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The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on one’s own country as a foreign land.” – G.K. Chesterton

Thursday 31 January 2013

The Manse Restaurant, Perth

It didn't seem that long ago that we were in Perth during the Christmas holidays, yet we're gearing up to go on the plane again in exactly one week, this time to celebrate the upcoming Chinese Lunar New Year. It's just as well that I'm almost at the end of my backlog of photos from that trip. Unlike Hong Kong and Tokyo where there are no shortages of restaurants and shops open for business on Christmas day, Perth is like a ghost town on this day when everyone is at home celebrating the festive occasion with families and friends. There are a few restaurants open for those who don't want to slave over a hot stove and sweat by a hot oven on a very hot summer's day (it was 40degC, if I recall correctly), but these people should be prepared to dig a hole in their pockets. We were one of those unfortunate people, and being out-of-towners, we didn't have much choice. My father-in-law had also flown in to Perth from interstate for Christmas, and so naturally we had to spend Christmas day with him and his family. As they were also from out of town, we really couldn't avoid dining out. We went to The Manse Restaurant in Armadale, a suburb that is about a 30-minute drive or train ride south-east of the city centre. The restaurant looks like a large old house, and the interior is also laid out like one. Our extended family group (complete with the kids, siblings, grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousins) was seated in a private dining room that was just big enough to fit two large tables in, and it was a cool respite from the dry heat outside. The Christmas Day 2012 menu was AU$110 per person, which was at least a 100% markup on the restaurant's usual menu. I suppose the restaurant would have to make the salary attractive enough for the waitstaff to work willingly on a holiday, especially an important one like Christmas day. The waitstaff were pleasant and helpful with allergy requests, but they were also extremely busy serving a full house. The food was only average, but still enjoyable. The important thing was the company, and it was good to see everyone on that side of the family again.

Potato, Leek and Bacon Soup with garlic cheese crouton, to start with. It was great with the bread that came with the meal:

Crispy Cajun Squid, served with lime aioli and dressed leaves. Quite tasty, but I could only eat a few pieces because it was a rather rich entrée:

The main course was Roast Turkey Breast with macadamia and date stuffing, potato bake, brocollini, glazed baked ham and cranberry jus. I liked the slightly sweet stuffing, and the potato bake (underneath the turkey) was delcious:

Warm Plum Pudding with brandy custard and fresh cherry, for dessert. I think this was quite popular, but I didn't care much for the boozy custard:

This was quite expensive for a somewhat mediocre meal, but it provided a place for the extended family to meet and dine for Christmas day in Perth, and someone else did the washing up.

The Manse Restaurant
31 Church Ave
Armadale, WA 6112
Australia
Tel. +61 8 9399 6078

The Manse Restaurant on Urbanspoon

Tuesday 29 January 2013

Aussie fast food

I may be stating the obvious here, but I don't eat much fast food. I wasn't always healthy though - I used to eat fast food on a regular-ish basis, until about ten years ago when I embarked upon a healthier lifestyle. I was still a university student then, and I was amazed that those stubborn kilograms disappeared just from incorporating a bit of exercise and healthy eating. The best part was that I had lost the weight without feeling hungry! I developed a distaste for fast food, and I don't recall ever stepping into a fast food joint during our 4 years in Japan and 2+ years in Hong Kong! However I'm only speaking for myself because hubby sometimes crave for the burgers and the chicken 'n chips that he grew up with. On our recent trip to Perth, we ate more fast food than I would have liked, usually when meeting up with friends or family for a meal. Even our 4-year-old, who had been growing upwards rapidly but not gaining any weight for at least a year, put on a kilogram on his skinny frame during our two weeks' vacation. Fast food is different in each country, and I thought it might be of interest to non-Aussie readers to see some Australian-style fast food. Our first meal down under was lunch at the food court in a shopping centre, where we'd gone to pick up some supplies. A doner kebab from a Middle-Eastern food vendor, and chicken 'n chips from Australia's own Red Rooster filled our tummies well.

