Christmas in South Australia

My first Christmas in Australia, what can I say. Simply put I was sold on the promise I was going to shear a sheep.

Christmas away from home will never replace Christmas as I know it, nor should it try to. But at a minimum this Christmas gave me insight into a new Australia. I wanted to avoid the feeling of Christmas but in the end I walked away with more than I could have anticipated.

I flew to South Australia the evening before Christmas Eve to spend the holidays with my flat mate Wes and his family. All I knew about where I was going is that I would first fly the hour to Adelaide, then get on a small commuter plane and after arriving in Port Lincoln drive another hour north. Tell that to any Australian and they nod, “ah the middle of nowhere”.

Peering out of the window before landing in the Eyre Peninsula, farmland stretched for hundreds of miles then hit the sea. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the contrast of country and sea smashed against each other. I started picturing mermaid sheep. Mer-sheep? But once I arrived I was greeted with such gracious hospitality that didn’t stop until I boarded the plane back to Melbourne.

Rockeby Farm Pantry

I spent that first evening on Rockeby Farm, the family farm Wes grew up on. Driving down the pitch-black dirt roads late at night, the air quiet, I squirmed at the thought of knowing that there was no one around for miles. Everyone knows I’m scared of the dark. But the old farmhouse, built in early 1900s, was warm and I spent a few hours getting to know his parents, Sue and Mark, who kindly taught me a bit about their farm properties as we sipped a few wines. We spent only that first night on the country farm though and were off to the beach in Port Neill for the next few days.

But first Wes took me to town. We spent Christmas Eve morning sitting on the Tumby Bay pier eating fresh chicken sandwiches from Ritz Café, watching a young boy expertly fish alone off of the side, as Wes told me stories about growing up in such a small, rural area. Tumby as it’s known, is a good 30 minutes from the farm and is where he went to school – one school for all children from kindergarten to 12^th grade. There were 46 kids in his grade when he started; he graduated with 16 and was only one of 6 to go to university. Talk about small town ambition.

Fishing in Tumby Bay

Tumby Bay Pier

He then whisked me away to Boston Bay Wines, a small boutique vineyard and cellar door set on a hill where the vines overlook the ocean, just outside of Port Lincoln. We sampled the gamut and stocked up for Christmas with their Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and award winning Riesling.

Lavendar Farm

Dellacolline Estate

Boston Bay Wines

There was no stopping us there, so we were off to Delacolline Estate next. Stepping out of the car we were greeted with the sound of hundreds of bees chatting away over their afternoon lunch. I was so ecstatic at the thought of visiting my first lavender farm, the sweet scent overwhelmed the property and the fields of purple snuggled next to the vines made for a beautiful backdrop. Not to mention the 2005 Riesling was a stand out and we also couldn’t resist a bottle of Sparkling Shiraz, as it’s an Aussie Christmas tradition after all.

The Eyre Peninsula is known to be one of the purest seas in the world. Remote and desolate, with many untouched bays it makes for pristine fishing grounds. It’s a region that prides itself on sustainability and is where seafood such as oysters, abalone, tuna, prawns and more is exported from daily. Of course I had to try some. Sarin’s Restaurant in the Port Lincoln Hotel is the best spot in town to devour the famous Coffin Bay oysters, which is exactly what we did before stopping off in quiet and stunning Coffin Bay itself.

Coffin’s Bay

Port Lincoln Tuna Farm

Port Lincoln

Oysters at Sorin’s

We stayed at the beach house for the next few nights, and that evening I accompanied his parents and siblings to the local pub. Wes unfortunately had an emergency oyster spew on our ride home so recovered in bed alone. In a town of 300 people, the one pub is where everyone, and I mean everyone, goes for a social gathering; parents, grandparents and small children included. I felt a treat being introduced as the foreigner from far away America and giggled to myself as it seemed every second person was named Hannah.

I woke up Christmas morning to a quiet house and decided to start the day with a run on the beach. As I approached the half-moon bay of Port Neill, Mark’s words at the pub the night before couldn’t ring in any truer. He told me, “Why go to a beach with lots of people? If there’s people, just go to the next one”. I told him I never knew such a luxury.

Port Neill Beach

As I began to run, I saw the sand ahead, the water clear blue to my right and the sun beaming down against it; and that’s when I got emotional. I think it hit me all at once. The sparkling water and unexpected beauty really let the distance and pure remoteness sink in. Christmas, and this couldn’t be any more of a contrast of what I’d be doing at home. It’s exactly what I asked for if I couldn’t have the real thing. In that moment I felt the luckiest person in the world, and it was a moment for me that was incredibility awesome.

Even more awesome was when I got back to the house I had eggs and bacon waiting for me. We then exchanged a few gifts. I was overjoyed for the generous touch of perfume from my flat mate and homemade heating pad Sue made with grain from the farm, a gift I had been secretly hoping for. Even more special was the Christmas-themed box and stocking that made its way from the US then onto the plane with me so I could open a gift from my family on Christmas morning. The day followed with an impromptu game of tennis in the sun, some reading and sunbathing and the enjoyment of our wine purchases from the day prior.

Watering flowers

Boxing Day, while still very casual and relaxed, was celebrated with even more grandeur as all of Wes’ 3 siblings and their partners, as well as his grandparents attended at the beach house for a traditional seafood lunch feast. As I cracked open my popper, I found myself realizing I’ve picked up some Aussie slang like the common contradictory response of “yea, no”. The outback must have gotten to me.

Before getting too settled in Mark had myself, Wes’ brother Lewis and girlfriend Chelsea out on his boat at dusk to catch the next day’s lunch. Chelsea and I caught 7 snoek between the two of us, a great success as it was her first time fishing.

On my final day Mark, Wes and I headed back to the farm. Unfortunately due to the holidays there wasn’t enough time to get the sheep ready for shearing. Mark made up for it though and gave me a full tour of the farm. First he emptied the trough, and then Wes and I hopped out of the cab of the truck to herd 340 lambs from one paddock to the other. We simply walked along through the fields, both casually and slowly, and those fools just kept running away…right where we wanted them to go. My deed was done.

Emptying the trough

Rockeby Farm

Lamb butts

Wes herding lambs

That evening we BBQ’d the most exquisite, uhum, lamb for dinner then ended in the late hours laughing till I cried playing the vulgar game Cards Against Humanity the Australian edition with the family.

Thank you Wes, Sue, Mark, Lewis, Karl and Hannah for your amazing hospitality, beautiful homes and an amazing holiday adventure!

