Tea Connoisseur – Civic – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – June 2022

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canberra, Civic, Oolong Tea, Tea Connoisseur, vegetable dumplings

There is a new tea house in Canberra which I read about yesterday, so with me being a huge fan of a good cup of tea, today I decided to drive into the city and enjoy a cup of tea and perhaps lunch as Tea Connoisseur also offers a menu of traditional Yunnan food. When I arrived, which was just after midday, I was the only person in the cafe so I was shown to a table near the window by the owner Yun ‘Coco’ Zeng who told me she was born in Yunnan, a southern province in China and has worked in high-end hotels throughout Asia and Australia including Shanghai and Sydney. Coco said she moved to Canberra and worked at the Hyatt Hotel and then saw the need to open a tea lounge and I am so glad she did. One of the first things you notice when you enter is the array of tea canisters lining the wall; beautiful black canisters with red labels and a range of  pu-erh tea. Also some great looking desserts in the glass cabinet below the teas.

I was given both a tea menu and food menu and whilst I was deciding, Coco talked a little about some of the teas which she did with authority having told me she started picking tea leaves from a very early age whilst growing up in Yunnan and has now partnered with her uncle to import the teas from China. Coco explained that these teas are appreciated much like fine wine, with enthusiasts buying and ageing them for many years. The pu-erh tea that is on display is made from fermented tea leaves which are then pressed into ‘cakes’ and aged with the ageing process lasting from months to several years causing true fermentation rather than oxidisation.

I recall visiting a tea shop in Yunnan during my travels through China where some of the pressed ‘cakes’ were worth thousands of RMB (up to $40,000 AUD). And whilst pu-erh is not the most expensive tea in the world, it is definitely up there. The most expensive is said to be Da-Hong Pao grown in the Wuyi Mountains of Fujian province of China and is worth over $1m a kilogram. No adding milk to these teas!!

source: http://www.the-riotact.com

I ended up choosing a Oolong tea, in particular the Tie Guan Yin which as the menu says is one of the most famous oolongs in the world. The tea arrived in a little glass teapot and I could see the tea changing colour whilst it was steeping. Coco had told me to steep for one-two minutes then I was to remove the glass container from the teapot, place it in the supplied bowl and pour the tea into the little glass cup…such a lovely process and the tea was very refreshing.

There was a range of vegetable offerings on the menu but as I wasn’t that hungry I chose the pan friend vegetable dumplings and asked Coco if they could be steamed instead of fried which she agreed to after ensuring me they were vegan. Next time I will definitely order the ma po tofu with mince, chilli and shallots (minus the mince of course) and the three flavours eggplant dish with smashed garlic, chilli and coriander. My dumplings arrived in a steamer with a dipping sauce. Delicious!

The back wall is a painted ‘map’ of southern China to show Yunnan and the city of pu-erh where of course the tea of the same name originates.

There are also many other tea related items on display around the tea lounge including tea leaves, tea cups and boxed tea for sale as well as a range of lovely china tea pots. There are also a lot of dried flowers around the store which add to the ambience of the place.

All in all a really lovely place to sit for an hour or so and enjoy a wonderful cup of tea and some great Chinese food.

A country drive to Gunning and Gundaroo – New South Wales – Australia – December 2021

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Country driving, Gundaroo, Gunning, New South Wales, Telegraph Hotel Gunning

Just before the end of 2021, I decided to take a day road trip to two nearby country towns. I really enjoy taking these short road trips especially to places I have not been, and then again I enjoy revisiting some places because there is always more to see.

My first stop was the small town of Gunning about an hour’s drive from my home and located on the Old Hume Highway in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales. In the past, every truck, actually every vehicle, travelling between Sydney and Melbourne would have to drive through the town. Today it is a chic small town bypassed by the highway which means that the historic buildings in the main street – the court house, post office and other historic buildings can be visited without any interruption from heavy traffic.

I had never visited Gunning so had a couple of places I wanted to see when I arrived. I parked at the start of the main street and went for a walk. My first stop was Pye Cottage which is now a museum (entry by appointment) and as I peeked inside the windows say it was appointed with period pieces and photographs of significant people and events of the local district.

I really enjoy walking around the streets of places I visit looking at the homes which is just what I did whilst in Gunning. Such lovely old homes and beautiful gardens including some very interesting fake sheep and flamingoes in one!

