Opportunistic foodie travel experiences everywhere

Some foodie travel experiences are more obvious – restaurants, cooking lessons and food tours.
But don’t miss other windows of opportunity that can be equally rewarding and easy if you are looking out for them.
They can come at any time and are often free and flexible. A great idea for a break in the itinerary or for a rainy day.
You often come across more opportunistic experiences if you know a bit about what you’re looking for. A resource like The Penguin Food Guide to India is a great tool for developing a ‘short list’ of regional dishes and foods that you can highlight and flag in the handy electronic version, great for your phone.
Then just keep an eye out for those more surprising opportunities to ‘taste’ through the list including…..

In-flight meals..

Baked Besan (chickpea flour cakes) with mango chutney

Cottage cheese ( Paneer) and fig dumplings, with Dahl and rice, pappadoms, curd and pickle

Milk dumplings in sweetened milk and coconut ( Raismailer?)

Masala Chai

Kulcha bread

Breakfasts…often include regional dishes and buffets mean you can try a little of many different flavours. Don’t be limited…. if there’s sweets to try, or chaat snacks…why not!

Thalis….lots of small dishes and accompaniments

Watching your guesthouse meal being prepared

Supermarkets…especially good for learning more about the ingredients in a food or to buy some to try (terrific for gifts to take home too)

Chattting to locals about their meal…(everyone loves talking about food)

Local food markets

Local food magazines

Popular snack bars on the street or in stations (look for busy spots where the food is quickly prepared and sold)

On the train

Food shops….

The Merchant Deli & Cafe, Kingston Foreshore

The Merchant is a very welcoming, friendly and relaxed newcomer on the Kingston Foreshore helpfully open 7 days for breakfast lunch and dinner.

It’s great strengths are it’s honest, accommodating and attentive staff, it’s key corner location and it’s value for money menu options.
But it is also stylish and food is beautifully presented.

There is nothing pretentious about The Merchant. Staff are happy to answer and respond to all kinds of queries and requests making it a very good spot for sharing dishes and ordering to suit your appetite.

The menu changes daily, but there is a pattern to what’s on offer.

The sharing platters $28 are great for two people for lunch and I’m told that extra complimentary bread is available to go with all those lovely dips, cured meats, cheeses and pickled vegetables.

Some dishes make a great light meal for one person. The baguettes, soup and salad were all generously sized, and well priced making them excellent value. The pancetta and cheese baguette ($12) had plenty of filling, the soup of the day ($12) serve was large and came with bread and the salad of the day $14 was also a good sized serve.

Likewise, dessert from the cabinet offered well sized serves for $8.

The lamb, lemon and rosemary skewer $25 was large and served with salad.

The pan fried salmon fillet $25 did not come with accompaniments so it made a smaller meal.

The chilli spanner crab linguine $22 and braised lamb shoulder pappardelle $22 were more modest serves as well, but looked delicious.

The Seared Canadian Scallops -served with pea puree, chorizo and olives $14, was a small entree sized serve.

The chicken liver mushroom parfait $20 was a very generous serve and ideal for sharing with some other dishes. (Extra bread available on request at not cost).

BYO wine is available at around $4 per person, but if you purchase your wine from the nearby sister store ‘Prohibition’, corkage is free.

(Prohibition is on the corner behind Local Press and has plenty of good option in the $10-$15 range).

In a nutshell, The Merchant has plenty going for it and is well worth trying out. It could easily become a favourite.

Best of the West – A foodie itinerary to West India

Best of the West – Highlights of West India Foodie Itinerary Ideas

Mumbai

Why Go?

Workers from across India, seeking to make it ‘big’ in the bright lights, bring authentic regional food to Mumbai including India’s best range of creative street food (like Vada Pav, Behl Puri and Pao Bhaji).

Try Parsi cuisine, originally from Persia…most fun at Britannia and Co.

Don’t miss the dabbawallah unwritten delivery system that takes thousands of home cooked lunches to workers every day.

Visit local food markets and Sassoon Dock fish market.

All set against stunning colonial architecture…and surprisingly innovative and creative high density living in Mumbai’s many ‘slums’.

Check out:

Reality Tours and Travel – Excellent, great value tours around Mumbai that include the famous Mumbai street food, the dabbawallah delivery system and a socially responsible, sensitive Dharavi slum tour.

Where to Stay?

Colaba is the best area to stay, and a night in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel (while quite expensive) is a once in a life time experience.

Another good spot in Colaba is the Ascot Hotel – more budget friendly prices, but still an excellent location.

http://www.ascothotel.com/

http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g304554-d606365-Reviews-Ascot_Hotel-Mumbai_Bombay_Maharashtra.html

How to get there?

Mumbai is a major airport in India and good airlines often have specials. Check out Singapore Airlines for regular specials.

Jodhpur

Why Go?

Dine with fantastic rood top views of the mighty Mehrangarh Fort and beautiful ‘Blue City’.

Head to the clock tower to try regional snack food favourites including the famous rich lassi, have lunch with a local village family and experience a delicious Rajasthani thali at Gypsy Dining Rooms.

Where to Stay?