Game On Adelaide: A Weekend of Food and Wine

Adelaide’s pretty rad – and there’s more to it than the mocking nickname of ‘Rad-elaide’. Ever since I first visited in 2011 I’ve stood behind its defense, but even more so now that I’ve learnt on my most recent visit that is has made a conscious effort to play cultural hard ball.

This trip no doubt contained another visit to the Barossa Valley disguised behind a work-related conference held at the Adelaide Convention Center. With the Intercontinental, albeit a bit dated, in a prime location overlooking the Adelaide Oval and the beautiful running tracks along the River Torrens, I was already set up to achieve great sights.

River Torrens

Upon arriving I gave my friend a tour of the small city. We started along North Terrace beside University of Adelaide’s beautiful 19^th century sandstone buildings, a contrast against the neighboring modern architecture of its newer lecture halls.

Looping around at Rundle Park took us onto Rundle Street, home to boutiques, cafes, pubs and assortment of restaurants. For a sunny Friday afternoon we stopped off in the Belgian Beer Café and historic pub the Austral for a few pints to start the holiday off.

Rundle Street

Rundle Street turns into Rundle Mall where you can find most of your common name brand stores like Meyer, Sports Girl, JB Hi-Fi and the likes. Most famously on the corner of Rundle Mall and Hindley Street sits Australia’s oldest family owned chocolate maker, Haigh’s Chocolates.

My perception of Adelaide was turned upside down when I discovered Peel Street later that evening. Here sits the latest note-worthy restaurant in the city with the same name, Peel Street, and it’s a must stop off (restaurant bookings required). The closest thing Adelaide has in comparison to big sister Melbourne, this small laneway has a splattering of hip bars and underground cocktail lounges to make any local feel privileged thanks to the new small venue license recently instated to help entrepreneurs bring a new vibe to the CBD.

Highlights include Clever Little Tailor, a tiny bar offering a variety of top notch spirits and hand crafted beers set against the original exposed brick and structure. Next door, dine at Bread and Bone Wood Grill for a quick and fancy burger or dog. They really are all the rage but we went a bit rogue by ordering the fish and pork belly, both also to be admired. The waiter kindly offered us entry into the cocktail lounge downstairs, Maybe Mae, where I felt as if I entered some secret world found only in the 1920s, green leather booths, plush carpet and drinks served in crystal. One more stop across the street at Mexican inspired Chihuahua Bar for a wine and a lovely chat with the want to be rock star spun bartender before calling it a night as we had a full day of wine touring ahead of us.

Since I’ve made my rounds in the world-renowned Barossa Valley previously, this time the goal was to visit boutique wineries in a small group to uncover the greatest Shiraz presented to me. Cellar Door Wine Tours asked in advance where we wanted to visit and hand crafted the itinerary amongst all the guests’ top picks.

Murray Street Vineyard

Barossa Valley Vineyards

Maggie Beer

Penfolds Wines

Cafe Y

Turkey Flat

Yaldara Estate

Murray Street Vineyards was the perfect first stop, as we tasted while sitting around a square table so that all 10 guests had the opportunity to get to know each other. It was refreshing to be greeted by a young host, as Ryan was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, specifically as he demonstrated double aeration. I wanted to walk away with the Gomersal Estate 2010 Shiraz but was nervous to purchase any wine too early in the day– my greatest regret for sure.
Maggie Beer is a gourmet food brand well known by dinner party hosts and the like. The beautiful shop sits on top of an aqua green lake making it a fantastic picnic spot. The best part about the small shop is there is something to taste in nearly every nook and cranny – from fig paste to pate to cider and caramel topping. I spent my time devouring enough homemade bread dipped in olive oil and damper to hold me over until lunch. I also took note of the cooking school that could be a good excuse to come back.
Penfolds was my biggest disappointment of the day. While this isn’t boutique in anyone’s mind, it was a special request from another guest. Honestly, what they offer on tasting is the same as what you can buy in the liquor store and it was only the Tawny I was tempted to buy until I found out that too is distributed in my local bottle shop.
Chateau Yaldara and Café Y is where we stopped for both a tasting and lunch. I wasn’t too impressed with their wines except their sparkling Shiraz and while you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I definitely would recommend they undergo a branding exercise for their labeling. Luckily the family-owned cafe made up for it with lunch that was described to us by the son in the most intimate detail and while I’m not much of a pasta lover I couldn’t resist the duck ravioli.
Rockford Wines interestingly do their tastings in an old horse stable making it a unique atmosphere for the much anticipated tasting. This winery was our tradeoff for Grant Burge (the one we asked to visit) being too busy. I found the pourer entertaining as he reminded us of Murray from Flight of the Concords so I walked away with a bottle of their Tawny as a Christmas present for my hosts.
Turkey Flat is one of the oldest boutique vineyards in the region. I was sold on a bottle of the now-sold-out 2012 Cabernet as the wine maker was both very chatty and informative, reminding us that 2010 and 2012 were the good years for grapes after the drought. I also couldn’t resist buying the cheeky fortified NV Pedro Ximenez too.

The biggest surprise from the day was the amount of cabernet sauvignon coming out of the Barossa Valley. I truly didn’t expect it and while I didn’t find a long lasting lover in Shiraz to take home, it did make me have a deep think about how much my taste buds have changed as of late.

Back in Adelaide central, one more spot not to miss is the Gouger Street restaurants and the Adelaide Central Market. My absolute, hands down, no questions asked top notch visit was to Cork Wine Café who specialize in organic and biodynamic wines from all over the world. I melted over the La Distesa 2013 ‘Terra Silvate’ Verdicchio and Architects of Wine 2013 Chardonnay. As they do tasting flights, with quite generous pours mind you, it was easy to fall into place here for a few hours.

With so many restaurants to choose from on Gouger Street, primarily deriving from Asian influence, it was hard to choose. Thankfully the staff from Cork Wine recommended the two best places (and most sought after as we couldn’t get a table until 9 pm so book ahead) on the strip including Little NNQ and Concubine.

For a quick weekend of social activities before putting on my work hat we sure managed to cover a lot of ground, including Jamie Oliver’s latest wave to hit Adelaide Jamie’s Italian. But Adelaide, you’re still missing one key element before you can truly reach your cultural trophy and that is – what’s open for breakfast?

