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Tag Archives: dining with friends

Vegan High Tea – Alibi Bar & Kitchen – Ovolo Hotel – Woolloomooloo – Sydney – New Wales- Australia – July 2022

02 Tuesday Aug 2022

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Sightseeing and eating around Canberra/Sydney

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

dining with friends, High Tea, Ovolo Hotel, Sydney, Vegan food, Woolloomooloo

Last week I was in Sydney to see Madama Butterfly at the Sydney Opera House; what a fabulous experience. I love opera and am a subscriber to the opera house so get to visit about four times a year to see operas of my choosing and Madama Butterfly was my third choice this year. It was wonderful and my friend Rosi and I really enjoyed the performance. It also gives me the opportunity of walking around Sydney’s beautiful harbour.

I had read about a totally plant-based restaurant in Sydney that had a vegan high tea, so booked in advance as it a popular place run by internationally renowned chef Matthew Kennedy. The restaurant Alibi opened in 2018 and is located on the first floor of the Ovolo Hotel at the pier at Woolloomooloo Bay.

The hotel has an industrial feel with open pipes and structures but the restaurant/bar still has a cozy feel with colourful velvet chairs and bright carpets and small lights lining the many artificial interior trees.

We arrived at 2pm and were shown to a booth already set with colourful cups and saucers and linen napkins and given the high tea menu. First thing I noticed was the metal owl looking down on us from the rafters as there are quite a few interesting items around the interior.

There are three options with the high tea; tea and coffee, free flowing rose wine or free flowing French champagne. We chose the tea option. My choice was ‘Refresh-A-Mint‘ which was a twist on traditional peppermint tea with an addition of pineapple; thirst quenching and lovely. Rosi chose the ‘Grey Rabbit‘ a fragrant earl grey tea with real bergamot as earl grey is definitely her favourite tea.

Our waiter gave us a quick run-down of the high tea and within a few minutes a fabulous mirror lined three layer stand arrived; two actually, one for me and one for Rosi!

The waitress then asked us if we wanted a thorough explanation of the delicacies or did we prefer to experience the tastes ourselves. We preferred her to explain each delicacy. She did a wonderful job and suggested which we should eat first. We followed her suggestion and started off with the peppermint gum pea tart topped with dark bitter chocolate. Wow…so delicious (I think this was our favourite dish of the day).

We then tried the pickled infused lemon myrtle cucumber with macadamia ricotta, beetroot and topped with orange segments. These tiny savoury treats were rather filling but of course we kept eating and tried the salt baked sweet potato with crispy salt bush, sunrise lime and then topped with vegan sour cream; all beautifully placed on a crossini.

Our next tasting was the compressed watermelon with vegan feta, native finger lime and lemon balm; lovely and refreshing and we ate this before moving onto the sweet dishes. We first tried the almond meal ‘scone’ with vegan cream; really nice but the base was a little too dense for me. The cream was delicious though!

Next we ate the wattle seed and almond tiramisu. Rosi loved this but I think I much preferred the hibiscus and raspberry pavlova with aqua faba meringue and cream. Wow!! I haven’t eaten a pavlova since becoming vegan so was incredibly happy this one was so delicious. Rosi then tried the passionfruit and butterscotch tart with poached pears – said it was nice but still the tiramisu was still her favourite. I decided to take my tart back to our apartment as by this stage I was really full.

And our final little delight was the plum Sacher chocolate cake, but unfortunately we were too full to eat this so the waiter kindly packaged this up for us to take away also. Maybe I should of started with this one as it really looked amazing.

Next time I visit Sydney, I intend to return to this fabulous restaurant/bar and enjoy a plant based meal as by all accounts the food is fabulous judging by the many five-star reviews.

Wilma Restaurant – Civic- Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – March 2022

24 Thursday Mar 2022

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Sightseeing and eating around Canberra/Sydney

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

canberra, dining with friends, Ma Po Tofu, Wilma Restaurant

A new restaurant has opened up in Canberra called Wilma. The location has a bit of a history as there was a murder of a Comanchero outlaw motorcycle group boss at the previous nightclub Kokomo’s. The person who committed the murder was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment late last year. I am not sure if that is why the nightclub closed but it may of had something to do with it.

