Eighth Bastion Hotel, Kochi – a top spot to stay @cgh_earth

Eighth Bastion, like all CGH Earth hotels, is a great spot to stay in Kochi, especially with the generous low season price ($125AUS including the fabulous breakfast).

Near the Dutch cemetery and Thakur House, it once was a Dutch mansion itself.

It’s close to the beach for great people watching and wandering.

It has just 19 rooms with some (quieter) rooms overlooking the pool and other (noisier) rooms overlooking local life and out to the sea. Room 305 was great, a little noisier as it was on the corner, but great views, space and privacy. It was lovely sitting on the balcony watching the rain with a tea, or listening to the rain overnight on the roof. So relaxing!

There’s gorgeous common areas, a lovely infinity pool and complementary bikes and umbrellas to use.

Staff are wonderful, relaxed, warm and genuinely thoughtful.

The breakfast team Binesh, Ajeesh, Mathai and Sayanth.

Interestingly Mathai told us about the pasta he makes using a mix of flours made from jackfruit and wheat that gives a result lower in glycaemic index and higher in fibre. Very clever!

They are joined in the kitchen of East Indies restaurant by chef Shinto.

Breakfast is generous and delicious including house made pineapple jam and muesli, full English breakfast, pancakes and Indian breakfasts like idli and sandbar, aval (rolled rice with jaggery and spices), dosa, oothappam with sambar and coconut and tomato chutneys and a great black chenna with Kerala red rice puttu.

There’s even the Bruder Bread, unique to Kochi that dates back to the Dutch influence. Made locally from a family secret it uses caramelised sugar, eggs, vanilla, spices and raisins.

While weekdays in low season are just the la carte menu for breakfast without the buffet, there’s no missing out.

Book directly through the website. Roshini at Reservations is fantastic, so very helpful. (directsales@cghearth.com)
She can also organize a very comfortable and welcome pick up from the airport at a competitive price which I recommend.

A top spot for a boutique stay in Kochi!

Can’t wait to try Bruton’s Boatyard next month!

@cghearth #meandcghearth

Singapore stopover – my top tips

Let me start by saying – these top tips are a work in progress.

A better title might have been – what I just learnt about stopping over in Singapore!

I’m not one for winging it when I travel. Hating to miss an opportunity, I usually have all my meals scoped out.

So it threw me completely when I found out my flight to India no longer lined up and I’d have to spend a night in Singapore. I haven’t been a fan of Singapore as a destination. It’s hard to get the same value for money available elsewhere in Asia.

I hastily booked the best I could find in the CBD on Booking.com and ended up with the Amara Singapore for $175 a night – no brekkie. It turned out to be a good spot nonetheless, with a very thoughtful upgrade thrown in.

I also psyched myself up to pay those Aussie prices I remember from my last visit.

But luckily I grabbed my ten year old Lonely Planet Guide as I left the house.

Between the Lonely Planet (never let’s me down), some helpful tips from friend Elayne, and very useful posts on trip advisor, we left Singapore having only spent another $25 between us.

So these were the top tips:

Take the MRT from the airport. Just $2.50 a person and less than an hour door to door, it was easy to navigate. The Amara is minutes walk from Tanjong Pagar Station. A few things to know, the ticket machine only takes $5 or less and you need to change trains at Tanah Merah (but so does everyone).
Eat with the locals at Tanjong Pagar Plaza Market and Food Centre.

You’ll find it across the road from The Amara and one block up toward Tanjong Pagar Park (diagonally opposite Carlton City Hotel). Like all Singapore’s Hawker Markets (food courts), not only is it cheap, but it’s a great chance to mix and mingle with those who live here and geat a window into local life.
We first got waylaid at the Si Xiong Ju Noodle House which was directly opposite the Amara in Tanjong Plaza proper. Here we chose two types of tofu, green stir fried greens and mushrooms for $4.