Brisbane’s become cooler than me

Everyone always digs on Brisbane. Even when I first moved to Australia it was all “it’s too small; everything closes early; there’s nowhere good to eat.” Compare it to likes of Sydney or Melbourne, and yeah, I get it. But guess what haters, at some point since moving away a year and a half ago, Brisbane’s upped its ante.

I always said if I could have the culture of Melbourne coupled with the weather of Brisbane I would be set for life. Now, I’m not going to go as far and say it’s been accomplished but seriously Brisbane, you’re picking up your weight.

On my most recent visit I was blown away at the duck liver parfait served at James Street’s trendy Gerard’s Bar. In fact, I added it on my “best thing ever” list and that was even after devouring truffle salami and mackerel tartare. Could the Brisbane dining scene be creeping in Melbourne’s wake?

And as for Fortitude Valley, the once seedy and still may be but only if you don’t know where to go now that Brisbane is cool, nightlife neighborhood, I didn’t go out ‘in’ the Valley but rather ‘under’ the Valley. Greaser, an American themed bar is housed in the cellar of a 130-year-old heritage building offering craft beers, American imports and a stellar whiskey list on the side of classic hot dogs.

Sure, I was still living in town when the hippest thing was old Queensland cottages being converted into uber-chic bars like Alfred & Constance, Kettle & Tin and Sixes & Sevens – as they all have uber-cool names too, but I hear even ‘hippie-haven’ West End has transformed itself upmarket with some new additions in its pocket.

I think it goes without saying another area where Brisbane hasn’t failed us is the craft beer front. From my old hang The Scratch to Tenerife’s Tippler’s Tap and their recent Southbank prodigy Tomohawk Bar and let’s not forget the micro-brewers Green Beacon and classic Bacchus Brewing, Brisbane is where its at.

What’s still not cool is having to leave an establishment to go find a bathroom somewhere down the street rather then in the bar/restaurant/café, but over time you may just get that right too, Brisbane.

In the meantime, I recognize there’s all the extra stuff that even made Brisbane cool back when I was living there. An awesome music scene, a laid back life style and pristine beaches in an arm’s reach, so yeah Brisbane, maybe you were cool all along.

Read more about my adventures in Brisbane here.

Beer sampling at Bacchus Brewery

Beer events at The Scratch

Local band Ball Park Music

‘Cool’ West End bar, The End

Queenstown: A Solo Adventure

I intently stared out of the window, camera in position as we descended out of the cloudbank and into view of the vast snow tipped mountains called the Remarkables. This landscape is absolutely extraordinary.

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The plane began to shake as we entered the windy valley between the incredibly close mountain ranges, then all of the sudden, oomph. My head smacked the side of the window and my tray table unfastened itself from the locked position. Panic. We must have dropped a few feet before leveling out again. “Don’t worry,” said the flight attendant over the intercom. “It’s just the wind between the mountains, nothing to be alarmed about.”

Welcome to Queenstown! A buzzing town of snow bunnies crossed with adventure sports, breathtaking scenery and world-renowned pinot noir sipped against the backdrop of white capped peaks.

“Are you skiing?” “Snowboarding then?” “So, what are you doing here?” My reply was simple, I’m here to eat well and drink wine. In a town where every other backpacker, boys weekend or family vacation seem to hit the slopes or jump off either one of the tallest or oldest bungy’s in the world, is it possible to enjoy yourself as a single traveler not in the slightest interested in the above? Sure is. I’d even rate Queenstown as not only my number one favorite destination in New Zealand but at the top of my books all around. So what’s there to get up to?

The Bars:

I hung with the locals at Atlas Beer Café, deemed Queenstown’s home of craft beer including microbrew Emerson’s (go with the English Porter on the hand pump) along with some guest taps and locally sourced food, like the lick smacking steak with demi-glace and Café de Paris butter, served with a side salad and fries.

The Find, previously known as The World Bar, was a great place to go solo. Maybe it’s just because Queenstown, unlike many Aussie bars, actually have bar stools at the bar. There’s nothing better than saddling up at the bar for a snack staring up at the teapots which house cocktails for the backpackers who trickle in later in the evening.

And lastly, cozy, dimly lit places like The Bunker and Bardauex offer extensive New Zealand wine collections and a soothing, chilled out atmosphere with big comfy sofas around outdoor fire pits or indoor blazes.

This is between all of the countless bars and nightclubs including Cowboy’s, Winnie’s and Searle Social Club amongst many other late night spots where you can find inebriated late teens and early twenty-something’s, and myself on one or two occasions, dancing the night away.

The Wine:

But then let’s not forget it was the wine I came for.

The Winery is a storefront that offers a taste of over 80 different New Zealand wines. Grouped by variety, the philosophy of this place is simple, yet expensive. Insert your “wine card” and choose from a taste, half glass, or full glass of some of the most desired wines in the region. At about an average of $5 a taste, I tried a few high-end Pinots then called it day.

This was after I went on my Queenstown Trail: Original Wine Tour just the day before. Lance, a 20 year wine-guide veteran led us to four different wineries in the Gibbston Valley, Central Otago. I’d rate them as such:

Best Tasting Room: Gibbston Valley Winery – set in New Zealand’s largest wine cave

Best Tasting Host: Waitiri Creek – Jason, the vineyard manager of this family owned winery passionately and simply broke down the chemistry of wine making into terms us normal-folk could understand

Best Wine: Remarkable Wines – only winery where I enjoyed the whole range; walked away with the 2009 Pinot Noir

Best Notoriety: Amisfield – while I can’t afford their both delicate and elegant vintages, Will and Kate famously made a stop here on their recent visit

The Food:

When in New Zealand it’s all about the lamb, oysters and prime cuts of beef.

I felt I was back in Melbourne while dining at Madame Woo, an eclectic modern Asian restaurant with delectable sticky pork belly dishes and thick curry’s set to tune of some of my favorite bands like the Kooks and Cold War Kids.

While Vudu Café is rated the number one brunch spot, you’d be lucky to score a seat. Instead, Bob’s Weigh Café was a smaller, simpler option serving great muesli and rumored the best coffee in town.

The Great Outdoors:

Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing aside, in town there are still a few options.

