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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

Friday 31 January 2014

Semi-buffet lunch @ Maison Eric Kayser (Harbour City), Hong Kong

Two weeks ago, I got the opportunity to try out the restaurant section of the French bakery Maison Eric Kayser in Harbour City. A deal by the restaurant came up in Groupon, offering a semi-buffet lunch for two to enjoy on a weekday at a discounted price. We'd previously enjoyed delicious baguettes and baked goodies at an Eric Kayser boulangerie in Paris, so I literally jumped at said deal (I very rarely get Groupons for restaurant deals unless I know the quality is good, either from experience or reputation). Hubby works during the week, and I needed a companion to join me, so I invited Steph to join me. I love going out to eat with fellow foodies, because they understand my obsession with food, and they don't judge me when I take out my camera. Steph used to write a food and travel blog (that's how we met back when she was still in the US!) and she didn't even bat an eyelid when I asked to take a photo of her plate.

Spacious in a modern urban setting:

The view out - there's our residential building right there! The ICC (tallest building in Hong Kong) is also visible:

The service we got was average for HK standard, and adequate for our needs. In addition to their a-la-carte menu, Maison Eric Kayser has a special lunch menu which offers diners a "semi-buffet" of soup, salad, appetisers, fougasse (described as 'pizza' on the menu as it's a more familiar term to the masses), bread and desserts that changes daily, and a main course of pasta-of-the-week with several upgrade options. At the time of our visit, this semi-buffet lunch was going for HK$108 (plus 10% service charge) each, and the Groupon I got gave a small discount - a good enough reason to bundle up the month-old infant and make the trip to Harbour City. Steph and I were pleased with the quality of the buffet selection, though I thought my main course was only average (no comment from Steph about her main course). Pasta-of-the-week was penne bolognese, which Steph opted for, and I chose the HK$40 upgrade to get the seafood risotto. The highlights of the buffet for me were the smoked salmon, the breads and fougasse, and the desserts.

The buffet table. Two types of fougasse were under a warmer behind me when I took this shot:

My first plate. To my delight, there were only heels (crusts) left in the bread basket and the fougasse platter, which the majority reject as second-rate, but I think they're the best part of the bread! There were three or four types of bread, and two kinds of fougasse. The salads, roast pumpkins and artichokes, stuffed cherry tomatoes and smoked salmon were all great:

My seafood risotto, which was rather average. Not enough seafood flavours, though there were a fair amount of squid, salmon and prawns in there:

Fresh cut fruits:

Desserts round 1 - madeleines, apricot tart, chocolate eclair, cherry clafoutis tart and coffee eclair. I really liked the madeleine, apricot tart and chocolate eclair:

Desserts round 2 - vanilla eclair, another slice of the apricot tart, and a really good lemon tartlet. Can't remember the fourth piece in the background:

There's a bakery next to the restaurant's entrance filled with delicious baked goodies that I wanted to take with me:

Display of desserts in the bakery:

This was pretty good quality for a buffet lunch, and it gave a pretty good idea of the food quality. As expected, the baked goods and desserts were winners. I'd love to come back to Eric Kayser to try the a-la-carte menu.

Maison Eric Kayser
Shop G14-15
Ground Floor, Ocean Terminal
Harbour City
17 Canton Road
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel. +852 2736 2884

Tuesday 28 January 2014

Last night in Paris

After we departed from the region of Brittany, we spent an afternoon and night in Paris before taking the train out to the next leg of our European vacation: Italy. As we already saw all we wanted to see in Paris, we indulged in our son's repeated requests to go see the Eiffel Tower again, and joined the hundreds of locals and tourists to enjoy a little evening picnic on the Champ de Mars facing the Eiffel. It was really the perfect way to end our time in France - relaxing in the beautiful warm weather, eating takeaway French food and watching our son admire his object of obsession for the final time.

A couple of baguette sandwiches and a cheesy hot dog to take away from a sandwicherie:

This delicious blueberry tart also found its way in our takeaway bag:

I loved how fluffy the clouds were, and this photo does not do it justice:

Our boy didn't care for sweets after he finished his dinner. His after-dinner treat request was to be excused so that he could admire his beloved Eiffel Tower. That's him holding up his replica Eiffel to the real one in the distance:

Having fun at the playground:

The Eiffel Tower lit up as dusk fell:

We already miss Paris, and our boy keeps asking when we will go back there.

Sunday 26 January 2014

Scrumptious galettes @ Crêperie Ahna, Dinan (France)

We ate Breton galettes for our final meal in Dinan, a specialty of the Brittany region. Crêperie Ahna was always full whenever we walked past, and that particular day was no different. I was told that there would be a 45 minute wait for a table, so we came back later at the specified time. This crêperie had a lively atmosphere, and there were large family groups as well as couples enjoying many types of buckwheat pancakes. Service was prompt and helpful, and the food was delicious.