Chicken Doner Kebab (AU$10), a typical Aussie version with the ingredients rolled into a pita bread like a wrap:

Red Rooster's The Big Deal - a quarter roast chicken, chips, two crispy chicken strips, mash and gravy and a drink, for about AU$11. Hubby worked at a Red Rooster franchise for a few years, and this was before we met more than a decade ago:

Hungry Jack's is only found in Australia, although many of its menu items appear in Burger King's outlets worldwide because it belongs to the same corporation. Hubby has always preferred HJ's over Macca's, although I was quite indifferent and eventually didn't care for either after I grew an appreciation for a healthier diet. Hubby's favourite HJ's item is The Aussie, which is not all that surprising as he would always order everything with "the lot" if he could. If I had to eat at HJ's, I would go for the simpler and marginally healthier Chicken Burger, which is just chicken, lettuce and mayo.

The Aussie burger has an extra-thick beef patty, bacon, egg, beetroot, cheese, onion, tomato, lettuce, mayo AND BBQ sauce - how's that for sensory overload!

The minimalist Chicken Burger:

When we got back to Perth at the end of our short road trip to the south of Western Australia, it was already evening and we were all road weary. It was my nephew's birthday that day, and we brought home for dinner his favourite food, pizza. We dropped by the Crust Gourmet Pizza store that was newly opened in Joondalup, and staff was helpful with allergy requests. It was pretty expensive for takeaway pizza (they also deliver), but I was dazzled by the wide variety of pizzas available on the menu. The nephew wanted the Aussie Pizza, which we had never heard of before, but he said it is widely known and available. And sure enough, the Aussie was on Crust's menu, and the nephew was a happy boy that night. We were impressed with the quality and taste of the pizzas.

The Aussie pizza with ham, bacon and egg on a tomato base:

Pepperoni pizza with onions, capsicum, ground beef, olive tapenade and garlic on a tomato base:

Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar
420 Joondalup Drive
Joondalup WA 6027
Australia
(corner Boas Avenue and McLarty Street)
Tel. +61 8 9301 1099
Crust Gourmet Pizza Bar  on Urbanspoon

So there you have it, a snippet of what Aussies call fast food. How is fast food different in your location?

Friday 25 January 2013

Home-style Japanese @ Oshiriya, Hong Kong

One of the crazy things about living in Hong Kong with kids is the education, especially the situation with international schools. I could seriously go on and on about it - such as the ridiculously long wait list that numbers in the hundreds, the interviews that the kids have to go through (my friend's kid had an interview for an international kindergarten when he was only 16 months old!) and the prohibitively high cost of so-called 'debentures' that you have to pay to secure a spot - but this is not the place to do it. Last week my 4-year-old boy had to do one such interview at an school, and I can't tell you what was in the interview because he was whisked away to another room with the other children for an hour. We were hungry for lunch by the time we left the school, so we dropped by a little Japanese diner that was on the way to the MTR station. I found this place from Openrice where it was ranked 11th out of more than 800 restaurants listed in the surrounding area. We sat in this diner for five minutes before I asked if they had fried rice on the menu for our boy. I didn't understand any of the Cantonese that was spoken to us, but I got the idea that they didn't serve fried rice, but that they had another shop run by the same owner just across the street. The friendly lady asked one of the kitchen guys to send us to their sister shop which was called Owariya. The lady serving us in Owariya also didn't speak much English, so she called the owner over to help us with our allergy requests. This guy spoke well in both English and Cantonese, and then we found out that he's Japanese! I wish I could be trilingual. I took it as a good sign that the food would be authentically prepared, and sat back to enjoy the meal.

The Miso Soup that came with our orders:

Oshiriya is located in a very local area, where most of the signs are in Chinese and there aren't many foreigners around. This is a no-frills diner serving rustic Japanese favourites like karaage chicken, katsudon, kare udon and countless donburi (rice) dishes, and they were all at very affordable 'local' prices. The same menu from Mikawaya (the first shop) is also available here, plus additional dishes, which puts Owariya a notch above Mikawaya, in my humble opinion. The food was without a doubt very tasty, and I wouldn't hesitate to come back again if I'm ever in the area with a hankering for homestyle Japanese food.