Then we found the Hawker market proper. We’d found our stride by then and when we saw someone eating something good we asked them where they’d got it. Following this approach we tried the Teechew Satay Bee Hoon for $3

..and the Healthier choice Singapore Health Promotion Board approved lower in calories $3 Mixed fishball noodles at Teo Chew Fishball Noodles.

Sadly the Famous Peanut Ice Kachang in Singapore had moved.

But it was a opportunity to return to the gorgeous gal at Kueh Ho Jiak who had so thoughfully given us a delicious sweet potato with coconut sweet to try. I just had to have another of these as well as try the sweet potato with red bean paste. Do go here, it’s a real winner!

Lastly on the way back we stopped at Tea Royal on the corner of Carlton City Hotel
Purple potato icecream and Matcha ice cream $1 a scoop. (The matcha was not so great though).

For something more upmarket, carry on a little further along Tanjong Pagar Road and you’ll come to some lovely heritage houses, filled with lots of fine eateries. These are also a great choice, although you will start paying Australian prices here (albeit the lower end of midrange).

After all this deliciousness at just a fraction of what I was expecting, we headed to the airport for the next leg of our journey.

I’ve changed my mind about Singapore. I stopover is a great idea and breaks up the journey to India nicely so you can arrive fresh. No visa required for Aussies.

Next time though, I will be better planned.

I’m updating my Lonely Planet Guide to Singapore.
If it’s Ramadan, I want to stay near Paya Lebar MRT station and enjoy the Geylang Serai Ramadan Festival in the evening. This stop is only six stops from the airport.
And I’d love to stay near Little India MRT station and explore Little India. Village Hotel Albert Court looks good. A boutique hotel with good prices through Booking.com.
Or near Bugis MRT station (on the same line as the airport and closer than the Amara) to discover the Arab Quarter.

Next year!!!

#VisitSingapore #kuehhojiak #teochewsataybeenhoon #teochewfishballnoodles #ironladychef #singaporebestfoods #amarasingapore #singapore

Zaab brings Thai-Lao street food to Lonsdale St

The very lovely Ms Frugal Ears is keeping the blog warm today while I head to India to bring back a whole bunch of new tips for South India foodie travel. She’s treating us to a wonderful trip to the new Zaab! Happy and delicious reading!

Betel leaves

Zaab bills itself as providing Thai-Lao style street food. Often claims about providing authentic street food mean deconstructed, hip food that looks only a little bit like the original ‘inspired’ dish. But here the dishes really are similar to popular South-east Asian-style street food.

I felt that Zaab’s offerings probably looked a bit too much like street food, depending on what you were expecting. And I’m not sure what I was expecting, other than something that grabbed me as being unique and different. My dining companion had lived in Southeast Asia, and you know when you have been there that nowhere in Canberra can compete with the original backpacker/traveller atmosphere – nor the price – of South-east Asian dining. Even if the food doesn’t grab you, Zaab provides a great backdrop for reminiscing about travels to Southeast Asia and planning new ones. It is also a whole lot of fun.

We dined on a balmy mid-week night, arriving very early, and sat right out the front – the entrance is open to the street. The place was quiet – not dull, but subdued. A few weeks later I happened to walk by at the midnight pumpkin hour on a Saturday night, and Zaab was pumping. A street food cart, which was parked on the front verandah when we dined (I wondered if it was supposed to be part of the décor), had been moved out onto the pavement and they were serving up meals to passing Lonsdale St customers. It looked and felt like a pub in Southeast Asia, with music blaring and crowds of happy people drinking beer and cocktails.

I ordered (on the waitress’s recommendation) a Crazy Coconut cocktail, which was a vodka, strawberry and coconut concoction served in a coconut shell. I felt like I was on a cruise ship to Hawaii. It didn’t taste very alcoholic, which can be dangerous. My companion had a Singha beer – Zaab has a selection of Asian beers including from Lao, Thailand, China and Japan.

