Oliva

63-69 Kau Yuk Rd, Yuen Long
Visited 24th October

Oliva is a new Italian restaurant, recently opened in Yuen Long. We went for dinner Wednesday night and had to do some fast talking to get a table amongst the curious throng. It's a large, spacious place; the walls are chocked full of old black and white film photos in an effort to give it a bit of an Italian pizzeria feel.

Oliva has a very impressive looking bar, but - in what is beginning to seem typical of new restaurants in Yuen Long - they haven't got their liqueur license yet. We made a quick trip across to 7/11 and stocked up on beers and even braved a bottle of wine. The complementary focaccia bread and balsamic was a refreshing and welcome start to the meal. For an entree I tucked into a Cesar Salad which, though nice enough, was pretty basic and uninspiring. My main was a surprisingly good fettuccine with pan-fried salmon and a pesto based sauce. The pasta was well cooked, the flaky salmon chunks were moist and tender and the sauce was creamy, but well-balanced. In contrast Naomi's rather average lasagne was filled with bread crumbs rather than meat and covered in an overly sweet tomato sauce. Oliva's menu really shines when it comes time to find room for something sweet from their classic selection of desserts. Naomi enjoyed her apple crumble with ice-cream, while the remaining four of us shared a 'chocolate puff tower'; a huge pile of profiteroles that, though tasty, was too big for us to finish.

Our first visit to Oliva was encouraging. The food is good, a little stock standard perhaps, but certainly better than many other attempts at 'Italian food' in the New Territories; a decent dessert menu is also a huge bonus. The service at Oliva was surprisingly good, with friendly staff who knew the menu. Another plus is the that some thought has been given to the ambiance; with the old photos, checked table cloths and a prominent bar it felt like I'd been transported back to Lygon Street in Melbourne. Oliva is a welcome addition to Yuen Long's restaurant scene and a good bet if you're in the area and after Italian food.

Michel Schneider Bernkasteler Kurfurstlay, Riesling Spatlese, 2006

Michel Schneider, Bernkasteler, Riesling Spatlese
Mosel-Saar-Ruwar, Germany, $98, synthetic cork

When Naomi says she needs a drink it's often something white and sweet that gets the job; at only 8.5% alcohol this German Riesling was perfect for a 'school night'. For a sweeter style wine I was impressed with how well this went with a roast pumpkin risotto; a match I wouldn't normally think of.

Michel Schneider Riesling Spatlese is a pretty straw gold in colour. The nose is subdued; there's a bit of floral stuff going on and a slight grapiness about it, but it doesn't leap put of the glass. The palate on the other hand is certainly all present and accounted for; there are big honey and apricot flavours with red apple, pear, dried pineapple and orange blossom in the background. The wine has got a full, honeyed feel in the mouth and it has a soft sweetness about it. It does lack acidity to balance out the syrupy sweetness which starts to get a little too much after awhile. A wine that is tasty and drinkable, though perhaps needs to be a little more complete and balanced to be really good.

Snacking Taipei

Trip to Taiwan
18th to 21st OctoberHaving a Friday off work for the Chung Yeung Festival Naomi and I packed our bags and headed across the Taiwan Strait for a weekend in Taipei. Highlights from our time exploring Taiwan's fun capital included: climbing Taipei 101 the World's tallest building, a long run along the Keelung River, an afternoon walking around the Yangmingshan National Park, the spectacular art in the National Palace Museum and of course some great food.

Mika Coffee
Anyone who has travelled anywhere with me will know that acquiring a decent coffee is very much a priority early on any day's schedule. Taiwan's coffee scene initially appeared to be dominated by the usual ugly international franchises, but after a bit of early site seeing we stumbled into the Wanhua District where we found a proliferation of small independent cafes and coffee roasters. Mika Coffee was more than up to scratch with their excellent coffee, good cakes and super service from the friendly bloke who was very busy charming the World.

When I discussed our trip to Taipei with mates they all said "night markets ... you'll love the night markets ... blah blah blah night markets blah blah". It didn't take long to concede that the night markets were definitely worth the hype.