Fortunately there weren’t any murders on the night we were there! The interior is dark and has a good mood about it, nothing like the bright nightclub it previously was. I particularly loved the booths surrounding the edges of the restaurant, the shiny black stained wood, the low lights and linens sheers. We were seated in a booth and I had direct views into the open and busy kitchen, so was pretty happy about that as I love to see the chefs and kitchen staff bustling about cooking our meals.

Wilma has an extensive menu that focusses on barbecuing using coals and a wood fire but it also has a separate vegan menu so I of course ordered from that.

I had several choices and nearly ordered the sticky eggplant with black beans and cashews dish; with sizzling or sticky eggplant being my favourite dish. However my friends who had eaten here previously, had tried the eggplant dish and didn’t love it. This made my decision easy; the ma po tofu it was. The dish was a little different to what I am used to as it contains not only tofu and fried chilli but sizzling Schezuan Shiitake mushrooms. The tofu was good but unfortunately I didn’t like the mushrooms in the dish.

We also ordered another vegan dish which was the morning glory vegetables in a hoi sin sauce with a chilli garlic crunch. I didn’t take note of the hoi sin sauce on the menu so this was another dish that wasn’t to my liking. My friends enjoyed it though.

My three friends ordered a range of dishes to share including the roast duck pancakes with shallots, hoi sin sauce and cucumber, the Balmain bug and egg noodles with chilli, coriander and sesame dish and the hot smoked char sui pork which were by all accounts delicious. They each ordered a roti bread but unfortunately that is made with dairy so I could not taste.

A bottle of local Canberra wine was enjoyed by us during the meal and lots of laughs at my expense over a particular new neighbour in my complex; not for further discussion here!!

An early evening as it was a school night which meant my three working friends had to work the next morning but we did return to my friend’s home for our obligatory night cap or roadie as we refer to it; being ‘one for the road’. Probably will return to Wilma and try a few other vegan dishes!

Sage Dining Rooms (another visit) – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – October 2021

16 Thursday Dec 2021

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Sightseeing and eating around Canberra/Sydney

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

ACT, canberra, dining with friends, Sage Dining Rooms, vegan dishes

Sage Dining Rooms is a local Canberra restaurant I have been to many times and have always loved the food, wine and service. The last time I visited this restaurant was before Covid-19 struck and it was for a friend’s birthday – I really love the Mint Garden Bar where you can enjoy a glass of wine at any time or of course a cup of coffee. It was raining on the day we arrived so I went straight into the restaurant – this really is so lovely inside; cosy with beautifully presented tables.

Well this time it was for a post Lockdown catch-up with three of my good friends who I had not seen for quite some time so each of us was looking forward to a good catch up. Sage has a fully stocked bar and the bar area is gorgeous and am sure any drink is available but we decided on a bottle of Aussie riesling…good choice I think.

The meal options include a five course degustation and a three course degustation. On my previous visit I ordered the five courses and boy it was way too filling. It’s funny the portions don’t look that big on the plate but after bread/amuse bouche and little delights in between courses…five courses is just too much for me.

My friends ordered the shucked signature oysters as an entree which arrived beautifully presented and whilst my entree didn’t look that great it was actually quite nice..it was kohlrabi (after an internet search I now this to be a German turnip), peas, grapes, summer squash and a sorrel (again after an internet search I now know this to be a herb).

Our second courses arrived and my friends had ordered the barramundi fillet with scollops, tomato and lemon myrtle. This also arrived with a salad and a serving of crispy baked potatoes that my friends said were delicious…but unfortunately I could not eat as they were not vegan.

My dish was a barbecued sugar loaf cabbage with green tomato and a chilli crunch. I must say I have always loved the food at Sage but really didn’t love the cabbage dish …it tasted a little bland unfortunately, maybe just not to my liking. I guess I thought it was also just some cabbage on a plate – probably expected more!

Our desserts arrived and it was the cheese platter for my friends which came with a house made condiment, crisp bread and also a creme brûlée. Mine was a fruit compote with a coconut cream…quite nice; a really nice crunch in the fruit – like a granola – I really liked it!

We stayed for more drinks and then we had to leave, unfortunately. Service here is exceptional and we all enjoyed such a lovely catch up. So many laughs and just a great couple of hours.