Larb bites

We opted for small snacky things to share rather being bogged down with substantial meals. I liked the Betel Leaf canapés ($4) each, which we were encouraged to down like oysters. The waitress could not tell me where they source betel leaves from; presumably, they come from Sydney. Larb bites ($8) were potentially interesting but disappointing; they were more like Mum’s rissoles than the Lao classic larb.

Son in law eggs

But if you dine at Zaab, do order Son in Law eggs ($10). Why the name? Apparently, this Thai dish is cooked by a mother-in-law if her daughter’s husband hasn’t been behaving too well. The not so subtle message of the deep-fried eggs communicates that he had better behave or a certain part of his anatomy could be deep-fried next. The story put me off these eggs a little bit at first, but I got over it quickly because the creamy, crispy fried eggs with sour tamarind sauce were yummo.

Seafood platter

We were a little underwhelmed by the grilled seafood for two ($28), which was not as abundant or fresh as I would have liked it to be, although the grilled calamari had a nice flavour.

Crying Tiger

My favourite dish was the Crying Tiger ($16) which was served spicy hot, rather than the more usual extra fiery hot, at my request. The dish is kind of like a Thai style carpaccio of medium rare beef slices covered in a spicy sour sauce. While it wasn’t a super large serving, it is a great dish to enjoy with beer – or another one of those Crazy Coconut cocktails.

What: Zaab Street Food

Where: Unit 2, 9 Lonsdale St Bradden

Website: www.zaabstreetfood.com.au

Facebook: facebook/zaabstreetfood

Open: 5pm until late Monday to Sunday

Monster Kitchen – deserves Canberra’s top spot

Monster Kitchen is Good Food’s number one Canberra restaurant – and it’s not hard to see why.

Quirky and welcoming, the eclectic decor is engaging.

But it’s the food that is the real star.

Our lunch dishes were perfect! Beautiful, well priced and a unique combination of ingredients and textures.

The two of us first shared the:

Fried tofu with pickled shitake, boito soy, spring onion oil and sesame $18

Eggplant, smoked goat’s curd, katsuobushi and sesame $20

Pulled lamb shoulder with pistachio, yogurt, vine leaf, pomegranate and brik $30

I especially liked the pairing of the goat’s curd with the eggplant and the yogurt with the lamb shoulder. Thses gave the dishes a delightful creamy highlight. But I also loved the salty elements of the soy with the tofu and the katsuobushi with the eggplant.

The textured coating on the tofu had a lovely light crunch. I loved the colour and crunch of the pistachios and pomegranate with the lamb’s shoulder and the gorgeous green tinge on the tofu.

We finished with a dessert of Soft chocolate with mandarin, almond and rosemary $20.

This was also a perfect balance of textures and flavours, especially the ice-cream that came with it. The crisp garnish was excellent as was the puree garnish but the fresh mandarin would be better preserved.

Still on my wish list for another time is the Yabby Waffle $20, the Boxgum grazing beef tartare $23 and the Green tea dessert with coconut, raspberry and mille feuille $18.

I also want to try the Monster Light Lunch that offers specials like Spagetti with wagyu tongue, peas, capers, reggiano and chilli $17, Baby beet salad with wild rice, pear, walnut $16, Pork belly banh mi $13 or Boxgum grazing ham, pyengana cheddar and green tomato pickle $15 sered 12-5pm daily.

Mercado, Sydney – my new Sydney favourite – delighted by such generosity!

Ever since Mercado was named one of the best new restaurants of 2016 by the Good Food Guide, it’s been on my wishlist.

So it was with great anticipation that I looked forward to dinner.

I was not disappointed! No, much more than that, I was surprised and delighted at the generosity of Mercado’s service, approach and prices – something that can be hard to find now in popular, trending restaurants.

Let me tell you how:

Mercado takes bookings at the time you want – not set sitting times.

Mercado lets you order a la carte or from set menus – it’s up to you – no compulsory degustation or tasting menu. (Unless you are a group of 8 or more when you must have the $80 set menu).

Mercado has great service from thoughtful, knowledgeable wait staff who care about their guests and their product. They establish warm, but respectful rapport and anticipate your needs. They provide continuity from start to finish.