Full house at this popular crêperie:

Our last meal in Brittany would not be complete without another of its specialties, apple cider. This was one of the Val de Rance ciders:

The menu was in French, offering a comprehensive list of galette fillings, and they all looked good. We knew we would take awhile considering the menu, so we placed an order for the boy from the Menu Enfant (kids menu) first. The kids menu was affordably priced at 6.50 euros, included a soft drink or juice, and the boy could choose from four types of simple galettes and either a chocolate crêpe or two scoops of ice cream flavour of his choice. We were all happy with our choices of galettes and desserts.

The boy was given a tin of colour pencils, to colour in the other side of the Menu Enfant, which entertained the boy for awhile until his food arrived. Also on the table was his apple juice (included in the kids menu) and a mini replica of the Eiffel Tower, the boy's most favourite toy on this whole trip and for awhile after we returned home (to say he was obsessed with Eiffel Tower would be an understatement):

Galette Jambon Oeuf (ham and egg galette), from the kids menu:

Hubby's choice of galette was La Picarde St-Jacques (fondue de poireaux, coquilles St-Jacques, crème fraîche, 10.65 euros). Creamy scallops with leeks was a winner with hubby who loves scallops and everything creamy:

Mine was La Galette Ahna (filets de magret de canard au beurre d'escargot, salade, 9.65 euros). I figured this must be a special dish as it was named after the crêperie. The duck breast was succulent, and finished off nicely with the 'snail butter' (there's no actual snail in the butter):

The kid enjoyed his two scoops of chocolate ice cream and Smarties:

La Délice D'Ahna (crêpe chocolat chaud, glace vanille, griottes, chantilly, 7.15 euros). The hot chocolate sauce contrasted nicely with the vanilla ice cream, though I wasn't a big fan of the morello cherries and cream. No complaints from hubby, except that he'd eaten more than he ought to:

This was an excellent meal to fare us well on our way from the region of Brittany. Reservations are highly recommended.

[Prices quoted above do not include tax and service charges.]

Creperie Ahna
7 rue de la Poissonerie
22100 Dinan
France
Tel. +33 2 96 39 09 13

Thursday 23 January 2014

Revisit: Lunch @ Cafe Deco Pizzeria (Elements), Hong Kong

After a delicious festive lunch a few weeks ago at Cafe Deco Pizzeria in the mall downstairs, we were keen to go back again to try their usual offerings. And I must say that we are pretty impressed with the food on our second visit. Expect to see innovative pizza toppings on the menu such as Morrocan lamb, char siu pork, wasabi chicken, Chinese roast duck and wagyu beef. Even some of the desserts were pretty creative-sounding: rocky road calzone and hazelnut fruit pizza. Salads, pastas and meat/fish dishes are also available, so there is something to suit all tastebuds and food requirements. This is a family-friendly restaurant, and we saw many kids and families dining here on a Sunday lunchtime.

The dining area:


To start with, hubby and I shared the Arugula and Fig Salad with Parma ham, Cambozola, walnuts and balsamic reduction (HK$85). I don't usually order salads as I think they are over-priced for a small amount of vegetables, but this salad was delicious. I enjoyed the combination of the sweetness from the fresh and dried figs, the savoury from the crunchy walnuts, salty ham and cheese, and the slight acidity from the balsamic reduction:

For main course, hubby chose Grilled Chicken Breast with pesto vegetables and herb potato rissoles (HK$168), as it met his high-protein low-carb diet that he's supposedly on (in a loose fashion, as he isn't able to refuse dessert as you will see below). This was a chef recommended dish, and while it was delicious, I thought it was nothing special. Grilled chicken breast is grilled chicken breast after all:

The boy and I shared the Garlic Prawns and Scallops Pizza with parsley, spring onions, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted capsicum, fresh herbs, lemon wedges and tomato base (HK$150). This combines two of the 5-year-old's favourite foods, prawns and pizza, so there were no problems getting him to eat his lunch:

Between the two of us, hubby is the dessert person, so he got to choose our final sweet course: Rocky Road Calzone with chocolate cake, dark and white chocolate chips, candied fruits and marshmallows (HK$70). Unfortunately the boy couldn't share much due to his allergies to nuts inside the cake. He enjoyed the ice cream while we enjoyed the rest:

Chocolate cake within the calzone:

Good service, clean environment, delicious food that is not too pricey, and the fact that it's just downstairs from our apartment will ensure that we will be repeat customers here.

[The prices quoted above do not include the 10% service charge.]

Cafe Deco Pizzeria
Shop 1005,
1st Floor Elements
(Kowloon MTR Station)
1 Austin Road West
Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon
Hong Kong
Tel. +852 2196 8099

Tuesday 21 January 2014

Dinan (Part 3): Walking tour of the ramparts

This is the third and final post on our walking exploration of the ancient port town of Dinan (click to read parts one and two). There aren't many photos in this post, as the rain had cut short our plan to complete a walking tour of the entire ramparts that fully encloses Dinan, and we also had a bus and train to catch back to Paris in the afternoon so we didn't have the luxury of continuing if the rain stopped (which it didn't). Dinan's ramparts may not be as big as Saint-Malo's wall, but it possesses a certain rustic charm that conveyed better of an era long gone by.