A new restaurant – Dickson – Canberra – ACT – Australia – August 2020

18 Tuesday Aug 2020

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Sightseeing and eating around Canberra/Sydney

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

Australia, canberra, Chic Gourmet restaurant, Chinese cuisine, Dickson, dining with friends, Happy birthday

Chinese food in Canberra

fullsizeoutput_9fdThe other night it was my Chinese friend Peter’s 30th birthday so we decided to go out to dinner and Peter chose a new restaurant in Canberra which is about a five minute drive from my home.fullsizeoutput_a0aIt’s a Chinese restaurant, quite casual and with an unusual name Chic Gourmet which if I had heard the name before we went I would not of thought it was Chinese cuisine…I guess I am so used to names with a Chinese connection!!

The menu was large and whilst there were my usual favourites, there were a few dishes I had not eaten before.  So I ordered my usual dishes and the waitress was very helpful in checking which ones were vegan.  My choices were the salt and pepper tofu with chilli, the Thai style sweet and sour deep fried eggplant and something I had never seen before, hand-made fried mushroom buns in the shape of a baby Hedgehog.  These arrived looking so cute but I did eat them and they were truly delicious as was the tofu; so fresh and with just the right amount of chilli.fullsizeoutput_a09fullsizeoutput_a05fullsizeoutput_a02Peter ordered all the meat dishes and started off with the hand-made signature pan fried pork buns, hand-made pork wontons in a spicy sauce and a dish of stewed duck with beer and chilli oil. It’s a real shame those wontons were not vegan as I must say they looked fabulous.fullsizeoutput_a00fullsizeoutput_a01fullsizeoutput_9ffEvery dish really arrived very nicely presented and as with the majority of Chinese restaurants; food arrived quickly.

Peter also ordered two soups one was a stewed Barramundi in a hot and sour soup and the other was a boiled beef, Ling fish, king prawn and squid in a hot chilli sauce. fullsizeoutput_a08fullsizeoutput_a06Every time we go out with Peter, he always orders what we think are way too many dishes but they seems to get eaten, every time!  This evening there was five of us and I was the only one not eating meat so there was quite a bit of food to be eaten even lots of vegetable dishes.

Peter’s girlfriend Katie had been to the restaurant a couple of times before and knew that two vegetable dishes in particular were very good.  So she ordered them; the stir fried mixed vegetables with lotus root (probably the most delicious vegetables I have had for some time) and a dish of organic stir-fried pea sprout with garlic sauce (another absolutely delicious dish).  I now can’t wait to return to eat these delicious and very healthy vegetable dishes again.fullsizeoutput_a07fullsizeoutput_a04And just when we thought the dishes had finished Katie ordered both her and I a bowl of  traditional Peking style slow cooked pear and white fungus soup for dessert.  I thought this was very sweet of her as she had brought a cake from the local cake shop and as it wasn’t vegan she wanted to ensure I had something to eat.  Not my favourite dessert I must say but I took a few sips.fullsizeoutput_a0efullsizeoutput_a0bfullsizeoutput_a28And as you do when you are with much younger people, you find out about Apps (beautycam) that makes your skin look fabulously smooth and adds ears and other things to photos, so we engaged in some frivolity for a little while before ending the very lovely evening.

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Remembering eating out – Sage Dining Rooms – Braddon – Canberra – Australia – October 2019

16 Saturday May 2020

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Sightseeing and eating around Canberra/Sydney

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

ACT, Australia, Braddon, canberra, dining with friends, Sage Dining Rooms, three course degustation

Ah…the good ole days of eating out!