Shilin Night Market
This huge area in the Shilin District, north of the city, is superb and we ended up here several times. A large covered area bursting with semi-permanent food stalls acts as the culinary centre of Shilin Market; elbowing your way through the surrounding streets there are numerous hawkers, tiny fashion shops, carnival sideshows and of course more food stalls. We had several meals here including: a feast were dinners sat around and ate off a huge communal grill, tasty noodles and fried rice for a breakfast, great fresh shakes and bubble teas, a peanut flavoured crushed ice dessert and a seriously delicious, gigantic slab of fried chicken. Shilin Night Market is alive; a vibrant, exciting place packed with locals it is definitely worth a visit.

Snake Alley
Situated near the Longshan Temple is the famous Snake Alley night market. In contrast to the bustling activity of the Shilin Night Market this place was devoid of locals and the domain of lost looking, straggling tourists. Snake Alley's main attraction is the snake restaurants, but personally seeing pythons stuffed into to tiny cages and snakes being publicly butchered isn't really my idea of fun. Everything about place is dodgy; terrible stalls, average food and nothing of interest make Snake Alley a tourist trap that is definitely worth avoiding.

Shuangcheng Food Street
We stumbled upon this little area returning to our hotel on Saturday night. Despite being stuffed we were tempted by the prospect of more tasty snacks; a large sugar cane juice and a serve of dumplings were a perfect late night snack. The dumplings were superb and were freshly made in front of us. Shuangcheng Food Street had a great local atmosphere; the people around us gossiped and snacked on their way home from work.

Taipei was great fun as both a holiday destination place to snack. Perhaps my only hesitation was that we were constantly tempted by the snack food and as a result we never actually sat down to experience a restaurant meal, oh well next time ...

Taiwan Beer

Taiwan Beer
Taipei, Taiwan, NT$52

I was in Taiwan, so I had Taiwanese beer. I bought this from 7/11, just like all the locals seem to do, and drunk it in our hotel room before heading out to the Shilin Night Market. It's made by the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corporation and posses an amazing 80% share of Taiwan's beer market. Rice is added to the fermentation process which is supposed to give it a distinct taste.

Taiwan Beer is a pale golden colour with a soft frothy head. The nose is pretty vacant with nothing much but a whiff of yeast; virtually dunking my nose in and sniffing really hard there's also a slight aroma coriander seeds and citrus peel. The palate has a slight sweetness, creamy texture and a little yeastiness, but is again totally lacking in flavour. Taiwan Beer is light in colour, light in aroma and light in flavour; a drinkable but non-engaging and disappointing drop.

Visit brewery website.

Elderton Friends Shiraz 2004

Elderton Friends Shiraz, 2004
Barossa Valley, South Australia, $128, stelvin seal

I like Elderton wines. I tried a selection earlier in the year at the Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show and was impressed. The grapes used to produce this wine are sourced from growers the Ashmeads use around the Barossa and to quote both Joe Cocker and the back of the label; "sometimes you need a little help from your friends". It is 95% Shiraz with a 5% wack of Mataro (Mouvedre), sealed under a lovely screw-top and well packaged with an embossed black label.

It's a magnificent deep colour that gives a hint of things to come. The nose is intense and bursting with rich fruit; there's plenty of plums, but also sweet raspberries and a little hint of vanilla oak. The palate has big blackberry and stewed plum flavours with some jammy sweetness and a little dusting of coco in the background. The alcohol is well intergrated and there's soft, powdery tannins. An attractive and drinkable wine, packed with lucious fruit and good value at $128.

Visit winery website.

Amici

1/F, 83 Lockhart Rd, Wan Chai
Visited 14th October

The card for Amici says "Pizza, Vino, Sport" and that's a pretty good interpretation of this first floor sport's bar above Mes Amis on Lockhart Rd. The bar area has the mandatory giant TV screens blaring out sport as well as a pool table and cabinets filled with an impressive display of sporting trophies. The open interior is surprisingly light with windows looking over Luard Rd and Lockhart Rd. We visited for lunch with my parents who were "passing through" Hong Kong for the weekend.

The menu at Amici is pretty simple; pizza, pasta, burgers, salads and grills, the type of stuff that goes well with beer. Dad and I went for beef burgers, with extra bacon, Mum had a steak sandwich and Naomi chose a margherita pizza and everyone was happy. My burger was good; a big, fat meaty patty, fried onions, gherkins and a good side of chips. Naomi enjoyed her thin, crispy pizza that was flavoured with fresh tomato and basil. To drink I made the most of happy hour and enjoyed a couple of Perroni beers which probably wouldn't have been the best value at $48 if it wasn't two-for-one.