Mercado has good value prices – coffees are $4.50 not $8.

Mercado has great food – every dish was a winner.

Mercado offers you a $65 set menu on the house for your birthday (if you subscribe) when you book as a group of 4. (Available lunch or dinner Monday – Thursday).

As we were heading to Vivid, we arrived by 6pm and went for the Pre-Theatre set menu for $55 per person. This turned out to be a great choice.

The food reminded me of both Stanbuli and Continental Deli, having a style that falls somewhere in between.

The Pre-Theatre menu offers:

The Chickpea puree with brown butter was wonderful with great crispy chickpeas and deliciously warm flatbreads.

Marinated olives

A selection of cold cuts cured in house – all excellent and perfect with the Mixed pickled vegetables

Turkish ravioli of pumpkin with yoghurt & burnt butter – we loved this.

Chorizo with salsa mojo verde – very good.

Chef’s selection from the rotisserie – we had the wonderfully succulent and flavoursome rotisserie chicken with lemon & aioli and a great house made sauce.

Salad of mixed leaves & herbs.

Dulce de leche ice cream served dramatically with butterscotch & candied bacon – delicious!

$55 per person the Pre-Theatre set menu is available in the evening before 6pm

I estimate it provides the equivalent of $171 of dishes for $110 for two people, so it’s excellent value.

However, the table to us was ordering a la carte and their dishes looked wonderful too. They loved them especially the Foie gras parfait, Braised Octopus and Beef carpaccio – all dishes I would order next time to try. Instagrammers agree.

Foie gras parfait, pickles & toast 26

Escabeche of kingfish, fennel & lemon 29

Soft shell crab bun, harissa & aioli 24

Braised octopus, sobrasada, potato & olive 32

Roasted prawns, chilli oil & romesco 39

Beef carpaccio, ortiz anchovy dressing & caviar 28

Wine by the glass includes a very good 2016 Jauma y Mercado ‘Garnatxa’ Grenache McLaren Vale, SA $14 for a generous (150ml pour).

Located in the cellar of a building off Angel Place, the setting is cozy and inviting.

I’m not taking it off my wish list, but I’ve added it to my Sydney favourites – at the top.

Jugiong – Canberra’s new destination dining spot?

The Southern Highlands is popular for getaways from Canberra. But head west down the Hume instead and you’ll come to Jugiong, a small country town reinventing itself as a boutique foodie day trip destination.

Kim has arrived from Western Australia to open up The Sir George – country charm with style and fun.

Bringing his artisan baking secrets with him, he serves up the most wonderful Bakers Lane sourdough bread that you can team with delicious share plates and tapas.

WARM LOCAL & ITALIAN OLIVES $8

HOUSE TERRINE $16 & DUCK LIVER PARFAIT $15

KIM’S CHEESE SELECTION $18

ANCHOVY BOARD TO SHARE $40 (spanish whites, rizzoli in extra virgin & salsa picante) – as Kim promised, bread dipped in the tin was divine.

Team this with an excellent bottle of $30 Italian prosseco or some hill tops wine by the glass very reasonably priced from $7.

Or perhaps choose a main dish like the great looking fish and chips $19.

Enjoy the tables outside ….

….or one of the gorgeous heritage nooks inside.

Open 10am until late, Sir George is closed Mondays.

Then there’s also the famous Long Track Pantry next door open 8-4 every day except Tuesday and serving an interesting and varied menu.

Browse the giftwares while you’re there.

Or around the corner are a couple of lovely home decorating shops including Tillia’s brand new The Yard full of gorgeous art and flowers.

If you’d like to make a weekend of it there’s some good Airbnb options.

Also, Sir George has exciting plans for boutique accommodation which I can’t wait to see.

I have a feeling Jugiong will just go from strength to strength. It’s a great discovery for those looking for something new which is close enough to Canberra for a spontaneous country lunch or weekend getaway.

Cooking Circles – Mother’s Day High Tea

A very lovely post from Karen Really Likes Food!

