment of actually buying anything it's always worth a stroll to see what tasty tit 
bits and samples are up for offer (my other favourite place for a graze is Sapporo Airport). I wondered the stalls and gazed starry eyed at a cornucopia of fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, herbs, fish, meat, game, cheese, bread, cakes, chocolate, beer, wine and a thousand other exciting things. When there was something to try I did. I managed to sample a delicious range of cured meats, cheese, a tasty little bit of chocolate or two and even a couple of sips of wine.
Eventually however it was time for a solid lunch and we ended up at the barbecue out back of Brindisa. This supplier of Spanish produce fires up the barbecue and sells chewie rolls dossed with olive oil and then filled with roasted capsicum, rocket and a choice of one or two
spicy chorizo sausages; we of course went for the double. OK it was just a sandwich but it was a good sandwich and a sandwich which seemed to encapsulate Borough Market; tasty food, made with fresh local ingredients, but with a twist of international flavour. My only complaint was the element of danger eating these sandwiches; dripping chorizo fat, roasted capsicum juice and olive oil, is tasty, but does tend to stain your favourite t-shirt. For the sceptics Borough Market goes a long way to proving the quality of contemporary English food.
Visit market 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.
Visit to Padstow
20th July 2009
For me a trip to Europe always starts with a visit to my mother's family in Cornwall. Apart from sipping sherry with Granny and causing a bit of trouble with my cousin it's also a chance to reacquaint myself with the places and traditions that bind my mother's family. One of the things we tend to love dearly round my neck of the woods is a Cornish pasty. The Cornish are extremely serious about their pasties, so serious in fact they're in the process of getting it registered with the EU, as a 'Protected Geographical Indicator'.
Day One in Cornwall was pasty day. My brother and I were unceremoniously abandoned by our mother in Padstow, where we enjoyed a walk along the Camel Trail that finished with coffee and wine at BinTwo, a quality little place that survives amongst the fierce competition of Planet Rick Stein. But before any of this it was pasty day. Today there's a multitude of exotic pasty fillings available including things like pork, lamb and even curry, but we both kept things traditional and went for a classic filling of beef, onion, swede and potato. The pasty itself pretty decent with a tasty peppery seasoning, but the fact that we were sitting eating it on the water in Cornwall made it perfect.
Visit Cornish Pasty Association website.
South Australia, A$2-3
Living in Hong Kong the one thing do occasionally miss from back home in Australia is Farmers Union Iced 
Coffee. Fair enough I hear you say, but it's just coffee flavoured milk right? Yeah OK, but Farmers Union is bloody good, Australian, coffee flavoured milk that has memories of pies and road trips and staggering home through Richmond under a rising sun and fishing. Australia does the best commercially flavoured milk in the world and Farmer's Union has always been my pick of the commercial offerings. In its home state of South Australia Farmer's Union Iced Coffee out sells Coke, one of the very few places in the world where this happens. Sometimes it is good to be home.
Visit website.
Visit to Singapore
8th to 11th April 2009
A few days in Singapore is always fun and this trip seemed to be packed with action. Visits to the Zoo (think white tigers), Sentosa Island (beach, aquarium, monkeys) and Clarke Quay (beer) were all highlights, as of course was the tasty food offered at Singapore's many hawker centres...
Maxwell Food Centre, China Town
I couldn't find the Maxwell Food Centre publicised in any guidebooks, but I quite like the simple honesty of this hawker market that's found opposite the Buddha's Tooth Relic Temple on South Bridge Road. With its close proximity to China Town regional Chinese 
cuisine is of course the mainstay with plenty of tasting looking dim sum on offer. I've recently been converted to the joys of Fuzhou fishballs so I couldn't resist ordering a serve of these tasty treats that came floating in noodle soup. My mate grabbed some decent steamed dumplings and we both enjoyed cool glasses of refreshing (and hangover curing) sugarcane and lime juice. While it may not be the most glamorous, cleanest or stylish joint in town, I like the rough and ready style of the Maxwell Food Centre.
Lau Pa Sat Festival Market, Raffles Place
This central hawker market is located within a beautiful Victoria cast iron structure which was apparently built in Glasgow in 1894 and
shipped to Singapore in pieces. The market is a popular stop with office workers mid-week and I'm pretty sure that a mate of mine eats here nearly every evening. The selection of food stalls covers an array of different cuisines and styles from hotdogs to curries, and ice-cream to fried-rice. We munched on my friend's favourite popiah rolls. These thin pancakes filled with radish, salad, chilli and egg were an extremely tasty snack. For me Lau Pa Sat is Singapore's quintessential hawker centre; imagine exotic
flavours and charming colonial building.
Newton Food Centre, Newton Circus
Newton Food Centre, an established favourite with tourists, just happened to be a short wander from where I was staying near Orchard Rd. While this hawker centre technically opens for lunch it doesn't really seem to fire up until the evenings and when I visited mid-afternoon was just stirring. There's a decent range of food with plenty of Malay style seafood on display, however I was just after a snack and ended up ordering fried rice and a strange grilled sandwich filled with a carrot omelette and smothered in a sweet red sauce. Topped with crisp whitebait the rice was tasty, while the sandwich was just downright weird. The prices at Newton Food Centre seem a tad higher than other markets around town and with its isolated setting its popularity seems somewhat unjustified. Unless you're staying up the road I can't see how a visit to the Newton Hawker Centre is worth it. 
An action shot of Matt rolling out the homemade pastry.
First in goes the onion, swede and potato; then it's chunks of Cornish beef.
The finished packages of goodness; absolutely superb.
Who knows where 
When you live in Hong Kong having Christmas in England and New Year's Eve in Australia is a bit of a big commitment, but some things need to be done. I left Exeter train station at 10am Sunday morning and when I finally parked 
The booze was just as much a task of love. Last July I helped bottle beer and there was a tasty range of homebrews to choose from alongside some great Aussie wine. The beers included:
While a late contender the evening definitely took the crown for 'wedding of the year'. A truly great weekend amongst great friends that made me almost miss Australia.
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