Amici isn't about a refined gourmet night out, but as a place to drink beer, eat burgers and watch football it's pretty good. The service was efficient and if you don't mind big TVs it's more than comfortable. The food was good and reasonable value; just make sure you make the most of happy hour specials for drinks. If you want to escape the streets of Wan Chai climbing up to Amici for a pizza, burger or even just beer is not a bad idea.

Visit restaurant website.

Yung Kee Restaurant

32-40 Wellington St, Central
Visited 30th September

Yung Kee Restaurant is a Hong Kong institution, famous for its roast goose. We had two lots of friends visiting and figured that it was perfect for their first meal in Hong Kong; the totally unrelated fact that Lang Kwai Fong is just around the corner meant that it was also convenient for a couple of beers afterwards and even a few pre-dinner cocktails. Yung Kee is a three story monstrosity that has been around since 1942 and is in many ways a typical Chinese restaurant; busy, loud and big, with roast meats hanging in the window.

All meals at Yum Kee start with a serve of preserved eggs and pickled ginger, something that was great to watch our visitors tackle. We of course ordered half a roast goose and accompanied it with serves of braised calamari, water spinach, sweet and sour pork, beef and black bean and a roast pigeon. The food was generally excellent; the calamari was fresh and lightly cooked, while the beef was excellent; tender and well flavoured. Both roast dishes were lovely, especially the goose that was perfectly crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, while the huge serve of tasty water-spinach was simply flavoured with garlic. The only let down was the pork that was tough and cold when it arrived at the table. To drink we shared a couple of bottles of wine: the house white, an Alsace Gewurztraminer and a bottle of Bourgogne Cuvee Latour, both were good but not cheap and the red was especially pushing it at $440. Another disappointment was having to pay for water; not being able to get a glass of tap-water in Hong Kong restaurants disgusts me.

Even though I'd made a booking we had to still wait for a table, apart from this the service was pretty good and definitely a notch up from your average Chinese restaurant. Many of my colleges remark that at Yung Kee is too expensive, but for the quality I actually think it's good value as our food bill came to just over $100 a head. The wine is expensive though and not being able to get tap water makes me angry. For its location Yung Kee is a winner; tasty, good quality food in Central. Our guests enjoyed their meal and night out in Lang Kwai Fong, though one struggled to make Yum Cha the next morning and the food wasn't to blame!
Visit restaurant website.

Diamond Valley Pinot Noir 2004

Diamond Valley 'Blue Label', Pinot Noir, 2004
Yarra Valley, Victoria, A$22, stelvin seal

This was the perfect thing to help pass an afternoon afloat on a friend's junk. Diamond Valley are a Yarra Valley producer, right on the edge of Melbourne. They have a reputation for producing excellent value Pinot Noir and after tasting this bottle I'd have to agree.

Having a sniff it seems the nose is all about fruit, but not the big, mushy, soft hydroponic fruit, this is tough, natural fruit; the kind you pick from the roadside amongst snakes and thorns. There a whole orchid of cherries, with an understorey of wild strawberries and a hint of dark berries, perhaps boysenberry. Having a few sips (mouthfuls) of this I'm very impressed with how drinkable and complete a package it seems. There are plenty of delicious fruit flavours going on; plum, strawberry and all those Pinot cherries, but what shines out is how approachable and drinkable this wine is. There's no hint of the gracefully integrated alcohol and the wine offers a complete mouth full of flavour and texture, something you could suck on all day long. Diamond Valley Blue Label Pinot Noir 2004 is an extremely attractive and drinkable wine that really floated my boat.

Visit winery website.