I find the main street in any country town really special, I think it’s because there are so many sweet cafes, pubs and buildings that are so different to those you find in the city. Gunning didn’t disappoint! The Telegraph Hotel had wonderful art on its side walls, the cafes were so inviting with wonderful dishes on their menus and there were beautifully restored homes along the street. Fabulous!!

And as I was walking back to my car, I saw the only motel in the town near the river reminding me of motels I have stayed at many years ago. I did see a beautiful hand-made box containing an array of books. This ‘library’ allows people to take a book to read and/or leave one for someone else to read. I love this concept.

My drive through Gundaroo was actually on the way back to Canberra and I know the small town quite well as have been to there on two previous occasions for lunch at Grazing an award winning restaurant located in the beautifully restored 1865 Royal Hotel and…it only has one small main street with not much else to do.

I did park the car on the side of the road to take some photos of the lovely old buildings and of the police station with its picket fence and climbing pink roses. It’s no longer in use by the police but was for some 78 years before it closed in 1935.

It was then I saw another car pulled over down a small street and the driver was out taking photos…I wondered what this driver was photographing so drove down and saw she was taking photos of a large field with fresh grass hay, newly baled. I just love seeing fields of hay, well fields of anything really but especially love the look of bales of hay; they looked so beautiful just sitting there waiting to be collected to sell for farm animal feed I expect.

Time to head home but not before one more stop as I saw another old home with a sign advising that it was Sally Paskins Store which by the look of it was not open anymore. There was a sign on the front door but I didn’t cross the road to read but I do wonder who Sally Paskins’ was and what she sold in her little store. I can only imagine it would of been a gorgeous building back in the day but also today it looks so in character with other lovely homes and building along Gundaroo’s main street.

A morning trip to Yass – New South Wales – Australia – November 2021

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Bowning, Country driving, Linton Manor, New South Wales, Rollonin Cafe, Yass

As I have mentioned before, I try to visits different towns and cities around the Canberra region because at the moment travel overseas is not viable. My recent trip was to a town called Yass which is about a forty-five minute drive from my home making it a quick and easy return day trip. The name Yass, as I read on-line appears to have been derived from an Aboriginal word, “Yarrh”, said to mean ‘running water’, well it’s one of the meanings on offer anyway.  So after reading this, I decided one of the first places I should visit was the Yass River. There is a cement pathway which runs alongside the river which makes a walk easy as it’s also flat. The river is very dirty, I guess this is from the huge amount of rain we have had of late, but still pretty to see with lovely lush green grass and trees alongside and a gorgeous railway bridge which was built in 1892 and used to carry the Yass Town Tramway across the river.

My next stop was the main street where I parked the car and walked up one side, crossed over and walked down the other checking out all the stores. Homeware shops are plentiful with sweet displays out the front of the store like the bicycle with cyclamens in its basket. I do love the flowers in the main streets of country towns and the pink roses between the footpath and the road at each roundabout were so pretty…and like everywhere I guess, you will find the more modern shops like this take-away shop that is a necessity but doesn’t really add to the beauty of a country town…complete with plastic walk-through strips at the front door!

Homes have been restored beautifully in the main street and now host cafes and other businesses.

There are also many restored buildings like the old Soldiers Memorial Hall and one which has been converted into a medical practice. It was good to read that the derelict Commercial Hotel has been purchased by a Canberra based syndicate with plans to refurbish; should be lovely!

It was then time to stop somewhere for lunch and I had heard about a lovely home converted into a cafe in the town of Bowning which is a short drive of around ten minutes from Yass. The drive was mainly on the highway which made it easy and the town is easy to locate albeit very small with a population of just under 600. First building I came across was what appeared to be the only store in Bowning which is a petrol station, post office and I guess general store. I hopped out of the car to see if it was open but only saw a ‘for sale’ sign with no movement inside. A lovely sign welcoming me to Bowning though!

I then noticed a little bus stop next to the garage where parts had been painted and another one nearby which I am guessing was painted by the local children as it was situated outside the school with childlike paintings. Very sweet!

I found the Rollonin Cafe easily but unfortunately it is not open Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays which was really unfortunate as the menu options look great and the building and gardens are just gorgeous. I would of loved to taken a stroll around the gardens.