Salmon Korroke, with a generous drizzle of Japanese mayonnaise and a sprinkling of katsuobushi flakes:

Fried Rice with Chicken - very tasty:

Hubby's Kare Udon, which was also very yummy:

I got an Unadon which was delicious:

Prompt service, good food and great price. Eating the food made me miss Japan ever so much more.

Owariya
Ground floor
7 Ming On Street
Hung Hom, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel. +85 2 6747 9579

Wednesday 23 January 2013

French @ P'tite Ardoise Bistro, Perth

Whenever we go back home to Perth for a visit, we're always impressed at how well the dining scene has improved over the past 7 years. During our recent trip to Perth, we met up with hubby's friend from university and his girlfriend for dinner, and this couple has a pretty good knack for choosing good restaurants to meet up at. S suggested P'tite Ardoise, a French bistro located just outside Perth CBD, very close to where hubby and I used to live. We recalled that the space used to be a German restaurant, which I heard got replaced by a steakhouse, and now it's a French bistro! French food is rather hard to come by in this little city, and I was rather pleased to see that P'tite Ardoise has received good reviews from happy diners. It is located some distance from the main nightlife district of Northbridge, and not too close to the Beaufort Street dining strip, so parking was not too difficult to find (we even managed to score free parking down some side street!). It seems like the business is doing quite well, as our friends had to make the booking some weeks in advance, and it was full house that Saturday evening.

Walking into the bistro:

A relaxed atmosphere inside the restaurant:

P'tite Ardoise means "little slate", is named after the slated rooftops of Normandie where the chef (and probably also his staff) originated from. The atmosphere is intimate and cozy, and it would be a great choice for a relaxed dinner date. The service we received was friendly and efficient, and I loved hearing the gorgeous French accents - it made me yearn to pick up studying the French language where I left off almost 15 years ago. We couldn't refuse the fresh bread offered to us, which is not complimentary, but that wasn't told to us when the bread was offered. Some may have issue about how the bread is offered, but I didn't mind so much because for only AU$3.50 per person, the bread was good quality and we could choose from several types to have with the olive oil, butter and tapenade. When we informed staff of our boy's allergies, it was decided that he should be served the gluten-free bread (though gluten is not one of his allergies). The gluten-free bread rolls came out warm and fresh from the oven, and I was pleased to note that it was flavoured with herbs and parmesan cheese. Gluten-intolerant people would be happy to know that the GF bread was delicious and fluffy just like normal bread.

Delicious cheesy and herby gluten-free bread rolls, especially for the boy:

The olive oil, butter and tapenade to go with the bread rolls:

We could choose from two menus - Le Classiques (the classics) and Menu du Jour (menu of the day), and we could mix and match our courses from both menus. Many of the dishes were labelled gluten-free or gluten-free on request, and I'm sure my gluten-intolerant sister would be at ease dining in this bistro. The kitchen was happy to accommodate my son's allergies, and I'm certain they will also cater to other special diet restrictions. Prices were reasonable for Perth's restaurants (eating out in Perth is getting more and more expensive every year - even more so than Sydney and Melbourne!), with entrées at around the AU$20, mains between AU$30 and AU$40, and desserts and cheese at AU$12 to AU$22.

Entrées

Friends got Terrine du Chef (AU$20) from the Menu du Jour, which had pork, turkey, pear, pistachio and cranberry. It was a good sweet and salty combination:

The 4-year-old had a classic French entrée, Crevettes sautées a l’ail et persil sur brandade de legumes (sautéed garlic prawns on vegetable brandade with parsley butter sauce, AU$21). Large, juicy and sweet shrimps bathing in a garlicky creamy sauce - thoroughly enjoyable:

Mains

For her main course, S chose the Casserole of the Day from the Menu du Jour (AU$40), Seafood Bouillabaise with scallop, prawn, clam, mussel, cod, snapper, scampi in a lobster-tomato sauce. When the casserole lid was lifted, we could all smell the beautiful fragrance of the seafood. S said she liked this dish:

Both hubby and his friend chose the Red-throat Emperor from the Menu du Jour for their main course, served with herb sautéed potatoes, white asparagus and tomato beurre blanc (AU$39). The fish was moist and meaty, cooked just right, and the tomato white butter sauce was a good accompaniment:

I got the French classic, Cuisse de Canard a l’orange et son tian de legumes (twice cooked duck leg with vegetable tian and orange sauce, AU$34). It was beautifully done, and I always appreciate the duck-and-orange combination whenever I eat it:

All mains are accompanied by vegetables:

Desserts

The special dessert of the day was the Buche de Noel (AU$24) served with strawberry coulis, meringue mushroom and vanilla ice cream with snow sugar. Hubby told our waitress he wanted to try the homemade nougat, and here it is served with a season's greeting:

The chocolate log cake with pistachio creme:

Our friends got the same Buche de Noel, but with crème brûlée instead of the nougat:

We really enjoyed dinner and the lovely company. And we're amazed once again that we can get such fine food in little ol' Perth!

P'tite Ardoise
283 Beaufort St
Highgate, WA 6003
Australia
Tel. +61 8 9228 2008

P'tite Ardoise Bistro on Urbanspoon

Monday 21 January 2013

Walking with the Giants

At the end of our quick getaway to the Great Southern Region of WA, where we'd spent one night in Albany and the second night in Denmark, we headed west to the Valley of the Giants. This is Walpole's main tourist attraction, where visitors can get a tree-top view of the towering karri and red tingle trees from the Tree Top Walk. It was truly breathtaking (in a literal sense for hubby who is mildly acrophobic), and I savoured the fresh and fragrant breeze 40m above ground. Amazingly, this walkway is wheelchair-friendly!

Only a child would dare to run on a platform 40m above ground:

Looking down on some of the giants:

The Tree Top Walk:

We all got a good dose of nature in this national park, and also enjoyed a free guided tour through the Ancient Empire, the boardwalk below the Tree Top Walk that goes through the old growth forest. Hubby and I had a few questions about some of the things we saw while walking along the Tree Top Walk, and they were all answered during this free guided tour (without us asking any questions). Our lovely guide involved all the kids present, so our boy had a great time too.

Meeting Grandma Tingle, about 450 years old:

A distinctive feature of the red tingle is its large, hollowed out base. Here the kids were checking out the bat droppings from bats who call this tree home:

These huge hollows were caused over a long period of time by bushfires - but this ancient tree is still living and continues to grow:

The giant tingles grow from the seeds within tiny gumnuts such as this one found by my son:

I highly recommend this attraction, which is suitable for all ages, as there is much to see and learn here. We then made the 5-hour journey back to Perth, and thus ended our road-trip. I'm glad we did this trip, as the beaches, forest and country-life served well to refresh a weary city-dweller's soul.

Thursday 17 January 2013

Aussie bush tucker (refined) @ The Bushfood Factory and Café, Western Australia

Now here is something quite different from what I've been posting about our recent trip to Australia. After we'd been blueberry picking somewhere near Denmark during our trip to the beautiful Great Southern Region of WA, we literally went off-road in search for The Bushfood Factory and Café. The place wasn't too hard to find, as there were sufficient signs showing us the way there from the main road, but be prepared to drive on red sand and gravel. I really like the concept - a bushfood café in the middle of its own Australian bush plantation with integrated environmentally-friendly aspects such as solar panels and harvesting rainwater.

On the grounds of The Bushfood Factory:

Entrance to the Café:

Small but comfortable and clean dining area:

The setting was beautiful, as to be expected from a countryside location. The food served in the café was not exactly the rugged bushtucker that comes to mind, but it's novel using Australian native ingredients in familiar dishes. There were also 'bushfood-free' items, but I can't imagine driving all the way to this place and not trying the so-called bushfoods. The girls who served us were helpful with allergy requests for our boy, and I believe they are the owners' daughters. There was also a little shop by the small dining room that held products made on site for sale, such as jams, chutneys, sauces and spices. The food was delicious, and worth the unique experience of Aussie bushfood.

