Sichuan Hot Pot – Chengdu – Sichuan Province – October 2018

Spicy food in Sichuan

Source: http://www.asianinspirations.com.au

Last year in China my friend Jon and I were picked up from our hotel in Chengdu by Peter, our Chinese friend and his family.  On the way I decided to take some photos of the local traffic…always interesting in China.

Jon and I had tried the Chongqing hot pot so now Peter’s dad wanted us to try the Sichuan hot pot; not as spicy he said…not sure I agree!!  So we start off with the hot pot with water and lots of spices and chilli…Vegetables are added…And this is the end result; boiling spicy water and oil…Our vegetables, noodles and meat were kindly chosen by Peter’s parents and brought to a side table.All cooked in the boiling water…And placed in our individual bowls filled with oil, spices, chilli, peanuts and greens…My cooked noodles were then placed into my bowl and I must say they were absolutely delicious.And delicious soy milk for me because the chilli certainly was spicy!!Really miss this fabulous food!

Ubud & Canggu – Bali – Indonesia – July 2018 & February 2019

Tags

Bali, Canggu, Indonesia, Rai Pasti restaurant, Rice paddies, Ubud

A couple of day trips in Bali

Whilst in Bali last year, I stayed in Seminyak but had heard a lot about Canggu so the girls and I hired a van and driver and off we went.  The drive should be about thirty minutes but with traffic we were driving for over an hour.  I think Canggu would be a lovely place to stay if you wanted peace away from the hustle and bustle of Kuta or even the quieter Seminyak. Lots of vegan cafes and restaurants there too. Unfortunately one poor car never made it; clearly misjudged the narrow road and was lodged in one of the gutters…oops!!On our way to the seaside restaurant in Canggu we stopped off at a tourist site with a lovely waterfall.  We then drove further to a lovely pub/restaurant overlooking the water.  You could choose your own meat/vegetables/fish and the staff cooked it on an outside grill and then you selected your own salad – great selections and topped off with a glass of wine to take in the views.My next day trip was this year to Ubud where with my brother, nephew and friend Kylie, we decided to visit the rice terraces but after being in the car for quite some time we decided against it.  Traffic was dreadful so instead we popped into a large restaurant called Rai Pasti that overlooked rice paddies [rather than terraces].  Food was ok but really not spectacular but it was nice to have a break after being in the car for a long period.The restaurant serves Balinese classics such as tempeh goreng [fried bean curd with a sweet sambal sauce], soto ayam (chicken noodle broth) and ikan pepes( fish with spice paste steamed in banana leaves). My nephew wanted more western food on this occasion and the menu was extensive serving pizza, fries and hamburgers.  I think from memory he had a bowl of pasta.  Whilst eating our meal, we did have nice views of the rice fields…Great couple of days with lovely scenery out but traffic in Bali is horrendous…so just be prepared!

 

Superbao Restaurant – Dickson – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – May 2019

Tags

Australia, canberra, Dickson, dining with friends, Eggplant, steamed bao, Superbao restaurant, Tofu

A visit to a newly opened restaurant

Earlier this week, I asked my friends Ray and Natalie to come with me to a new restaurant near my home.  It’s located in the ‘Chinatown’ of Canberra and inside is bright with nice decor; all clean and fresh with amazing artwork on the main wall.

The restaurant is owned by Paul and Angel who both grew up in China and have been selling their bao at local markets in Canberra before they opened this restaurant.

Our waiter had a great sense of humour and he and Angel made our visit a really lovely experience.  We were told that the shop closes on Mondays and it’s this day they make hundreds of steamed buns for the week ahead.  I guess no rest days for owners of a new restaurant!

Of course the main food on the menu is bao. If you don’t know what a bao is…well they are those fluffy, folded-over steamed buns usually filled with pork belly, pickles and crushed nuts but this restaurant has all different types of filling.  There was one I really wanted to try; the Panko Tofu Bao; tofu crumbed with panko flour, white and black sesame seeds and then fried.  There are also rice and noodle dishes along with vegetable and meat dishes on the menu; so a good range of food.Our waiter kindly let me know that the steamed buns are not vegan which was a bit of a shame as I really felt like eating the panko tofu.  So instead I ordered lightly fried tofu which was so fresh and tasty and an eggplant dish. It wasn’t the style of eggplant I am used to (Sichuan style with oil) but more chargrilled I think.  Both dishes were beautifully presented.Ray and Nat ordered several of the bao to taste and both said they were very good.Their choices were the Pork Belly Bao where the pork belly is cooked traditional Taiwan style and served with crushed peanuts, pickled cabbage and coriander leaves.  Their second choice was the Shanghai Duck Bao; the duck stewed in soy sauce and Chinese spices with a slice or orange which we were told amplifies the rich and decadent taste and their third choice was the Crispy Fried Chicken Bao where a chicken thigh is marinated overnight then coated with a secret flour recipe and deep fried and comes with a drizzle of saffron mayonnaise.Also ordered were the beef skewers which Ray and Nat shared and sparkling water and a glass of wine each.When we called over our waiter to ask for the bill, he told us that we definitely had to try the Oreo Bao [not vegan unfortunately), but shared by my friends who said it was absolutely delicious.  Rather decadent I think!I am sure I will return as it’s a good place to pop in for a quick meal and glass of wine albeit a little expensive!