Back in the car and I had one final stop in Yass which was Linton Manor. On the way I thought I was taking a short cut but reached a dead-end street, luckily for me though as I came up to an overflowing dam and beautiful fast flowing river and then a rock wall which I found truly striking.

I finally made it to Linton Manor and there is a reason I wanted to see this old homestead. Recently I watched a renovation show on tv and the team was restoring a home in Yass which was Linton Manor. The owners at the time of the restoration said that Linton Manor was built in 1857 and originally owned by a sheep baron. The owners over the years had tried to restore the property and had spent a couple of million dollars trying to do just that, but I guess with 45 rooms, stables, additional accomodation and a ballroom your money can only go so far and that is why the renovation show was called in. The home wasn’t totally restored but obviously well enough as it finally sold after being on the market for ten years.

By this time I was ready for my drive home and as I was leaving Yass, I noticed a public rest room painted with an Aboriginal theme which looked so lovely. A great few hours out of Canberra!

Dust Temple Cafe – Currumbin Waters – Gold Coast – Queensland – May 2021

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Australia, dining with family, Dust Temple Cafe, Gold Coast, Vegan food

Back in the days when I could leave Canberra, I drove up to the Gold Coast to visit my family for a month. It was one of those holidays where I didn’t really need to go sightseeing or do anything really apart from visit my family as have been to the Gold Coast many times, but I did want to try a few nice cafes and restaurants. One cafe Dust Temple Cafe was in the suburb where my father, brother and nephew live; Currumbin Waters.

This cafe is actually located right in the middle of industry and I must say if I would not of found it but lucky for me, my brother had found it and knew I would love it. He was right, I loved it from the moment I got out of the car. The outside is gorgeous with huge wrought iron gates, fabulous wooden lampshades and incredible wooden/glass hinged doors and wooden barn doors that allow the flow of air inside the cafe.

Inside is even more amazing. The whole place is an old warehouse with polished cement floors. You walk through huge open wooden/glass doors into the coffee/drinks/pre packaged food area then once you have ordered your food, you walk through to a huge room converted into an art gallery with sculptures and artwork on display. There are also large long tables to enjoy a coffee and something to eat.

I ordered the fresh tomato, fresh basil and balsamic on toasted sourdough and a turmeric, coconut milk, banana and mango drink. My brother ordered the housemade toasted banana and coconut bread with butter and the watermelon, pink lady apple, pear, rhubarb and lime juice. Everything here came so beautifully presented with little flowers and the my meal was so incredibly fresh – I loved it! And as for the turmeric drink – it was absolutely delicious.

Whilst waiting for my meal, I took my camera around the warehouse and took some photos. There are fabulous old lounges and chairs to relax in and borrow a book to read whilst enjoying a coffee or alcoholic drink and an outside area with tables and benches, covered by umbrellas to relax in the sun or shade.

There is even a second floor up wooden stairs with a wrought iron balustrade but I guess the owners are still working on that area as it contained paintings against the wall still wrapped and very little else. But like everywhere else in this amazing place, art lined the walls of the stairs.

Even the kitchen area has an old armchair to sit and relax and do some people watching!

This was definitely my favourite cafe on the Gold Coast and yes, I did visit again during my stay!

A day visit to Jugiong – New South Wales – Australia – October 2020

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Jugiong, Lunch with friends, New South Wales

We have been in Lockdown here in Canberra for nearly six weeks’ and will continue for another three weeks’ until 15 October; well hopefully that will be our end date! So whilst I can’t leave the ACT or travel very far from my home, I have been looking at old photos of places I have been lucky enough to visit. One place is a lovely little country town called Jugiong which is located on the banks of the Murrumbidgee River about an hour and half drive from Canberra. The drive is mainly highway but once you veer off towards Jugiong, there are lovely homes and interesting sculptures on the road.

Such a gorgeous little township which has a population of around 150 people. I think its major draw card is The Sir George hotel which is the main reason we visited. We had booked lunch but had left Canberra early so that I could take a walk around the town; must say this only took about half an hour but the shops were really sweet with lots to buy.

Our first stop was the Long Track Jam Factory, a lovely little store that sold…well jams…but also a range of condiments, tea towels and kitchen utensils. I love raspberry jam so bought a jar along with a few other condiments because you can never have enough condiments!