Scones with Quandong Jam:

The boy wanted pizza, so he got the Outback Mini-Pizza - with smoked kangaroo, pesto, sundried tomato, feta, cheese. Quite tasty, but the kangaroo meat was a bit too tough for our boy to chew on:

Parents ordered the Trio of Traditional Curries - there was beef, vegetable and chicken, served with pappadum and rice. Apparently one of the owners has 25 years experience in preparing curries, and these were quite tasty:

Hubby's Kangaroo Gourmet Burger, with cheese, carrot, lettuce, pesto, relish. Pretty good for a burger:

It's definitely worth a try if you're in the area.

The Bushfood Factory and Café
233 Piggot Martin Rd
Youngs Siding, WA 6330
Australia
Tel. +61 8 9845 2359

Tuesday 15 January 2013

Casual French lunch @ Brasserie de L'ile, Hong Kong

On Saturday we had a little family outing. It wasn't anywhere fun, but it was our first time going to the dentist together as a family. Usually I would book the boy and myself for our half-yearly dental check-up on a weekday, and make an appointment for hubby for a Saturday (which is usually a more difficult day to book as it is a weekend). However the boy was rather difficult (to put it nicely) for both his dental check-ups last year, and I thought that he may cooperate if he could see one of us get our teeth checked and cleaned. Most people must still be on holidays as it wasn't difficult to book the three of us in on a Saturday morning. And the plan worked beautifully - the 4-year-old was intrigued as he watched the dentist do his thing on my teeth, and when it was his turn in the chair, he opened wide and was the perfect dentist's patient. We headed to a brasserie for lunch afterwards, and enjoyed a delicious French meal. Brasserie de L'ile is the first authentic Northern French brasserie to open in Hong Kong, and I can personally vouch that the owner and chef is a French native hailing from Brittany (well-known to us as the region where galettes originated from).


The restaurant was cozy and comfortable, with a bar and some 'al fresco' dining out the front facing the road. Our waiter was amicable, and when we advised staff of our son's food allergies, the French owner was helpful in offering safe alternatives that allowed our son to keep his order. Between the Brunch Menu and the A-La-Carte Menu, there was a good variety of dishes to please most tastebuds. There is no service charge in this restaurant, so patrons are free to tip accordingly.

Complimentary bread basket and butter. Hubby also ordered a cappuccino (HK$40)(background), which was not the best, but decent enough:

The boy wanted the Eggs Benedict with Mushrooms (HK$98), and his was served with toasted sliced baguettes instead of the English muffin (which contained ingredients not safe for him). He didn't need our encouragement to eat his lunch:

Hubby's Chicken and Mushroom Savoury Crepe (HK$98), which had a delicious creamy sauce but I thought that the chicken breast were a bit tough and dry to chew. Perhaps using the thigh meat would be a better option. Hubby was happy with the chicken as it was:

I ordered a small portion (350g) of Mussels Ibérique (HK$148), served with chorizo, saffron, garlic, onion, white wine. It was delicious, and we used the bread to mop up the delicious gravy:

We saw Irish Coffee (HK$78) on the dessert menu, and decided to get one to try since we've never had it. It sure packed a punch - the coffee was strong and bitter, and the whiskey gave a boozy flavour which I don't think complemented the coffee at all. Let's just say I am not a fan of Irish coffee:

Hubby ordered Crepe Suzette (HK$68), served with orange and Grand-Marnier sauce. It was quite plain, but I could appreciate the delicacy of the dish:

The food was delicious, and we had little complaints about our meal. Brasserie de L'ile is nice casual French restaurant that is easier to access than our favourite for casual French.

[Prices quoted above does not include tips.]

Brasserie de L'ile
4 Arbuthnot Road,
Central, Hong Kong
Tel. +85 2 2147 2389