While the number one activity is to ride the Skyline Gondola up Bob’s Peak, I decided to take the bolder way up: my two feet. It took an hour from the base to zig zag through the forest up the mountain following the Tiki Trail. I’m not going to say it was easy, but nothing any reasonably fit person couldn’t handle with a few huff and puff’s in between Gatorade guzzling breaks. Even better, the trail was absolutely quiet. Only every so often I’d run into another hiker passing down on the trail. The best part was finally reaching the top and the breathtaking views over Lake Watakipu. Once at the summit there are a few options from dining, bungying, zip-lining, more hiking or the luge. And while the luge came highly recommended from a charming traveler I met, after standing in line for an hour in freezing rain sandwiched between two families with small, irritating children, my ride down the ‘scenic track’ was more of an escape effort if anything. With the rain coming down too heavy to hike back down Bob’s Peak, I coughed up the steep fair of $19 for the Gondola ride back into town. The People:

And none of my above experiences would have been so great if I was truly alone in it all. There were kind, approachable people that I met along the way. From an impromptu pub-crawl to discover the town with a friendly Norwegian, to the American and Aussie girls from my wine tour who invited me along to dinner and the handsome Irish boy who bought me chocolate/chocolate-chip ice cream. It was only on the last day as I sat in a café to escape the cold and rain before flying back to Australia that I had a sense of being alone, but luckily a book and one last English Porter did the trick.

Yes Please! An Evening of Beer and Cheese

Shout from the rooftops, it’s Good Beer Week! The much anticipated annual event offers hundreds of food and beer pairings, educational classes, tap take overs and more spread across the city. Without spoiling myself too much I attended Yes Please! An Evening of Beer and Cheese at Mr. Wolf in St. Kilda.

I’ll be honest though, I signed up for this event after one too many pints at an Irish pub in South Yarra based on the loose requirements of a cost under $50 and inclusion of cheese. It was advertised as pairing of Italian cheese and beer, and my expectations were low. I know nothing about the craft beer scene in Italy, and despite having an affinity for cheese, it’s strictly superficial. I was even less impressed initially with the 6 pm start, restricting any opportunity for dinner prior, and finally 30 minutes later we got our first sampling. Grouped at high tables seating 8, my friend and I joked with the strangers how the absence of dinner coupled with the aroma of pizza coming from the dining room was a ploy to direct us to eat in the restaurant post event.

But we were wrong. Despite a disorganized introduction from Will Studd, representative from Calendar Cheese, and what appeared to be animosity, although some suspected it was playful banter, with Leonardo Di Vincenzo from Birra Del Borgo, when our first platter was presented to the table we couldn’t believe our eyes. I’m not a fan of sharing at these types of events, portions can often be cheap and you end up politely giving the last piece to a stranger despite secretly wanting it for yourself. This was not the case however, the value for the cost was applauding.

We began with Mauri ‘Bontazola’ Gorgonzola Piccante Pasturo, Italy and Mauri “Bonta della Bonta’ Dolce Pasturo, Italy, both coupled with Birra Del Borgo ‘Reporter’. In simple terms, we tried two gorgonzola’s, the first being harder, more blue with an intensity in the flavour compared to the ‘dolce’ which was softer and smooth. They both were a great accompaniment to the tobacco porter, which we learned basically contained fermented tobacco, dipped into the brew like a giant tea bag to infuse the flavour.

The Mauri ‘Cave Ripened’ Tallegio Pasturo, Italy, is a cheese matured in caves in the Italian Alps, a very rare occurrence and the Mauri family being one of the only ones left doing so. The cool and humid environment allows for bacteria to grow on the outside, making the rind yeasty in flavour but edible once washed. It was so creamy, coupled with the imperial pilsner ‘My Antonia’. I loved the sweet beginning and the bitter aftertaste. This pairing was also my favourite of the day, but it was still a very hard decision. At this stage we reached the half-way point and I was already feeling my stomach stretch. All the sudden I began to regret my snarl remarks about minimal breadsticks at the start and skipping dinner.

A special guest appearance from Giorgio Cravero from Cravero cheese had the group educated about parmesan. The Cravero family of the mountains of northern Italy has been producing parmesan since 1855 and is now in its fifth generation. He told us that out of only 370 producers, 90% are just average. This is coming from a cheese predominately consumed only in Italy. While the cheese we tasted was aged 29 months, this is fairly old for a parmesan. Wrapped in foil so it didn’t oxidize, we were instructed to squeeze then taste, although for most of us the cheese was quite dense and resulted in nothing. Giorgio recommended parmesan goes great with a sparkling white wine, but I found the American pale ale, ‘ReAle’, really drinkable with its caramel malts offering a sweetness mixed with a spicy and bitter finish.

We finished with Il Forteto Pecorino Toscano DOP Stagionato Tuscany, Italy coupled with ‘ReAle Extra’, an IPA and Antica Formaggieria Pecorino Romano Lazio, Italy with ‘Hoppy Cat’ Cascadian dark ale. Pecorino Romano is claimed to be the original cheese, before parmesan. This is because pecorino comes from sheep, and sheep have come before cows. All pecorino’s are made in Sardinia, in southern Italy. They were both big and salty, like a gulp from the ocean with a bit of stink to it and the Hoppy Cat was much lighter in colour than expected, a dark ale rather than a black IPA.

I walked into Mr. Wolf hungry with small expectations in regards to the beer but waddled out with an appreciation for new cheese and hand on the back to Birra Del Borgo who make not only hip labels, but stellar beers.

Eat, Poop, Sweat

Ubud was one of our most anticipated stops on our 10-day trip to Indonesia. Known for its lush rice patty fields, beautiful temples and an exquisite art scene, Ubud is an interesting mix of earthy-hippy mixed with high-end chic. Polo stores and one-off boutiques line touristy Monkey Forest Road interspersed amongst natural healers, yoga studios and art galleries.

According to Eileen, if she were to write a book about our time in Ubud it would be entitled Eat, Poop, Sweat. Disappointedly, a little known illness termed “Bali Belly”, casually omitted from the original Eat, Pray, Love, had us both lying in our air-conditioned room at Pertiwi Resort curled in a ball, limiting our ability to fully indulge head first into Ubud culture, but that didn’t stop us from trying.