Our next stop was the Long Track Cafe & Pantry followed by the Lickety Splits Gelato Bar. Whilst I didn’t buy anything from the gelato bar, I certainly did buy a few items from the pantry including chocolates for friends and a few household items for myself.

It was then time for lunch. Our walk only took us two minutes but arriving at this beautifully restored hotel was something wonderful. We took a quick walk around the grounds and smelt the purple wisteria and checked out the barns which are available to stay overnight.

We ate lunch inside the restored 1852 stone pub as the courtyard was already booked. But I wasn’t disappointed as the interior was so lovely. We started off with a bottle of bubbles and I ordered a medley of vegetables and the boys ordered a haloumi burger which came with thick chips and a salmon dish with a pesto dressing and vegetables.

After our lunch we walked a little more around the grounds where we met a few of the resident goats and enjoyed fabulous views of the local countryside.

Once we had spent enough time walking the grounds our last stop was the Jugiong Wine Cellar which sells great local wines. My friends bought some sparkling as had previously tasted and loved.

Then it was time to drive home…a great afternoon visiting local areas and being able to contribute to the local community is great as well as spending time with my dear friends Wayne and Jef.

Tipsy Bull restaurant (2) – Braddon – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – February 2021

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ACT, Braddon, canberra, Gin, Lunch with friends, tipsy Bull restaurant, vegan dishes

photo courtesy of http://www.weekendnotes.com

There are so many nice restaurants to choose for lunch in Canberra and Tipsy Bull is definitely one of them. It’s located in the city suburb of Braddon which is about an hour’s walk from my home and whilst I have been to this restaurant a few times, it was lovely to revisit as they now have a very good vegan degustation.

The restaurant is actually well known as a gin bar. It has over 100 local and international gins to choose. When you order a gin, it arrives deconstructed on a wooden platter with gin, tonic, ice, gin making tools and garnishes chosen specifically to enhance the flavour of the gin you have selected.

There is a good range of wines to choose from including vegan options. On this occasion I went with four of my friends just to get together and enjoy a chat and a meal. We ordered a bottle of South Australian sauvignon blanc and whilst looking at the drinks menu, I saw a mocktail of pineapple, ginger and mint I really liked the sound of, so ordered one and it was thirst quenching and so delicious!

Everyone started off with crusty bread and cultured butter, mine arrived with olive oil. I always have to limit my bread consumption as I eat way too much and become full even before the first main dish arrives. My first dish to arrive was a very tasty salad of spinach and other leaves, fennel (my favourite), pomegranate, tomato, pepitas (or pumpkin seeds really) and a delicious lemon dressing.

The next two dishes were the cauliflower with garlic puree and olive oil and a dish that wasn’t on the menu but made for me by the chef and consisted of some sort of grain that I can’t recall the name of, a couple of vegetables topped with goji berries and parsley – this was so delicious.

The dishes here are really quite large so I was happy that my friends were willing to taste mine even though they had their own non-vegan dishes. My friend Ray, who is not vegan loves trying my vegan dishes and at this restaurant he particularly loved the grain dish. It’s funny with a degustation, even if the portions are small, I find after about three dishes, I am full. My final dish was dessert and I think I was lucky here as it was sorbet, so nothing too heavy after all the food I had eaten. From memory my friends had heavy dishes but even though they were full, all were finished! Another lovely lunch with great friends.

Lark Hill Winery – Bungendore – New South Wales – Australia – March 2021

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Australia, Lark Hill Winery, New South Wales, Reisling, Smith's Gap Quarry

There is extremely limited travel from Australia, I think we can only pop over to New Zealand and that takes a bit of planning to ensure you don’t have to isolate in either country. So of late I have taken to setting aside a day during the week to either drive somewhere or take a long walk.

A couple of months ago I drove about a half hour out of Canberra as for such a long time I have wanted to visit Lark Hill Winery and also when I have driven past, on occasions I have seen cars parked at the side of the road nearby and people jumping in what looked like a big pond, so definitely wanted to see exactly what this was.

I did a little bit of research and found it was part of part of any old quarry but not sure what was mined there. It is used for swimming these days however some people on-line say not to swim as the water is heavily contaminated. But there is a sign telling people not to dive so guess it must be ok to swim?

I then hopped back into my car and drove to the winery. I always enjoy country drives as the scenery is just lovely, and I don’t think it matters where you are, or which country you are in; it’s all rather lovely!

