A well preserved French colonial house stands elegantly in Chan Cam in the French Quarter of Hanoi. It was designed by the architect who designed the Opera and it was once used as the Spanish embassy. Rumour has it that ‘Uncle Ho’ used to visit the house. Now it is a restaurant.
Cha Ca La Vong restaurant in the Old Quarter of Hanoi is eulogized by Alastair Hendy in his wonderful book Food and Travels: Asia. Indeed Alastair has included a delicious recipe for the eponymous fish, noodle and dill dish which is an honor to this eating house.
The Ethiopian way of preparing coffee is spectacular. The roasting beans are brought to the table sizzling as they lay on a colourful, clay plate for dinners to imbibe their intoxicating aroma. They are then taken away, ground and mixed with a subtle blend of cardamom, cinnamon and nutmeg. Boiling water is added and the coffee returns to the table, served from a shapely, traditional pot called a jebena and dispensed into tiny bowls. Burning incense accompanies the coffee to complete the exotic scene. The combination of coffee with cardamom is sublime and a few grains of sugar heighten the flavour.
Joe McDermott, the chef and owner of the gastro pub, the Ilkley Moor Vaults is sitting reading a book by the chef Simon Hopkinson while finishing his lunch.
A freshly-baked loaf of sour dough bread sits on the bar and after his warm greeting I ask to try a slice. It is very good -made from a mix of rye, wholemeal and white organic flour - a crisp crust with an open texture. continue reading ›
Hanging on the wall in the bar of a 300-year-old pub in Crayke, North Yorkshire, is a coloured engraving which gives the pub its name – The Durham Ox. continue reading ›
Standing on the quayside at Whitby on a cold, blustery day in spring whets the appetite for a fresh fish supper. Whitby is famous across Europe for the quality of its catch. But it is cold and stormy and as I look out over the foreboding North Sea, Dave Winspear, from award winning fishmonger - Whitby Catch - reminds me what it takes to land fish from the cold, turbulent, waters surrounding our shores. continue reading ›