The starting point of our walking tour of the ramparts was Dinan Castle, which also houses the museum:

St Louis Gate by the castle keep:

The exterior of the castle keep:

The exterior of the rampart was mostly monotonous (see next photo) except for occasional features such as this:

Looks pretty ominous and effective at keeping out any unwanted visitors in ancient times:

Residential area outside the wall:

Taking shelter from the drizzle under a large tree that hadn't yet been soaked through its foliage:

Modernity juxtaposed with the medieval. We were heading towards the main part of town. If you look closely, the steps are wet from the drizzle except for where it is sheltered by the foliage of the tree we were resting under:

A medieval building:

We really enjoyed our trip out to this part of France - it was a refreshing change from the busy fast-paced ultra-modern life in Hong Kong.

Thursday 16 January 2014

Fantastic dinner @ Aahh Bali Bed & Breakfast (Jimbaran), Bali

I'm on my final post on our trip to Bali! We were there for a few short days to attend a friend's wedding, and we had a pretty good time! Bali wasn't on our want-to-travel-to list, and I'd expected to dislike how touristy it is, but it is such a family-friendly destination, that even a pregnant mum in her 8th month of pregnancy could not help but enjoy the time with the hubby and 5-year-old kid. Part of what made the trip so memorable was the accommodation we stayed at. I've previously wrote about Aahh Bali B&B, what a great place it is owned by a fantastic couple, and how much we enjoyed the food. The food! Lydia used to be a chef at the Grand Hyatt in Singapore, and the promise of delicious cooking was what sealed the deal for us on deciding to stay here. And ate well, we did. We enjoyed a delicious spread for breakfast every morning, and Lydia's freshly-made pastries were amazing! The B&B's guests could also enjoy Lydia's cooking for dinner, and we had to give them advance notice so that Lydia could go to the market for the food (though you ought to do put in your request earlier, as dinner is pending on Bob and Lydia's schedule, and there are other guests to compete with). We chose our dishes using their online food menu, and sat down to a delicious meal after a full day out. The food was reasonably priced, with starters, soups, salads and desserts at US$4 each, and main courses at US$8 to $15. Each dish was prepared with care using top quality ingredients, and we thoroughly enjoyed every single one of them.

Appetisers

For the boy: Spring Rolls with Lime Chili Sauce - fresh out of the fryer and into our mouths. Crispy but not greasy, and a delicious way to sneak some veges into kids:

Hubby chose the Clam Chowder - deliciously creamy and full of umami goodness:

Mine was the Orange, Avocado and Tomato Salad in Honey Mustard Dressing. What a delicious combination of ingredients:

Mains

The kid enjoyed the Fish Cakes with Pineapple Salsa. Perfectly crispy with no greasiness, offset nicely by the sweet-sour fruity salsa:

Hubby really liked the look of Salmon en Croute Stuffed with Mushroom. And he was not disappointed:

The browned pastry kept the salmon and mushrooms in a nice parcel. It was a little dry, but I can't see how to improve that aspect without making everything soggy (and we all know how unappealing soggy floppy pastry is):

My choice of main course was Seafood Curry with White Rice. This curry was reminiscent of Thai-style tom yum, but not as strongly sour and spicy. It was delicious, with a slight acidic edge from the tamarind, and not too heavy because it wasn't coconut milk-based:

Dessert

A simple Vanilla Ice Cream for the boy, with his choice of sprinkles and topping. We actually didn't order dessert for the boy because he could share ours, but Lydia kindly offered to give him ice cream, and the boy said "Yes please!":

Hubby chose the Chocolate Brownie on Caramel Sauce. Served warm, the brownie was decadent, rich and moist, and the caramel sauce was not too sweet:

When I saw the Banana Fritters with Vanilla Ice Cream on the menu, I knew I had to order it. I have fond memories of eating pisang goreng as a child growing up in Malaysia. This was obviously a more sophisticated version, and the ice cream was a great accompaniment to this beloved street food item:

This dinner was a delicious way to cap off our final night in Bali. We had a great stay and have no hesitations to recommend Aahh Bali B&B as an accommodation. (Bob mentioned that there are plans in the works to open another B&B, also in Bali, and I don't know the fate of this current one, but I'm certain that these guys will maintain a high level of service, wherever they are.)

Aahh Bali Bed & Breakfast
Jl. Uluwatu II
Gg. Tanjung Mekar #9
Jimbaran-Kuta, Bali
Indonesia 80361
Tel. +62-878618-7312
(See their website for more ways to contact them.)