My food blogging friend Michele throws an amazing Mother’s Day High Tea with Cooking Circles

Source: Cooking Circles – Mother’s Day High Tea

Top spots in Hobart

I’ve just got back from the Dietitians’ Conference in Hobart and dropped in on lots of the spots I loved last visit, ticked off some on my wishlist and tried a few newbies.

Plus this time I got to the Salamanca Markets and tasted the wonderful Salmon Sausage Foccacia from Silver Hill Fisch.

It was back for dinner at Tassies top restaurant Franklin….

Raw silver perch with soured cream, black daikon and horseradish $18

Raw cape grim beef with burnt eggplant and roasted onion $20

Wood roasted octopus with fermented chili and lovage seed $24

Malted barley parfait with baked apple and rye $14

On the wishlist … lunch at Frank on the waterfront at the bottom of the Tasplan building..

Salmon Nikkei with spring onion, fine herbs, chilli & sesame seeds – delicious flavours and textures $14 an express lunch

…and dinner at The Glass House on Brooke Street Pier
Kingfish $21 with nuoc mau, peanut, smoked cucumber and beetroot $16 with smoked sheep’s curd, dashi reduction, toasted sesame

Return visits to Jackman and McRoss on that gorgeous street…

for the Fig, marscapone, walnut and sambucca in a chocolate pastry shell

….and also back to Pilgrim – still not so great for food
I couldn’t eat this Bolivian Quinoa Bowl $14 sadly

A new one was Silver Hill Fisch at the Saturday Salamanca Markets. This salmon sausage in a focaccia with coriander and rocket $8 was the Dietitians’ hot tip. Here, the lovely 22 year old owner and manager Maja serves just the one special, much sort after specialty.

Overall the fish dishes were the loveliest.

And the best… still Franklin for the vibe and innovation, Glass House for the view and service, Frank for food, but Silver Hill Fisch for fun and inspiration!

Canberra’s best breakfast – Pod Food Pialligo!

I’ve enjoyed the hospitality of Pod Food a couple of lovely times lately, but now, after trying their breakfast, I’m a total fan! It must be the very best spot for breakfast in Canberra!

Even in this chilly weather, the garden setting is gorgeous and beautiful from the cosy verandah.

It was just perfect on a winter Canberra weekend.
To be honest, I’d only ever heard about the $40 four course breakfast degustation which I’d flagged as a special occasion event. But now I know that there’s a whole other a la carte menu with average Canberra prices, but way beyond average dishes……in such a lovely setting, served by Sam’s top class team, I wouldn’t ever want to go anywhere else!
Hard as it was to choose just one dish (hence the allure of the degustation) I was very pleased with my Field mushroom bruschetta with miso, smoked ricotta (so good), baby spinach and sourdough $19.

Every mouthful was a joy!

But the Srambled eggs with Jamon, fennel and herb salad and Three Mills seeded sourdough $19 also looked very good.

Those who chose the Potato and bacon wrapped egg with salt baked potato, pecorino and capsicum relish were delighted, $20.

And for those times that you just want something light, the $12 Three Mills seeded sourdough toast with Pialligo honey, preservatives and whipped butter was perfect.

Even though we were just coming for breakfast, Sam called to check special diet needs and confirm the booking. There’s nothing ordinary about breakfast at Pod!

And, you won’t believe this, if you have the Canberra Entertainment Book, there’s even a 25% discount!
This is fine dining standard at mid range prices!

Fine Eating

Hints Hacks and Highlights

Eighth Bastion Hotel, Kochi – a top spot to stay @cgh_earth

Singapore stopover – my top tips

Zaab brings Thai-Lao street food to Lonsdale St

Monster Kitchen – deserves Canberra’s top spot

Mercado, Sydney – my new Sydney favourite – delighted by such generosity!

Cooking Circles – Mother’s Day High Tea

Top spots in Hobart

Canberra’s best breakfast – Pod Food Pialligo!

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