I hadn’t been to Lark Hill Winery before but have enjoyed a glass or two of their Riesling. Animal products are not used in the refining process which means it’s a vegan wine; hence my love of it. But back to the winery, it’s very sweet with a lovely area outdoor area where I can imagine buying a glass of wine in summer and sitting outside relaxing with friends.

I went into the Cellar Door and was greeted by the owner’s son Chris, and decided to try the Chardonnay and then was offered a sip of the 2020 Riesling which Chris took straight from the barrel; delicious. I bought two bottles of Riesling and a bottle of Chardonnay as I had a friend arriving that evening who only drinks Chardonnay. Prices really were not any different to those in bottle shops, maybe a little difference in price, but anyway I love the idea of buying from the actual winery…just seems nicer.

On the way home I stopped off at a couple of typical country roads to check out the animals in the paddocks and the letterboxes that are placed on the side of the road. There are some inventive letterbox owners out there; one was attached to a surfboard and another is a sink. I understand having all the letterboxes in the same place makes life much easier for the ‘postie’ who doesn’t have to drive along long unpaved roads to deliver the mail. I love seeing them whatever the reason.

Madame Fu Modern Asian restaurant – Isle of Capri – Surfers Paradise – Queensland – May 2021

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Isle of Capri, Lunch with friends, Madame Fu Modern Asian, Queensland, Surfers Paradise

I am currently staying on the Gold Coast in Queensland visiting my family and before I arrived I decided to book an Airbnb with four bedrooms so my family and friends could stay. This worked out well as two of my friends came and stayed the first week I arrived. It was a great opportunity for us all to see the beautiful sunrise each morning from the verandah out the back of the property; so different every morning.

And beautiful views of the city at night…

It was one of my friend’s birthday and we wanted to go to lunch, so we chose Madame Fu Modern Asian about a five minute drive away from the Airbnb which had very good reviews on-line. There is both outdoor and indoor seating and we were seated inside. Outdoors has water views so I guess if we went again we would book outdoors as long as the weather is nice.

There were so many great sounding dishes on offer so whilst we were deciding my friends ordered cocktails and I ordered a glass of wine.

We were then ready to order our dishes, I chose the steamed bao with smoked soy mushroom, pickled radish, tempura vegetables and coriander – absolutely delicious. I also ordered the chilli caramel crispy eggplant with toasted peanuts, fresh chilli and shallots – wow this was definitely my favourite dish.

My friends were mainly sharing dishes so they chose a few, being the hand folded dumplings with spanner crab and prawn in a ginger broth with bonito flakes as well as the crispy wonton tacos with smoked ocean trout, pickled fennel and a wasabi mayonnaise and dill. All arrived very nicely presented on their plates and service was excellent.

Of course that was not enough food for the four of us, so the girls ordered a kingfish dish with ginger dressing, green apple and nasturtium and also two noodle dishes, which proved too much food for us all so we took most of the noodles home. I did enjoy my dish though which was stir fried sesame soy tofu with soba noodles, broccolini, green beans and crispy garlic and the other dish was similar but included teriyaki beef.

And whilst we were now very full, the girls could not go past sharing a couple of desserts so more wine was ordered whilst waiting for the desserts to arrive. Both desserts were finished pretty quickly with nothing left on the plates; that’s how good they were!

One was a mascarpone cream cheesecake with passionfruit gel, mango sorbet, fresh passionfruit and butternut cookie crumbs and the other was a peanut banoffee sundae with salted miso caramel, peanut butter ice-cream, banana whip and peanut praline…huge portions, very rich and rather decadent!

A great afternoon with friends!

Mount Kosciuszko & Jindabyne – New South Wales – Australia – February 2021

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Jindabyne, Kosciuszko National Park, Lake Jindabyne, Mount Kosciuszko, travelling with friends, Wild Brumby Schnapps Distillery

I have tried to make the most of the ban on international travel by travelling a little more within Australia, so a couple of months ago a friend and I drove to the snowfields in New South Wales. February is not snow season here is Australia but we wanted to climb the highest point of our continent; Mount Kosciuszko which is located in Kosciuszko National Park.

We left Canberra on a Wednesday morning and drove for about an hour and a half until we reached a town called Cooma where my friend Mandy had stopped previously at a lovely cafe (The Lott Cafe) which is known for its coffee. Not being a coffee drinker, I ordered a peppermint tea and a toasted vegetable and falafal wrap which arrived with cashew cream on the side; very tasty!