Cafe de Paris

2/F, 90 Stanley Main St, Stanley
Visited 22nd September

Wandering along Stanley promenade isn't just about avoiding pathetic looking dogs dressed in human clothing (the pup who wears the silver bow-tie is one of the worse) it's also all about an alfresco lunch. Naomi and I, despite huge appetites, did a few laps accompanied by the old "you choose", "no I don't mind, you choose". Perhaps we were as pathetic as the owners of all those stupid looking dogs, but eventually we made decision and ascended the stairs to Cafe de Paris. Part of the Igor's Group, there are also branches of Cafe de Paris in SoHo and Discovery Bay; the Stanley one is above the Pickled Pelican pub, another member of Igor's little Empire. Climbing the stairs I was quietly impressed with the beautiful setting and enchanting views. We propped in a comfortable booth with excellent views of the ocean out, large, open windows.

The menu is small, simple and classically very French. There are only three permanent mains on the menu; steak, mussels and a sole fillet, plus a couple of daily specials. Naomi ordered the set lunch which included the daily soup, main and dessert, plus a glass of wine, while I went with a serve of mussels and helped myself to Naomi's wine. Her cauliflower and pear soup was superb; creamy, soft and subtle. My mussels came with a salad which was good, but simple and just the same as you get in every other Hong Kong restaurant. Naomi was very happy with the plate de jour; a tender chicken fillet in peppercorn sauce served with a potato gratin and spinach. My bowl of mussels were pretty tasty, though the serve was small. The dessert of the day was a beautifully presented mille-feuille layered with apricots; though not something I'm particularly fond of Naomi was more than happy, which is the whole point of dessert!

Our visit to Cafe de Paris was a pleasant affair; the decor, friendly service and great views all contribute to a classic - and I hate to say it - almost "romantic" ambiance. $168 for three courses and a glass of wine ($138 without the wine) for the set lunch is great value. On the other hand $162 for a smallish serve of mussels, even with a salad and fries, is pushing it; and looking over the menu coming for dinner and a few glasses of wine wouldn't be cheap. The service is slick and efficient; our water glasses were constantly re-filled and we were offered more bread several times. In many ways Cafe de Paris is a fantastic restaurant; we enjoyed the beautifully presented food, the lovely setting and authentic French atmosphere, yet I'm not sure if I'd so impressed if I'd paid the dangerously expensive prices you could be up for at dinner. Have the set lunch and enjoy the view.

Visit restaurant website

Ivan the Kozak

46-48 Cochrane St, Central
Visited 21st September

Heading up the Central Escalator to SoHo I've often wondered about Ivan the Kazak; that strange looking Russian restaurant with its pot plants and statue with the well endowed moustache. Naomi and I were heading to Aberdeen for an exotic weekend on a friends junk so we figured we may as well keep the sense of adventure alive and try some Russian and Ukrainian food. I've never eaten at a Russian restaurant before, but Ivan the Kozak certainly makes you feel as if you're in a Russian restaurant. The place is shrouded in heavy wooden timber, murals adorn the walls, the cutlery and crockery is old-school and the big, blond headed staff look the part, they even have an 'ice room' where you can drink vodka in freezing temperatures.

The menu looked good and to my untrained eye pretty authentic, or a least the Russian names sounded authentic. I had 'Solynka'; a tasty salmon, lemon and olive soup as an entree, while Naomi enjoyed her 'Gorohoviy' or split pea and bacon soup. Though both soups were good, the serves were rather small and would have benefited from a bit of bread on the side. The range of mains looked fantastic but the lack of decent bangers in Hong Kong pushed me towards the 'Kolbasa Domasnaya' or homemade sausages. The huge sausage was accompanied by steamed broccoli, cabbage and a little tomato sauce, the serve was generous, but the sausage was disappointingly dry. Naomi claimed she was "sick of not having room for dessert" so while I gorged on meat and veg she had a dainty entree serve of 'Pelmeni'; tasty little dumplings stuffed with pork. For her much anticipated dessert Naomi ordered an adequate strawberry 'blini' or crepe.

Ivan the Kozak is certainly an experience. The food is honest and simple, but to pull this off the quality must be good; the soups were, but my main wasn't. The service was friendly and efficient, while the drinks menu featured a huge range of vodkas and some good Eastern European beers. Our bill was $357 which seems pretty fair for a meal in Central. When all's said and done the real strength of Ivan the Kozak is, as the good people at Monty Pythons once said "and now for something completely different".

Visit restaurant website.

Is This Really Wine Writing?