Raas

But also consider Castle View Home Stay for an amazing view, very thoughtful and kind host and great prices.

How to get there?

Mumbai to Jodhpur return $186 Jet Airways (online booking).

Jaisalmer

Why Go?

Dine roof top on the massive, sandcastle-like fort that rises out of the desert, above this ‘Golden City’ and enjoy regional Rajasthani dishes in between visiting gorgeous havelis and perhaps enjoying a camel safari.

Where to Stay?

Garh Jaisal

Gorgeous, well priced rooms with window seats, each a different colour and lovely roof top spot for drinks and breakfast.

How to get there?

Hire a good sized car (e.g. Toyata Innova) from one of the many car and diver businesses.

(About 4.5 hours from Jodhpur. Stop for a snack or lunch at Manvar Resort and Desert Safari Camp or Samsara Resort long the way).

Goa

Why Go?

A distinct Portuguese influenced cuisine in a setting of post colonial architecture featuring whitewashed churches and colourful villas as well as beautiful beaches.

Lunch at a spice plantation, visit local Mapusa market on a Friday and marvel at the lush greenery of rice paddies and coconut palms.

Where to Stay?

Anjuna

(home to the famous Wednesday Flea Market)

Casa Anjuna

or Marbella Guest House (Candolim)

How to get there?

Mumbai to Goa return $152 Jet Airways (online booking).

Rice Tapas Bar – Garema Place, Canberra City

The Rice Tapas Bar can be tricky to find the first time (it’s upstairs on the corner of Garema Place, heading towards Alinga Street, next to Frawleys shoes (see the photo to see where exactly).

Service is excellent and staff are helpful and friendly. Corkage is $5 per bottle.
There are quite nice spots for groups to sit, but in winter it can be cold, so its good to take a coat.

Even though it’s a tapas bar, I think the mains are probably a better pick (nicer and better value for sharing). Top picks are the Beef Massaman Curry and the Stir-fry chicken in Peanut Sauce $20.50. The Jim’s Pork Belly has great flavour .The Red Duck Curry $23 with sticky rice $3.50 is also good. The duck had a good flavour, but just a bit too much skin. The Jungle Curry with Chicken $20.50 is not as good.

Serve sizes are not huge, but if you are getting one of the frequent special deals, it’s still good value.

In the entrees, the Mixed tapas (4) $14.50 Peking duck pancake, 1x pad Thai Spring Roll, 1x Yum Beef , 1x Prawn in Golden Jacket is quite good (the duck pancake and yum beef especially tasty), but again not as good as the mains for value. The soft shelled crab, though tempting, is disappointing.

The desserts are interesting, but not stand outs. The sticky rice with black bean and coconut $7.50 is quite good, as is the banana roti $8.50 and the coconut icecream $7.50 but not excellent.

Overall, well worth a trip when a special deal is offered.

Crispy Pork Belly

Seafood stir fry

Chicken and cashews

Tofu stirfry

Red duck curry

Group seating for a larger group

Beef Massaman Curry

Decor

Sticky rice

Entrance in Garema Place

Soft shelled crab main

Stir-fry chicken in Peanut Sauce

Jungle curry

Yum Crispy Pork Belly

Mixed entree plate

Black sticky rice

Banquets and Set Menus

Dessert

Group seating for a smaller group

View

Grazing, Gundaroo, NSW

Grazing is Gundaroo’s offers prompt and attentive service, a cozy country atmosphere, but is ‘rustic ‘rather than ‘fine dining’ feel, so best suited to a more casual occasion.

Allow at least 30 mins driving time from north Canberra. This together with the more casual setting possibly makes Gazing a good choice for a special lunch rather than a special occasion dinner.

In winter it can also be a bit chilly, even with the open fire.

Decor Entree platter

Mains

Desserts

Fish Marsala – so quick, easy, delicate and ‘light’

This fish marsala is ideal for light, but delicious eating. It only has around 500kj per modest serve, takes only 4 ingredients and 15 minutes to prepare and is infallible.
The key to success is to use fresh garam marsala spice.

Ingredients
4 serves

500gm any white fish cubed
1/2 tin light coconut milk
1 tsp chicken stock powder
1 heaped teaspoon garam marsala spice

Method

Cook the cubes of fish in a non-stick frypan until just cooked through.
Add the coconut milk mixed with the chicken stock powder.

Simmer until reduced to a thicker sauce.
Sprinkle garam marsala, stir in well, and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve with a small serve of steamed Basmati rice and a large leafy salad.

Cafe Gaudi – Woden

Located at the entrance to Woden Westfield, Cafe Gaudi is in a perfect location for a quick workday lunch.
What seems open becomes actually cozy and private if you pick a comfy corner in the warmth and relax on the soft couches.
The menu is quite broad wide and interesting. The serves were generous and the prices reasonable.
Service is very friendly, accommodating and quick.
I really liked the look of the focaccias ($14) and the smoked salmon bruscetta ($16.50). But even the sandwiches ($14) were thick with generous tasty fillings.
Cafe Gaudi also offers 25% discount for Canberra Entertainment Book owners.