After arriving, our first stop was the outdoor veranda at highly rated Three Monkey’s Café where we each ordered a club sandwich and lemon and ginger fizz and sat amongst the rice patties. We chatted about how we were both secretly nervous to enter the famed Sacred Monkey Forest but eager to buy some local crafts. Mostly, we were both excited for our cooking class the following morning but I felt weak and achy so we retired early to bed. And by early I mean 7 pm. Twelve hours of sleep later…

We were picked up for Paon Bali Cooking Class, rated the #2 activity in Ubud on Trip Advisor and highly recommended by a friend, by our adorably cute driver. Our first stop was the Ubud food market. They cleverly take you in small groups so you are able to maneuver around the sellers with ease, and the intimate time with the guide is an excellent way to learn firsthand about how they make their local prayer offerings from banana leaves and flowers amongst other items. We weaved through the small lanes until we came to the fruit section under the cover of a large building where we got to try some interestingly produce whose names now escape me. Onto the vegetables, women sat with green beans as long as arms, next to peppers as red as fire and thick purple eggplant. With a nauseous stomach, I attempted to divert my eyes from the decaying fish and the feral dogs roaming through the piles of garbage scattered around.

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The highlight itself was Puspa, the beautiful instructor and matriarch of the family home the class took place in. Once all 17 guests arrived, we were provided a welcome drink as we sat outside in the center of the complex and listened about Balinese traditions. It was fascinating to learn that culturally a woman always moves into the man’s home. If you don’t have a son, you typically will adopt one from another relative so the family can continue. But most heartwarming was the belief that there is no conflict in the home. Every evening the elder initiates discussions in the family temple so everyone can go to bed in peace, as they would have disclosed their worries or discontentment with the entire family.

Over an entire half-day we learned how to make 8 different Balinese courses. The class itself was so unbelievably organized, it had every participant involved at all times, whether it be chopping vegetables, plucking fresh lime leaves, sautéing garlic and chili or crushing it all in the ‘Bali blender’.While chatting away with other travelers, we learned that yellow sauce, salt and pepper, coconut oil, chili and palm sugar are essential ingredients to most dishes. While my stomach was not up for large consumption, Eileen rated both the chicken in coconut curry and tempe with peanut sauce as her favorites and we walked away with a nice recipe book of the day’s dishes to try at home. I’ll keep you posted on my unlikely outcome.

For dinner that evening we eagerly ventured to the much-anticipated Bebek Bengil aka Dirty Duck Diner, who specialize in fried duck. While the premises sit on a beautiful, lush green rice patty, we came at night not knowing that the view was half the pleasure and therefore sat in darkness listening to the buzz of a few far off quacks. When our ducks arrived so deep-fried that we couldn’t decipher between bone and meat, only by the hairs still intact on the skin, another early night called our names.

This was all after my AMAZING spa treatment at The Wibawa Spa mind you. Let me make it clear, imagine this scene: a soothing full body massage with essential oil to the sound of tranquil music. Next, a body scrub of turmeric and jasmine in which they first apply and let dry, then scrub off to exfoliate the skin. Afterwards, you’re covered in thick white yogurt. And finally, you soak in a bath of flower petals and then rinse in a shower under the night sky. The entire treatment was 1 h 45 minutes and would you believe what it cost me? I don’t think you will. It cost me $21. Enough said.

We braved the Sacred Monkey Forest the next day with much hesitation. The forest hosts over 500 macaques in addition to three holy temples. While roaming the grounds and admiring the beautiful sculptures covered in varying shades of moss and Indiana Jones like temples, things turned for the worse. Eileen provided this narrative afterward: “At 11:39 am today, Lisa Vecchio (30) was attacked by a macaques monkey (134). Witnesses report that after letting out a guttural scream she regained her composure. Vecchio left the scene and the macaques persisted, eventually giving up.” When leaving the park I was not only shook up and weary of any monkey in sight, but utterly speechless to spot a chubby 12-year-old boy with a stalk of bananas under his shirt. I’m just lucky I didn’t get bit.

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We ended our time in Ubud with a Legong Trance and Paradise Dance performance by Sekehe Gong Panca Artha at the Ubud Palace. The most mesmerizing aspect was the dancer’s ability to move their hands, eyes, and fingers all to the beat of instruments being played on the side of the stage. While we weren’t too sure what was going on, it was still a fascinating and impressive cultural experience.

On our way out of Ubud our driver stopped off at Jakawana coffee plantation. A small family run business overlooking beautiful rice patties, all guests receive a quick tour of the grounds, including local plants and herbs, along with an overview of the traditional coffee making process and a tasting of an impressive 12 coffees for free. The tastings included everything from herbal tea with turmeric to coconut coffee. For a steep $5, Eileen was brave (and I took a sip) to try the Kopi Luwak, a coffee bean digested and excreted from animals. Neither of us favored it, but it fit right in with our Ubud theme: eat, poop, sweat.

My Tasmanian Secrets

Tasmania is not in Africa. It’s is not a remote tropical island in Southeast Asia either. If fact, Tasmania is just another state within Australia.

Often the butt of insensitive jokes by many Australians about inbred farmers, backward small town ways and the like, my recent visit was nothing of a joke though. I came purely for the Pinot Noir but left with so much more.

Hobart

A flight from Melbourne to Hobart round-trip cost me less then accommodation for one night in Launceston. It’s cheap and conveniently an hour away. I’m also lucky my friend David has a corporate apartment downtown so that was a gracious offer that made things very easy.

But with less than 48 hours in Hobart we had to narrow down our options and I would highly recommend the below:

Salamanca Place: for a small town, this is where the action happens. An old historic square with cafes, restaurants and bars around the parameter its one of the few areas open late and bound to have some people around, especially when we flew on a Thursday evening. On Saturday mornings the Salamanca Market is one of the most famous in Australia, with over 300 stalls of local crafts, produce, street performers and more. For drink and nosh I recommend Cargo Bar Pizza Lounge and Grape Food and Wine.

Market performers

Salamanca Market

Wood crafts

Made in Tasmania

Criterion salted caramel waffles

Criterion Street Café: was literally the best breakfast I’ve had in my life. After a friends recommendation to try the caramel salted waffles with vanilla mascarpone I was immediately smitten. We also wanted to try to the corn and green chili fritters since after all, it was breakfast. The service was impeccable, anticipating we wanted the fritters to share at the start and the waffles for dessert; they brought out two separate, huge servings and didn’t even charge extra. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so full, but I would get on a plane right now to eat there again.

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA): This is the place known for being weird. Australians flock to Tasmania to visit the one true modern art gallery in the country. Those who have visited places such as MoMa and the Tate think it’s nothing too different but if you’re in Hobart this is a must visit.