'Uncorked', Sunday Morning Post, 16th Sep 2007

Every Sunday I read the Post Magazine from Sunday's South China Morning Post. Though I'm entertained I'm never really 100% satisfied as the amount of food and drinks coverage is really pretty disappointing for a city of Hong Kong size. Hidden between double page spreads advertising obnoxious clothing I'd never be seen dead in is the wine column 'Uncorked'.

’Uncorked’ doesn't review wines, but offers wine education related comment; it often talks about a grape variety, region or wine style. This week the column started with "Call me crazy, but I think Hong Kong is a lot like Napa Valley California". What follows is an article that is, I assume, meant to be amusing but ends up being the opposite. The loose similarities drawn between the Napa Valley and Hong Kong range from the occasional person having a mud-bath; to Ocean Park and the Stirling Winery both having Gondolas; to the observation that both locations have local indigenous inhabitants. What’s also ignored is the fact that the supposed similarities are based upon the behaviours of an elite minority and that they are far out weighted by the differences. "Call me crazy" but it really wasn't much of a wine article.

Bahce Turkish Restaurant

3 Ngan Wan Rd, Mui Wo, Lantau Island
Visited 15th September
Mui Wo or Silvermine Bay on the back side of Lantau Island is one of Hong Kong's under-rated gems. Unlike the neat Singapore-like fakeness of Discovery Bay just up the coast, Mui Wo offers a glimpse of real, old-school Island life. There's a clean beach for swimming, outdoor bars scattered along the promenade, trails into the hills for a run, walk or cycle and a handful of great restaurants. Tasty Turkish food and a relaxed atmosphere make Bahce a favourite for a filling lunch after a swim or run.

Saturday afternoon at the beach always warrants a drink and I knocked back a couple of reasonably priced half-pints, while Naomi raved about her banana milkshake "made with real fresh bananas". The huge serves of mains at Bache are accompanied by giant grilled vegetable skewers, bread and dips; too much for us, instead we decided to graze from the great selection of meze. Eventually difficult choices were made and we ordered a Greek salad, meze platter and a side of Baba Ghanoush with 'Turkish Bread'. The Greek salad was just like it should be; big chunks of creamy feta, olives and a delicious herb dressing. Bahce offers a warm or cold meze platter as well as a selection of individual serves, we chose the warm platter and it was more than enough for us both. Severed with a choice of three dips and side salad the array of feta stuffed peppers, falafel, calamari, stuffed filo-pastry cigars and meatballs were excellent. The only downside of the meal was the 'Turkish bread' severed with the Baba Ghanoush; it certainly didn't resemble any Turkish bread I'd ever seen and was just an average loaf of reheated white bread.

Bache Turkish Restaurant is cool; while it doesn't have a sea view or even much outdoor seating, it does have a relaxed atmosphere and a beach bar kind-of-feel. The staff are welcoming and helpful, the food is authentic and tasty and the prices are good. Our meal was just over $200 for the both of us, and though it included a couple of drinks it thankfully didn't include any service charge. Bache Turkish Restaurant is definitely worth a stop as part of a day out at Mui Wo.

Med Stars

Ground Floor, Gold Coast Shopping Mall, Tuen Mun
Visited 14th September

The first week back to work after the holidays is always a struggle; but five days later Friday night seems to make everything OK again. Naomi and I met a mate for dinner and drinks at the Gold Coast. Though the Gold Coast is a bit of a hike from the Tuen Mun town centre and KCR station it's worth trudging across to be able to sit by the water and watch the setting sun traverse Lantau Island. Med Stars is one of the restaurants in the small shopping arcade; inside it's an ugly industrial pub dominated by a huge TV; outside is a total contrast with tables, umbrellas and views of the water.

Drinks at Med Stars are reasonably priced and the couple of cold Tiger beers I drunk were refreshingly good value at only $22. The menu has a pretty large selection; mainly basic Western dishes, but there's also a BBQ char-grilling meaty treats. I started by giving the barbecue a workout and ordered a grilled sardine; the little charcoaled critter was delicious, and an absolute steal for only $13. For a main I ordered grilled tuna fillets which were served with a wasabi based sauce and vegetables. For a $138 the two chunky bits of tuna were a very generous serve and were pretty tasty despite being well over-cooked. Naomi enjoyed her fat club sandwich which was simply served with chips and my mate loved his lamb chops (though he always loves lamb chops so I'm not sure if that's saying much). We shared a bottle of Dona Paula Merlot 2005; a wine I liked, though Naomi thought was over priced and dominated by off putting sour, green flavours.