About an hour later we arrived into the Jindabyne region which is located in the Snowy Mountains and on the edge of Lake Jindabyne. Our Airbnb overlooked the lake so we dropped off our bags and took a walk.

Our apartment was in an ideal location; lake views and a short drive to the shops where we could stock up on food for dinners and breakfasts…and a beautiful sunset every night.

The following morning was the day we had decided to trek up Mount Kosciuszko – which is about 2228 metres above sea level and a 13 kilometre return trip. Mandy had done the walk a few times before so I knew it was going to take between four and five hours round trip.

I had wanted to do this for a very long time but really didn’t think I was fit enough but with Mandy along, I knew she would encourage me and she did. We drove to Perisher Valley to the ski resort and took the cable car then started our walk. Oh my goodness, friends had told me it was not that hard – so wrong – I found it quite difficult at first as it was a long steep incline, but Mandy kept chatting away to keep me concentrating on her conversation rather than how difficult this part of the walk was. There were parts that were very pleasant and flat and some that were rather taxing but what made it worth my while, were the views along the way, which were spectacular.

When we were nearing the summit, walkers on their way back down were very encouraging, letting us know we had nearly made it; that inspired me to walk a little faster. And then we made it. It was such a good feeling – I had reached the highest point in Australia on our tallest mountain. Don’t think when the travel ban lifts I will be going to Nepal to try Everest though!

Time for a sandwich, check out the fabulous views and relax!

Then it was time to return, the walk back was easier of course but still had two steep inclines. It’s funny though they don’t seem that difficult, I guess because I knew most of the return trip was downhill. When we arrived at the cable car, Mandy took us into the cafe and to my surprise bought two glasses of schnapps. I had never tasted schnapps before but it was delicious and so welcome after nearly five hours of walking. So nice in fact that we stopped off at the distillery (Wildbrumby Schnapps Distillery) on our way home for a tasting after which I bought two bottles!

Buvette Bistro & Wine Bar – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – March 2021

Tags

ACT, Brulee, buvette bistro & wine bar, canberra, cold pumpkin dish, dinner with friends

With my good friend, Sandy, visiting from Queensland, a group of us decided to book a French restaurant in Canberra called Buvette Bistro & Wine Bar. Most of us had been before and enjoyed the food so wanted to revisit. We all started off with a beverage from the extensive wine list which did include a couple of vegan choices. Mine was an Australian Riesling whilst my friends enjoyed a French chardonnay and a glass of red.

The menu is also pretty extensive with many vegetarian options but only a few vegan. There was a cauliflower steak but as I had eaten that the last two times I have been out, I really didn’t feel like it. Anyway, I wasn’t feeling very hungry so ordered a small dish of roasted pumpkin with a tahini yoghurt dressing and topped with coriander and pumpkin seeds. When it arrived it looked so good but unfortunately I didn’t ask if it was a hot dish and it was not…cold pumpkin is not for me (the flavours of this dish were very good though).

My friends ordered a few dishes to share which included the Kimchi dumplings with pickled red cabbage, chilli and ginger oil. Unfortunately when we asked if the dumplings were vegan we were told the Kimchi was made with fish sauce. My visiting friend from Brisbane had been to this restaurant the previous week and had ordered the dumplings and said they were delicious. Shame on this occasion, they were not all that warm!

A few other dishes were also ordered; firstly the Snapper ceviche with buttermilk, cucumber and green chilli and also the grilled Queensland scallops with a miso glaze and seaweed butter. Time then to order another glass of wine; same drinks all round.

The final main meal to share ordered was the 36-hour slow-cooked Angus beef short ribs with gremolata and crispy polenta. My friend Naomi said the polenta was absolutely delicious but of course I could not eat it as it had been sitting in meat juices. We nearly ordered a fresh serve minus the meat but as I was not that hungry, we didn’t bother.

And to top off the night as we were finishing our wine and Naomi was driving, she decided on a dessert rather than another glass of wine. She ordered the brûlée. It arrived looking fabulous and she said it was. This used to be my favourite dessert before I became vegan!

Oh and nearly forgot to mention, we of course ordered the obligatory bowl of chips!

photo from internet as I forgot to take one on the night!