1439887925447This week I was working out how long its been since I have eaten out and the answer was ” it’s been a while”; not just for me of course but for everyone and I know how difficult it is for restaurant owners and staff – so I hope for their sake (and mine) that restaurants open soon.  Then came some good news a couple of days ago that restaurants and pubs here in Canberra are opening with limited patronage…yay!  Only ten people allowed inside to ensure adherence to social distancing but that’s fine as it allows me to go out and enjoy a meal with friends.sage-courtyard-810x608So…back to this post.  Last October my friends Ray and Natalie invited me to Sage Dining Rooms located at Gorman House in Canberra for lunch to celebrate Nat’s birthday.  Sage has an interesting history. The whole complex used to be accomodation for interstate public servants comprising small individual bedrooms with a series of lounges and a dining room.  The hostel was decommissioned in the 1970s and the communal dining and living rooms were refurbished to create Sage.  fullsizeoutput_9b7Sage is definitely one of Canberra’s best fine dining restaurants and has won many awards over the years.  The wait staff are extremely well versed with the ingredients of every dish and as they are serving, they provide that information.  The decor is lovely; fresh flowers on every table, linen tablecloths and napkins, cute chair and bench coverings and the place is spotlessly clean.fullsizeoutput_9b6We ordered the three course degustation with mine being vegan to cater for my dietary requirements.  There is also a five course degustation but I find it’s just too much food as the restaurant provides an amuse bouche with our first drinks (lovely glass of champagne) and then a complimentary small dish is also offered between each course – all delicious tiny mouth fulls but when you have five dishes and tiny bites between each you get very full very quickly!fullsizeoutput_9b8fullsizeoutput_9bbAll dishes are beautifully presented and food is absolutely delicious.
fullsizeoutput_9b9fullsizeoutput_9baAnd desserts are fabulous too…fullsizeoutput_9bdfullsizeoutput_9bcr0_0_1500_2000_w1200_h678_fmaxSage-dessertAnd then came a lovely surprise for Nat…fullsizeoutput_9beI am so looking forward to Sage Dining Rooms re-opening…

 

 

Momoda Restaurant – Canberra – ACT – Australia – August 2019

30 Monday Dec 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Sightseeing and eating around Canberra/Sydney

≈ 18 Comments

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ACT, Australia, canberra, dining with friends, Momoda Restaurant

Great find in Canberra

172-Momoda-ExteriorEarlier this year I saw a restaurant called Momoda as I was walking past on my way to meet friends for a drink and since then I have dined there about four times.  On this occasion, a few months ago, I arranged for a group of friends to join me for dinner.  I invited my Chinese friends, my friend Jon and another friend Anne (who I have known since school).  The menu is extensive with vegan and vegetarian options and also with lots of meat and seafood dishes.fullsizeoutput_946The name Momoda is Chinese slang meaning kiss-kiss which is an expression of affection used at the end of text messages similar to “mwah” in English. Cute! The food here is delicious; so many choices for me as a vegan and lots of great dishes for my meat eating friends as well as the many choices of alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails and drinks.fullsizeoutput_945fullsizeoutput_93fI always order the cauliflower san choy bowl which comes with peanut satay and baby cos lettuce which allows you to make your own little parcels of deliciousness.  Also on my list is my absolute favourite – crispy eggplant with Chiang-Jiang red vinegar, roasted sesame and ginger chilli.  Now this is good!
172-Momoda-san-choy-bowl.jpgfullsizeoutput_94afullsizeoutput_94bI have also ordered the wild mushroom bun, with pumpkin seed, king mushroom and black pepper which was very good and there is a dumpling called the double cheeseburger dumpling – yes you read correctly; that is definitely a combination of West meets East – we didn’t order this.  All the buns and dumplings we have eaten here have been great!

The Enoki Mushroom Spring Rolls are really good and my friends chose the meat version; Mongolian Kangaroo Spring Rolls with Sichuan chilli salt, wombok and ginger salad.  I must say I have never heard of a Mongolian Kangaroo so who knows how both link but anyway they were good I am told.fullsizeoutput_942fullsizeoutput_947My friends shared quite a few dishes including the scallop and prawn dumplings topped with diced pickles, Grandma’s sticky pork belly; twice cooked pork with caramel lemongrass chilli jam, the pork and Chinese chive dumplings with black vinegar and ginger chilli dipping sauce and the BBQ pork Char Siu buns – all delicious I was informed.fullsizeoutput_943fullsizeoutput_949Momoda_1Momoda_3The restaurant’s interior is worth the visit; dimly lit with a really lovely decor that includes Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling, fans on the walls and unusual items like an old leather suitcase displayed on a shelf and non-Chinese lanterns hanging on the walls – all adds to the ambience I think.  20180825_121309-e1536565678678

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fullsizeoutput_944The owner Irean is from Mainland China and has a wonderful sense of humour.  I love that she remembers you from previous visits. And to top it off, my Chinese friends Peter and Katie said to me at the end of the evening that they loved each of the dishes and because they are used to typical Chinese food they were so impressed with the quality and variety of the dishes.  I guess this is because the dishes are traditional Chinese but with a very modern twist.  Certainly not the Aussie/Chinese dishes like beef in black bean sauce or sweet and sour pork; both dishes my Chinese friends have never heard of.