Yuen Long seems a long way from the beach and when I crave a view of the ocean I often find myself at Med Stars. The beers are cheap, the food's basic, but good and the service is efficient. It's the sort of place were you can waste a whole day or just drop in for dessert and a nightcap. I've got a quite a few friends who live at the Gold Coast and many of them are well over Med Stars as it's the only decent pub in the vicinity, yet I like it and recommend it for a beer or casual meal if you're in the area.

Sushi Tei

6/F Yuen Long Landmark, 123 Castle Peak Rd, YL
Visited 13th September

Naomi and I visited the Yuen Long branch of this international chain for dinner Thursday night. Hidden on the 6th floor of a building off Castle Peak Rd Sushi Tei can be a bit difficult to find, but is worth the effort. The atmosphere is good, with comfortable, modern decor, a great open kitchen and some interesting views of Castle Peak Rd out the window. The only downsides were unflattering short-skirts worn as uniforms by the waitresses and the unashamedly disgusting belching by the woman on the next table.

We ordered an assortment of dishes: tuna, salmon and rolled pork chop sushi accompanied by a serve of grilled prawn and tofu balls for me, while Naomi chose fried chicken and an omelette stuffed with noodles. I was impressed with the sushi; the fish hunks were thick, fresh and tasty, while the pork chop sushi was rolled with crisp iceberg lettuce which was a great combination of textures. Naomi was less impressed with her meal. Though hot and crispy the chicken was a little fatty for her liking and I'd agree that the sauce dribbled over the noodle omelette was just plain weird and off putting. Another positive for Sushi Tei is that it seems to be the only Japanese restaurant in the New Territories which sells wine, though I was happy with a cold can of Asahi. Our bill came to $209 which isn't bad value.

Our experience of Sushi Tei was a positive one. The service was fine, the food decent and the atmosphere good (minus the belching woman); if you're looking for a feed of Japanese in Yuen Long Sushi Tei probably isn't a bad option.
Visit restaurant website

Walking out of Peccato

Peccato, 37 Elgin St, Soho, Central
Attempted to visit 7th September 2007

Wondering up to SoHo from the D. Milhade wine tasting Naomi and I decided a serve of Italian was in order. I'd heard good things about Peccato and was keen to try this intimate Italian restaurant on Elgin St. We were seated at a small table on the street and the ambiance was fantastic. Though not extensive the menu looked good and I decided upon fried mixed seafood followed by green pea risotto topped with pan-fried scallops, while Naomi had eyed up lamb filled cannelloni. Wine proved a bit more hazardous as everything I knew on the list seemed excessively over-priced (Peter Lehmann Shiraz for $580 and Browns Brothers Everton Red for $380, which retail for about $180 and $107). I decided upon a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Naomi just wanted a glass of water to freshen up after the wine tasting; this was when the trouble started ...

Oh, but sorry, we were informed by our waitress, they didn't serve tap water because apparently "some costumers have complained". This was one of the worst excuses know to humanity and when questioned she failed to give a satisfactory explanation and responded by telling us not to worry as we could have a bottle of complementary mineral water; for me this missed the whole point. Drinking water is undeniably good for you and is a necessary accompaniment to any meal and, despite what the majority of the expat community thinks, tap water is perfectly safe to drink in Hong Kong (see here). I avoid drinking bottled water not because of the financial cost, but because of the environmental cost. Limited fossil fuels are used and carbon emissions created in producing, bottling and transporting bottled water, not to say the huge amounts of waste created by all those empty bottles (which even if recycled still create more emissions in the process). As much as I was looking forward to my meal we walked out the door in protest and I doubt I will ever get to try Peccato; hundreds, potentially thousands of dollars in business lost just because they wouldn't let us have a glass of water.

We finished up along the road at our old favourite Olive where I enjoyed a fantastic seasoned rack of tender lamb and Naomi had her favourite chicken shish kebabs. The wine was better priced, the service was natural and friendly and whithout us having to ask glasses of iced tap water were placed on our table and constantly refilled throughout our meal!