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While you can drive, one of the best parts of the experience is to hop on the Mona Roma, the high-speed ferry that takes about 40 minutes to reach the museum. While not only being an educational ride with commentary about the landscape, the ferry offers decorative artwork, a funky interior of leather stools, a live parrot and even fake sheep as seats (cattle car) in addition to serving Moo Brew and Moorilla Estate wines on board. On the MONA property you could literally spend a whole day in the exhibits alone, everything from a room of TVs singing Madonna acapella to a poo machine, a project simulating the digestive system of the human body. But then there’s the food such as wood fired pizza, local cheese and meat platters and even fine dining; and the drink, like wine tastings from Moorila Estate and beer flights from Boo Brew; and the scenery, overlooking the water, the vineyard and the town in the background. Saturdays they host markets on the lawn, where on occasion are live performers and it’s just a great place to relax in the sun and enjoy chilled out Tasmania.

East Coast

After leaving Hobart we decided to drive up the east coast to make our way north to Launceston. It all happened in just one day and was jam-packed. I definitely recommend spacing it out if you’ve got the time.

Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park: There’s a reason why I love and thoroughly read my in flight magazine. In this instance, without doing so I would not have known to visit and contribute to saving the endangered Tasmanian devils. They’re only found in the wild in Tasmania, so what a once in a lifetime experience. The entrance fee was a bit steep at $33, but knowing the proceeds went toward a good cause made it worth it. The dog like animals, many of which have a contagious facial cancer were interesting to watch, as they are the largest meat-eating marsupial. While in heat they made loud, screeching noises while barring their razor teeth and were quite aggressive during their feeding time, which we got to watch (dead possum, yum). There were some other animals at the park as well such as kangaroos, wallabies, and birds so there is enough wildlife to kill an hour or so to make it worth the visit.

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Port Arthur

Port Arthur: is a historical site about an hour and half southeast of Hobart that used to house convicts. Not just any convicts, but those that had already committed a crime and their first punishment was to be sent to Australia in the first place. If you committed another, Port Arthur was your likely destiny. The admission fee included a 40 minute guided tour, which was enough to help us understand what we were looking at and where we wanted to spend the remainder of our time while exploring the grounds. Unfortunately, because we had such a long drive ahead of us it meant we didn’t discover much, but even dropping by made for a beautiful drive and an educational experience.

Freycinet National Park: is a beautiful national park on the east coast of Tasmania about 3 hours north from Port Arthur. Our sole purpose was to visit Wineglass Bay, an outlet of Cole’s Bay shaped like a wineglass. Our plan was to drive up the coast, have a hike around the national park, watch the water shimmer against Wineglass Bay and then travel on to Launceston. But we arrived too late. Dusk was starting to set and frankly, Wineglass Bay didn’t look like anything special. The park information center was already closed and we didn’t have a permit to park. We went for about a 5-minute hike, or more specifically it was just a walk to the water’s edge, and decided to call it a day. Luckily the Edge Restaurant at the Edge of the Bay Resort was open for dinner. We figured, at the least enjoying a delicious meal overlooking the bay would make the long travel time worth it before we had to head back into the car to make our way further North. I had the local specialty of the blue eye trevalla coupled with the Freycinet Valley’s own, Gala Estate Riesling.

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No one told us in advance not to drive at night though. I will tell you now, do not drive at night! It was another two hours after we left Cole’s Bay to Launceston and we figured easy enough. But once on the road, winding our way away from the coast inland and north the GPS took us through another national park. Pitch black, there was no one else on the slow, curvy road. I put on my glasses because at that point I had one official duty, to watch the side of the road for animals. Carcass after carcass of dead animal bodies lay splattered on the road ahead of us so we decided to slow down even more, going no more then 40 kilometers while the radio blasted Saturday evening techno music. It was going to be a long 2 hours, and despite our best efforts before we knew it, boom. Regrettably, a huge kangaroo ran into the car from the side. Luckily he hopped away and we are still praying he is okay.

Launceston

I recently discovered that Tasmanians from Hobart and Launceston have a city rivalry. With just a short amount of time in both cities, I’d put my money on Launceston.

Tamar Valley: Pronounced tame-er, out of all the wine valleys in Tasmania we chose to tour this one. Their Pinot Noirs can be described as heavy and earthy, similar to those of Oregon in the Northwest of the US. I had high hopes and anticipated shipping home cases and cases, but I left with just one bottle in my suitcase (interestingly from the Coal River Valley outside of Hobart). I’m not sure if my disappointment was because I don’t fully understand my own pallet, or simply because I was more surprised to learn and love their dry Rieslings, interesting Fume Blanc’s and mild Sparkling. I even revisited my old friends Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio and learnt in more detail the actual difference of the two.

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We booked a tour with Prestige Leisure Tours, and by luck we were actually the only ones booked in for the day. That meant we could customize the tour to our liking and our number one priority was to visit Bay of Fires, one of our top picks from the Pinot Palooza event we attended back in September. But first we made a stop a Josef Chromy, the worldwide winner for their 2011 Chardonnay that was obviously, but unfortunately not available for tasting. I did however purchase the 2013 to hold on to in the hopes it will mature just as nicely as I’m told that Chardonnay is Tasmania’s best kept secret.

The favorite of the day was Dalamere Vineyard, a small family owned winery in the Pipers Brook region. We got to sit with the winemaker Fran and chat in detail about their handpicked fruits and it was pleasant to just be in a casual, non-touristy setting. Despite them being known for their excellent sparkling, I left with the most interesting of them all, the 2013 Fume Blanc.

We had lunch at Piper’s Brook Vineyard, but I was less impressed with their larger scale production and average food. We then moved on to Leaning Church, another small, picturesque vineyard with amazing views, but I found none of the wine too memorable. At the least, our fabulous driver Michael was helpful in providing recommendations on how to spend our last 24 hours in Tasmania.

Dickens Cider: offers amazing, locally produced ciders and the cute bar in downtown Launceston was a clear next stop once we returned from the wine tour. This is real cider too, thick, cloudy and only natural sugars, it was a refreshing alternative to the bottled stuff I usually drink on other occasions.

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The owner recommended and made reservations for us at the Black Cow Bistro, one of the town’s best upmarket restaurants offering Tasmania’s finest steak. Oh my, truffle béarnaise sauce on lean Tasmanian beef, despite us being quite a few drinks deep we still enjoyed the deliciousness of it all. We made one last stop off for the night, despite it being a Sunday and stumbled over to St. John Craft Beer. I was so excited to try some different beers offered on their ten or so taps but left frustrated and disappointed. The two brothers who owned the place were quite rude and unhelpful, assuming I would want just an average lager and didn’t offer tastings. It was like pulling teeth before I got handed over the amazing Kooinda Black IPA.