Definitely a restaurant worth visiting.

 

 

Ulladulla & Braidwood – New South Wales – Australia – June 2019

30 Sunday Jun 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Sightseeing and eating around Canberra/Sydney

≈ 16 Comments

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Abion cafe, Australia, Braidwood, dining with friends, Mollymook Golf Club, New South Wales, Ulladulla, whale watching

A weekend away down the south coast trying to spot whales!

fullsizeoutput_814I have known my friend Lyn for over thirty-five years so when she moved back to Australia from Canada I promised I would visit when they had built their new home.  It’s exactly what I did a couple of weekends ago.  The drive from Canberra to Ulladulla is exactly two and a half hours and is very pleasant.

I arrived around 3pm and after a look around their beautiful home and garden we sat on the balcony enjoying a glass of bubbles whilst looking over the ocean hoping to catch a glimpse of a whale.  The girls did but unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough to put on my glasses so no sighting for me.

Our first night we had dinner at a lovely casual Japanese restaurant.  I don’t usually like Japanese food but the tofu was very good.  The girls loved their meals though and intend to make this restaurant one of their favourites.fullsizeoutput_80f

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fullsizeoutput_810 The next morning we took a lovely walk with the dogs; through bushland and along the beachfront where the dogs jumped immediately into the water.  It was about twenty-one degrees so no need for big jackets and gloves like I have to wear at the moment in Canberra.fullsizeoutput_816

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fullsizeoutput_815The girls had booked a table for lunch overlooking the ocean at the Mollymook Golf Club but before we went there, we went to the local lighthouse where we walked along a pathway of interesting trees and shrubs to arrive at a viewing platform to see the ocean.fullsizeoutput_819IMG_6110fullsizeoutput_818fullsizeoutput_817fullsizeoutput_81cThe views from inside the golf club were also very beautiful and it was here I saw my first whale (well a spout of water and a side fin) and a mum dolphin and her baby.  Very exciting but no photos as it was too quick a sighting.fullsizeoutput_81bfullsizeoutput_81aI really had a great few days with the girls as they are such great company and it was so nice to stay in their fabulous newly built home, but it was time to leave.   I decided to stop at a lovely historic country town on the way home called Braidwood.  I parked up one end of the main street and walked up and down both sides to check out all the shops and pick a nice cafe for lunch.  There are some beautiful old buildings but wow it was so incredibly cold.40EDF8A9-D7F6-4305-B9A6-9DE5B62A2AC2fullsizeoutput_81efullsizeoutput_81fI decided on a warm and cosy cafe called Abion which was so pretty inside with its fresh vegetables on display as well as old aluminium cans and tins amongst many other things.fullsizeoutput_821fullsizeoutput_820I ordered a really delicious coconut, sweet potato and split pea soup with a pot of peppermint tea and of course a small bowl of chips and sat on the old wooden bench before an old wooden table!  A lovely environment to eat lunch on such a cold day.8EDC7554-FC5E-4FB0-94DC-E0DA8D8AC154And on the way back to my car I walk past more historic buildings and some street art next to a sign showing people their dogs cannot poop in the street!IMG_6132fullsizeoutput_824

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

03 Friday May 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Sightseeing and eating around Canberra/Sydney

≈ 11 Comments

Tags

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

A visit to a newly opened restaurant

IMG_5860Earlier 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.fullsizeoutput_79d

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fullsizeoutput_79eThe 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.IMG_5858Our 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.fullsizeoutput_7a1fullsizeoutput_7a3Ray and Nat ordered several of the bao to taste and both said they were very good.fullsizeoutput_7a2Their 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.fullsizeoutput_7a7Also ordered were the beef skewers which Ray and Nat shared and sparkling water and a glass of wine each.fullsizeoutput_7a4IMG_5859When 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!fullsizeoutput_7a5I 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!