D. Milhade Wine Tasting

D. Milhade Wine Tasting, Ponti Wine Cellars, Central
7th September

A wine tasting is a great was to start a Friday night. This was put on by Ponti Cellars and the plan was for a little sip in Central then to move up the hill for dinner in SoHo; an offer so tempting that Naomi even decided to came along! The event was hosted by Gerard Milhade the President of the D. Milhade wine group whose wines we were trying. Gerard was friendly and courteous and, despite the fact he was exhausted after two weeks travelling China, was happy to chat. We discussed the international wine market, the buying power of the US, the relationship between the Euro and US dollar and the emergence of the Chinese market. He is also interestingly mentioned his frustrations with the French application system and his desire to experiment with different grape varieties (especially Pinot Noir!) in Boudreaux.
Now comes the hard bit. I've unfortunately lost my notes on the nine wines from the D. Milhade portfolio that were offered for tasting and going off memory isn't the best idea. My favourite wine of the night was Chateau Lyonnat 2004 Lussac St Emilion; a wine was produced at Gerard's home (wouldn't it be nice to live in a Chateau!). Both the Grand Crus came from Chateau Boutisse in St Emillion; the Chateau Boutisse 2004 and Baron de Boutisse 2004 were both good wines, well structured and refined, but the price that we being asked was perhaps a little too much. I can't remember anything else from the range jumping out, but again I thought all the wines were pretty good. The D. Milhade Wine Tasting was a worthwhile event which offered a chance to try some nice St Emilion wines and the opportunity to chat with the president of the company producing them.

Visit the D. Milhade website.

Furano Wine Muller-Thurgau 2005

Furano Wine Muller-Thurgau 2005
Furano, Hokkaido, Japan, ¥8000 for 375ml

I found this cute little half bottle hidden at home. I've previously reviewed a red wine from this producer, though I think this single varietal release is meant to be a step up their quality ladder.

It has a soft gentle nose with whiffs of sherbet, honey and sweetly perfumed flowers (perhaps honeysuckle or the like?). On the palate there are delicious, yet subtle lime, pear and stewed apricot flavours. Furano Muller-Thurgau 2005 is well balanced, only just off dry with well integrated alcohol and very little acidity. This is extremely easy to drink, though perhaps it lacks a bit of 'wow factor', Furano Muller-Thurgau 2005 is still a very pleasant experience.

Visit winery website.

The Holiday's Over

Return to Hong Kong

All good things come to an end and, well, I'm back. The pollution is high, the weathers disgustingly hot and life is suddenly very busy. Despite what a mate is saying this blog is called 'Eating HK', not 'Eating Australia' and I'm looking forward to keeping the posts coming on all things food and wine in Hong Kong.

Eating Australia - The Rumblings of a Fat Stomach

Trip To Australia
26th July to 22nd August

Though my stomach is about to explode, it must be pointed out Australia is not just about eating and drinking. During my three weeks back home I did a whole host of fantastic things. Skiing, surfing, runs with my father, sea-kayaking, rock-climbing, walks in the bush and visits to my Granny's were all highlights alongside all the great food and wine. Pies, Pies, Pies
The meat pie is more Australian than kola's and kangaroos, and I ate a lot of meat pies. Driving anywhere in Australia - whether its breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea time - the temptation is always there to pull into a bakery and indulge in a sly pie. While on the road with mates I seemed to be munching on them non-stop: some good, some average and some superb. The Malmsbury Bakery in Central Victoria was a favourite when I was at uni. Today its prices have polarised my mates, many of whom reckon $5 for a pie's a rip-off, but the tasty, steak filled pies I think are still the second best in the World.

Cafes
Sitting, sipping coffee and watching the World is meant to be very European, but it's all I seemed to do. Australia's cafe scene is alive and well, perhaps unlike Italy - where a friend was complaining the other day of being unable to find a decent coffee!

For cafes, Melbourne's where the magic happens. When ever Mum wasn't working we seemed to be having constant coffees at Via Verona in Kew or Hahndorf's Chocolates in North Balwyn. Another favourite was the Red Star Cafe at the South Melbourne Market. On Sunday morning this place was pumping, but the delicious breakfast they served up certainly got me started after a very big day at the footy. An unexpected find was Kofi Beans in Croydon. This great little spot served up delicious organic coffee and great breakfasts amongst a tumbling bazaar of Moroccan homewares.