Coal River Valley

It was only 2 hours south down the middle of the state to the quant town of Richmond before we turned off to visit much acclaimed Frogmore Creek Wines. We had a couple of hours to kill before our flight back to Melbourne and I refused to leave without a Pinot Noir, despite the other 3 bottles of white wine in my suitcase. Unfortunately their restaurant was closed so we had a quick tasting, I bought a bottle of the 2012 42 degrees Pinot Noir and we moved on.

Coal Valley Vineyard

Coal Valley Vineyard was just a kilometer or so down the road so we turned off to enjoy an amazing cheese platter and a glass of pinot in the sunshine overlooking the vines. This was the perfect way to close off the vacation. Shortly afterward we made our way over to Barilla Bay Oyster Farm, literally a five-minute drive from the airport to try some fresh oysters before boarding our flight. The restaurant didn’t open until 5 unfortunately, so we got a plate of 12 fresh oysters from the take out counter and sat and enjoyed them on ice with a squeeze of lemon.

The Qantas Lounge in Hobart’s airport is only open until 4 pm fyi, which was really disappointing. We still had some time until our evening flight departed so sat in the airport enjoying one last pinot, Abel’s Tempest Pinot Noir, the same wine we had on our first night in Salamanca to close out the trip in a very Tassie way.

Melbourne Food & Wine, Oh So Fine

The annual Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is happening now. Should I consider these 17 days my new favorite time of year?

Despite involuntary urges to register myself for nearly every fine dining, wine sipping, foodie-mingling experience, I had to restrain myself. Instead, I opted to dabble lightly in the water-themed festivities by attending one free and one paid event.

Nestled in bustling Queensbridge Square (Southbank) and literally on the Yarra River overlooking the city is the Immersery, festival kitchen, bar and rain garden. In theory, it’s a free event but in reality you won’t leave without being tempted to spend some cash.

The Immersery

The massive pop-up venue has a floating bar featuring live acoustic music, a rainforest and misting rooftop bar serving Victoria’s Seppelt, Coldstream Hills and T’Gallant wine and a tempting menu of dumplings, fine meat selections and vegetarian options crafted by leading chef’s from Melbourne’s top restaurants Silo, Añada & Bomba, Huxtable & Huxtaburger, Borrowed Space, and Tani Eat & Drink. To be honest, after spending $55 on a bottle of Coldstream Hills Chardonnay, $30 on the disappointing meat platter we roamed around to learn a bit more about green living, explored the mist of the rain garden and called it day.

My highlight of the festival however was the King and the Squire five-course degustation held at the Portland Hotel and James Squire Brewhouse last Saturday. I expected pub food and poorly matched beer pairings but left with a stomach full of exquisite deliciousness and ten beers deep.

King Island Tasting Menu

Sat at long tables the event was a mix of family style sharing and individual serves all paired to the likes of James Squire beers around the theme of King Island, a small island off the coast of Tasmania known for beef, cheese and seafood. General Manager Joe kicked things off with an entertaining introduction of how they conceptualized the King Island theme around Cloud Juice and walked us through each course offering educational tips on the differences between lager and ale, the beer making process and how to pour the perfect pint.

The meal started off with a shooter size serve of gazpacho: seaweed, a hint of chili and quite rich, it was the perfect serving size and ended with a large oyster at the finish. Also, a great paring with the Orchard Crush Apple Cider.

Chilled Gazpacho

The next course was worth the money alone. As Joe finished telling us about Cloud Juice, the purest of rainwater collected on King Island and bottled to the likes of marketing influenced tourists I saw the masterpiece out of the corner of my eye being served to the next table. Huge buckets full of a seafood wonderland served on ice. Whole lobsters, razor clams, mussels, raw oysters, oysters shots, and 5 pepper fried prawns. A bucket served four people and that was overly generous. As I expertly removed the lobster meat from the claw like a seasoned professional in one pull, the experience combined with the taste sent me back to summers at the Jersey Shore.

Seafood Bucket

Our next course, and we’re nearly full at this stage, was a large portion of very rare steak, almost too rare but also so tender. Accompanied by crispy carrots covered in cinnamon, a beautifully sweet parsnip puree and oxtail dumplings exploding with flavor. While others commented the oxtail was unnecessary and too much meat on the plate I agree there could have been a green however the bitterness of the cabbage on the dumpling exterior was a nice balance to the rest of the dish. The Nine Tales Amber Ale was the perfect accompaniment to the red meat.

Eye Fillet

Whether you want desert or not when someone puts a warm chocolate fondant in front of you with fresh mint mango sorbet (the one item not from King Island yet there was no shame in admitting it), it’s impossible to say no. Paired with the Jack of Spades Porter it went handsomely with the chocolate.

King Island Cheese Platter

Mango sorbet and choc fondant

To close the day was a platter of King Island roaring 40’s blue, sharp cheddar and a soft Brie with two last beers.

After thanking the top chef Nick, Joe was more than accurate when he said, “ I think we all know the hero of the day is the cow!” I’m overly impressed with the attention to detail, serving sizes and both value and superiority of the food. Will definitely be attending a future event at the Portland Hotel.

To top it off, as I said, attention to detail, we were all given a quick tour of the brewery, sample menus from the day’s servings, and a bottle of Cloud Juice!

Cloud Juice

The Perfect Pour

James Squire Brewhouse

I crave

The first bite is nearly indescribable. On my fork is a piece of romaine, a crumb of blue cheese, a sliver of apple-wood smoked bacon and the money shot, a morsel of fried chicken doused in buffalo sauce. Mmm, delicious.

It’s not uncommon that I get asked about the food I crave from back home. Typically I just respond that nothing specific comes to mind. But it’s not until I step off the plane onto US soil and get the first grumble in my stomach that I hunger after all the foods, healthy or not, that I don’t have the opportunity to indulge in regularly here in Australia.

I’ve yet to taste the sweet and spicy combination of buffalo sauce, a hot sauce mixed with various spices, vinegar and butter usually poured over fried chicken wings, hence famous Buffalo chicken wings. A big salad with buffalo chicken or chicken wings with a side of celery and blue cheese dip is always a hot item (literally) on my list.