 

 

 

 

Chongqing Hotpot – Chengdu – Sichuan Province – September 2018

14 Thursday Feb 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Travels inside China

≈ 24 Comments

Tags

Chengdu, chilli dishes, Chongqing hot pot, dining with friends, hot pot, Sichuan Province

Casual Restaurant; fabulous spicy foodfullsizeoutput_55b

Whilst in China last year, my friend Jon and I travelled by plane from Inner Mongolia to Chengdu [the capital of Sichuan Province] to meet our friend Peter (who we first met at my favourite Chinese restaurant here in Canberra).

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(source: http://www.inthetaratory.wordpress.com)

 We arrived around 7pm and would have been happy to take a taxi but Peter and his father arrived to pick us up from the airport and take us to our hotel.  It was very kind of them as it had taken two hours from their home but let me say it worked out really well as the traffic was horrendous and it took us nearly three hours to reach our hotel – I got to sleep in the back of the car [yay!!].

Peter’s father does not speak English, only the Sichuanese dialect and Peter told us later that his father had asked how he should greet us – he was told to say ‘hi’ as it’s easy to pronounce and that is what he did at the airport and every day with a huge smile – his only English word!

We arrived at our hotel nearing 11pm.  Peter wanted us to check in and come straight to his home to meet his mum and have a late supper.  I was just so tired from a full day of travelling so declined as I knew we had lunch at the family home the next day.

The next day Peter came to our hotel and we walked to his family home and along the way saw something I thought was very amusing…a take on the US originated KFC…Chinese KFG…ha ha.fullsizeoutput_55fPeter’s family home is an apartment in a beautiful and very large complex complete with lake and lovely gardens.  img_2964.jpg

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We enjoyed an absolutely delicious lunch cooked by Peter’s uncle who is a chef.  Peter’s grandmother who also lives in the very large apartment was there for lunch and we enjoyed telling stories of Peter’s life in Canberra.  We then sat around with Peter’s parents and relaxed until it was time to go to dinner [oh my gosh more food!!] and in-between Peter’s father poured us some different varieties of Chinese wine to taste [or rocket fuel as I like to call it].  fullsizeoutput_57dIt only took us a short time to reach the restaurant which was quite small with plastic chairs and little wooden tables. Peter’s dad said it was his favourite restaurant and that the cuisine was Chongqing hot pot. (Chongqing used to be under the administration of Sichuan Province but now is separated and is under the direct administration of the central government similar to Beijing and Shanghai).  Chongqing hot pot is spicier than Sichuan hot pot – I was a bit scared of my mouth burning!!!fullsizeoutput_55cfullsizeoutput_585I do like my food a little spicy but certainly not lip-tingling hot.  Peter’s dad and Jon love spicy food so they both put an additional packet of oily chilli into their dipping sauce.  (my blogging friend Gary would love the spicy food I am sure).  fullsizeoutput_594fullsizeoutput_58aNow for this dipping sauce – the cooked food is eaten with the sauce which is a combination of spices and herbs and made by the customer from a wide range of ingredients.  Peter’s mum made mine and it was absolutely delicious with oil, garlic, tahini, chives, chopped peanuts and chilli.fullsizeoutput_58fAs for the actual hot pot – each table has a two sided simmering pot of soup stock.  On our table, one of the pots contained meat stock and chilli and mine of course contained no meat but delicious spices, tomatoes, goji berries and vegetable stock.  fullsizeoutput_584IMG_3132We were seated at our little table and then the process is you walk up to the kitchen area and select what you want to eat, bring it back to the table and cook!  I selected some fresh tofu, noodles, cabbage, mushrooms, thinly sliced potato and sprouts.  These were also to be shared by others not just me.  Another large fridge had shelves and shelves of meat and seafood which Peter’s dad selected for the table.fullsizeoutput_587IMG_3136fullsizeoutput_58eWe returned to the table with our uncooked food and found the waitress had turned on the stove to heat the stock and ensure the hot pot is kept simmering.  All ingredients are firstly placed on bamboo skewers and then placed into the pot. In true Chinese tradition both Jon and I were served by our hosts all night.  Peter’s mum was so lovely ensuring that no meat was placed into my pot and kept the heat at a simmer rather than a boil to make sure the meat water did not bubble into my pot.  IMG_3133 fullsizeoutput_591Peter translated throughout the meal but Peter’s mum who speaks mainly Sichuanese can also speak some Mandarin so this enabled me to converse with her rather than have Peter translate all of our conversations which I know was very tiring for him.