It's remarkably easy to get a decent coffee in country Australia these days. I enjoyed a couple of fantastic lattés at the Green Olive Deli in Bendigo, where their range of tasty food and local produce had me salivating. The tiny town of Mortlake offered up a surprise with Jackies Coffee and Wine Bar. We were literally miles from anywhere, but Jackie did a great job serving up good coffee, tasty sandwiches and an impressive range of cakes. A favourite in Adelaide is Zuma Caffe at the Central Market were you can get a bargain priced breakfast and great coffee before browsing the market's tasty produce. The only place I couldn't find a decent coffee was in Port Adelaide, but that didn't surprise me as it's a very, very average place.

Pubs
Australians love pubs as much as they love beer and as you can imagine I visited a fair few. While all pubs manage to serve cold beer, in all honesty, many are pretty average. Luckily this is not always the case and there are venues that take food, beer, wine and music very seriously. I've discussed the Healesville Hotel in a previous post, but I also enjoyed visiting a few old favourites in Richmond. Drinks in the London Tavern, Public House and Richmond Club helped prove that Melbourne's pub scene is definitely alive and kicking.

The Wheatsheaf Hotel in Torrensville, Adelaide is a ripper of a venue. I love this place as it takes it beer so seriously. Not only can you by Mountain Goat, Coopers and Little Creatures on tap, but they also have an English style hand pump and an amazing range of international bottled beers. The friendly Wheatsheaf crew love booze as is shown by their impressive line-up of single malts and excellent winelist.
Restaurants
Australia is a multicultural country, where every imaginable style of food seems to be on offer. Carmenuccios in East Kew is my local Italian; it's the kind of place were you walk into after a year away and they know your name, were you get huge serves of tasty pasta and the BYO option makes it a bargain. Another local favourite is Satguru's where they serve up a fantastic fusion of curry, tandoori and pizza. When I was in primary school Satguru's was a pizza joint, the new owners kept the pizza oven which they use to dish up an interesting selection of Indian style pizzas and delicious tandoori. Satguru's is definitely one of the best value restaurants in Melbourne. Victoria Street Richmond is know for it's Vietnamese food, yet somehow we ended up eating Thai and I enjoyed a great, but extremely spicy meal with old friends at Ying Thai. The list of great meals could go on - pizza in Adelaide, Thai in Horsham, pub lunches everywhere.
Wineries
I've written up most of the wineries I visited, but a couple that slipped through the radar are definitely worth a mention. Bremerton in the Langhorne Creek area of South Australia was getting a lot of positive press while I was back; James Halliday in his Companion to Australian wine rated their Old Adam Shiraz 2004 a massive 97 points, the same as Australia's iconic Penfolds Grange. This visit was my second to Bremerton and it reconfirmed the opinion I formed on my first visit; their wines are good, but nothing special and that there are better producers in Langhorne Creek.

Another area I passed through was the Pyrenees in Victoria's Gold Fields Region. I visited the Dalwhinnie, Taltarni and Sally's Paddock wineries. I loved Dalwhinnie's impressive range of premium wines; what stood out was the intensity of their noses and the huge, opulence of their palates. Just down the road was Taltarni where I treied a large selection of tasty wines, including offerings from their sister label Clover Hill in Tasmania. Highlights here were the Clover Hill Sparkling 2003, Taltarni Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, Cephas 2001 and the Heathcote Shiraz 2004. Sally's Paddock was again all about the intense Pyrenees reds; my favourite alongside the Sally's Paddock 2005 was the Cabernet Franc 2005, both truly lovely wines. The Pyrenees has some fantastic wineries hidden amongst the beautiful, rugged box-ironbark forest and is well worthwhile.
Home Cooked Meals
What can be said; nothing is better than Friends around a table, good food and maybe a bottle of wine. BBQs with old mates in Melbourne, Lasagne down the beach with the boys, an awesome salad in Malvern, steak and kidney pie in Port Fairy, home-made wonton soup in Adelaide, kangaroo pie in Horsham, vegetarian delights in Bendigo, and a thrown together feast in Ripponlea. This really is what life is all about!