We had bought a bottle of wine from a shop close-by our hotel as I know that it is very rare for the smaller restaurants in China to have international wines [for anyone who has tasted Great Wall white wine – you will know you won’t ever buy another bottle]. It turned out that this supermarket sold Aussie wine so that is what I bought – warm of course as the wine is usually not kept in the fridge in supermarkets.  fullsizeoutput_58bThe boys enjoyed some local beers which were bought from the restaurant.
fullsizeoutput_58cOne thing I did think was particularly cute about this restaurant was the small drawer in the table which contained our paper napkins – lots were needed.  fullsizeoutput_592Dessert and snacks are also available from the kitchen area but we were all way too full to eat anything else.fullsizeoutput_590fullsizeoutput_588I must say I genuinely enjoyed this evening and the food was really really good.

Bicicletta Restaurant – Canberra – Australian Capital Territory – Australia – December 2018

05 Saturday Jan 2019

Posted by SueT唐 梦 琇 in Sightseeing and eating around Canberra/Sydney

≈ 25 Comments

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ACT, Australia, Bicicleta restaurant, canberra, dining with friends, Eggplant, Gnocchi, Polenta, Vegan food

A Canberra Italian restaurant serving delicious vegan dishesfullsizeoutput_4ef

Isn’t it funny, I live in a small city and; having lived here for nearly fourteen years and have never been to Bicicletta Italian Restaurant (which my ‘foodie’ friend Jane had told me about several times)…but last month that all changed…

I arranged a pre-Christmas dinner with girl friends I have known for over thirty-five years.  We all joined the same employer way back in 1983.  Unfortunately two girls could not make it but the remaining three and myself allowed us to catch up on all the gossip of life.  Even though I have now retired we still keep in contact and only one of the girls is still with the same organisation…although she did leave for many years to run a hotel in the country.  fullsizeoutput_4eaBut back to our dinner…  Bicicletta Restaurant serves locally sourced food and its menu has several vegetarian and vegan options.  In this location, there are several restaurants and a few residential complexes who share a communal vegetable and herb garden. I loved this little area; so beautifully maintained also with an ‘interesting’ statue and small gardens and pathways for local residents to enjoy.fullsizeoutput_4eefullsizeoutput_4e5IMG_4278We sat outside in the courtyard with a view inside the restaurant through large windows.fullsizeoutput_4e7The courtyard is great for the warmer months with lush greenery and coloured chairs and umbrellas.  In late Autumn and Winter, blankets are supplied to keep your legs warm.fullsizeoutput_4f0I loved the look of two vegan items on the menu so decided to try both an entree and main course.  I chose the eggplant dish for entree which was deep fried with a balsamic glaze, polenta chips and a small amount of rocket.  This was an incredibly delicious meal…really too big for an entree but I was not complaining.  I loved it!fullsizeoutput_4ebMy friends shared the Pane, Olio E Balsamico which was a selection of breads; sourdough, baguette and brioche served with butter, aged balsamic reduction and extra virgin olive oil [forgot to take a photo].

For my main course I ordered the Gnocchi Da Giardino; house made pumpkin, potato and ground herbed gnocchi with roasted baby beets, broccoli florets and wild mushrooms in spinach and a vegan herb pesto sauce.  Another incredible dish – so [so] good.fullsizeoutput_4e6One of my friends also ordered the gnocchi but hers included a topping of crumbed goats cheese.

My friends then chose a range of dishes including the Capesante; pan seared scallops with romesco sauce, green apple tartare with lime and salmon caviar.fullsizeoutput_4ecAlso the Ravioli Di Maiale Arrosto; house made ravioli stuffed with roast pork, apple, potato and thyme in a creamy apple, rhubarb and white wine sauce finished with rocket, toasted walnuts and aged balsamic.  fullsizeoutput_4e8And finally the daily risotto dish with wild mushrooms, heirloom tomatoes, rocket and freshly shaved parmesan.  fullsizeoutput_4e9I thought all the meals looked so appetising and were beautifully displayed.  But in relation to our friendship, no matter how different our lives are now, this group of friends is still very special to me and I always enjoy catching up with them over a meal.

 

 

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