Buffalo Chicken Wings

Then again, no visit to Philly or South Jersey is ever complete without a traditional Philly cheesesteak. Thinly chopped steak on an Italian roll with provolone or Cheese Whiz, with or without (onions) is the customary way to go. It’s quite contested who has the best steak in town but if I’m around for just a short time, I’ll take any I can get my hands on. Luckily for me on my last trip home over the holidays I had the pleasure of trying Campos Deli for the first time, voted Best of Philly.

Campo’s Cheesesteak

But no cheesesteak is complete without a Yuengling, my favorite everyday lager and the oldest brewery in America. Plus, you can’t beat the price of a 6-pack for $6 compared to the appalling price of about $18 in Australia for just a mediocre brew.

Additionally, nothing compares to the convenience, quality and sheer volume of Wawa convenience stores. Growing up, there were four Wawa’s in my town and I got accustomed to quality deli sandwiches made to order. Little did I know how rare it was to find such superiority. Nothing beats a Wawa hoagie, South Jersey slang for sub or sandwich on a long roll. I wouldn’t dare walk into a 7Eleven and order food from over the counter. Once you go Wawa there is no going back.

Wawa Hoagie

And if I could choose to be a kid again I would go to a Wawa and pick up candy that I can only find readily in the US, like Hot Tamales, Red Vines, Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish. I’m lucky that family and friends usually remember this bit and I’m welcomed with at least one of the above.

Swedish Fish

I usually split my time between Philly/South Jersey and NYC. The city that never sleeps doesn’t fail to offer a variety of cuisines but when all is said and done, nothing beats a New York pizza slice. Think every topping you can imagine in every combination. Imagine one slice is larger than your face, and all for the price of a few dollars. Even better, you can find a slice on nearly every block at all hours of the day or night.

New York Slice

And while in New York a few weeks back I walked out of the cold and into a deli and just stood there in shock for a moment. I then said out loud, “Wow, look at all of this!” My friend responded, “Are you serious? What? You don’t have deli’s like this in Australia?” How could I have forgotten about the excellence of a NYC deli Panini or bagel smeared with an inch thick splattering of cream cheese. There’s nothing like it anywhere in the world.

New York Deli Panini’s

On the flipside, Australia has recently put their footprint on Manhattan. It started with one simple store and now it’s grown to many – Pie Face has invaded. The classic Aussie late night snack, the iconic meat pie, is now all over Manhattan. To my pleasant surprise the NYC stores carry classics such as beef and cheese, Thai chicken curry (favorite), and spinach rolls but also add an American twist by offering barbecued pulled pork and Philly cheesesteak pies. My worlds have collided.

New York Loves Pie Face

Pie Face Pies

Pie Face

My Japanese Culinary Adventure

Diafuku

When asked the purpose of my recent trip to Japan my reply was simple, “I’m going there to eat.” And it was true. But never would I have anticipated not only the variety, but also the regularity of how often I would consume local foods. From tiny baitfish over rice for lunch to curry katsu for breakfast and never enough diafuku in between, here is a brief, or actually a quite long-winded journey through my Japanese culinary adventure.

After an exhausting journey Holly and I were finally in Tokyo. Forget showers and freshening up, we wanted to hit the town immediately but first we needed to satisfy the grumble in our stomachs. This would be our first attempt at socializing in a new culture so identifying the right place for our first meal was a bit intimidating. We ended up at a small ramen shop in Shinjuku. The options were simple, ramen or ramen and you paid first by vending machine, but of course we didn’t realize that until we asked for the bill.

Shinjuku Ramen

There are vending machines on nearly every street corner serving all purposes. We moved hotels the next morning and Holly tried her hand at some vending machine Boss Coffee, sponsored by Tommy Lee Jones of course and it even came out hot. Further along on our trip we even stumbled across a beer vending machine. So cool. After a while we began to spot the machines that were only 100 yen, the cheapest it comes.

Boss Coffee vending machine

Beer vending machine

Later that evening while waiting for Jaime to arrive, we found a small bar and nibbled on cold, salted edamame and tried our hand at some local Asahi beer and wine.

Edamame

Once Jaime arrived we ducked into the first yakitori shop we could find. We ordered the assortment and some sake. The ‘assortment’ didn’t go down so well however, there were some dubious meats and textures on the skewers and we were questioning the plausibility that we were actually eating heart.

Sake

One of Tokyo’s must do’s is to visit the Tsukiji Fish Market. If you’re not brave enough to attempt being one of the 120 they allow in at 5 am to witness the live tuna auction, you can wander the outside market before tasting sushi caught fresh that very day. We made it to the market a bit late, but that didn’t stop us from trying a range of the days finest in one of the small ten seat sushi bars adjacent. It was a bit of gamble on how we split the serves however. After Holly and I popped a small orange fish roe ball into our mouths as a test and both declared it awful, we dared Jaime and she took one for the team and ate the whopping whole thing. Yuck! Holly also had bad luck with a rubbery white fish that took about 5 minutes to chew and swallow, followed by onion sushi that left her breath less than desirable. Somehow I lucked out with fresh salmon, unagi and other varieties.

Tsukiji Sushi Assortment

Tsukiji Fish Market

Tsukiji Sushi Chef

We then spent the afternoon walking around Hama Rikyu Gardens and had our first traditional tea ceremony experience in Matsu-no-ochaya teahouse. After taking our shoes off before entering the wooden building, we read the directions provided carefully, remembering to bow after being served. Cross-legged on the tatami mats, we overlooked the beautiful lake, a bit hung over yet the whole experience including drinking the green tea in three big gulps made me feel very zen.

Matsu-no-ochaya teahouse

Jaime’s first tea ceremony

Tea ceremony rules

Green tea

Following on we visited Senso-ji Shrine, one of my favorite spots of the trip and fumbled in the dark in Asakusa to find a highly recommended tempura restaurant, as this area of Tokyo is known for its tempura. Lightly fried, not overly greasy prawns accompanied by rice, cabbage and of course some wine, we had our first meal on traditional tatami mats while studying our Lonely Planet books on how to spend the evening.

Lonely Planet Japan

Asakusa tempura

We ended up at Popeye’s, a craft beer lover’s haven, which houses over 120 beers on tap. Yes, all on tap! It was quite impressive, as the craft beer scene in Japan is growing and I tried everything from Japanese stouts, porters, IBAs and winter ale to my first pumpkin beer of the year, albeit it was Rogues.

Popeye’s

The next day while on a day trip to Kamakura, a small town an hour outside of Tokyo, we lunched at recommended Bowls Café. Cheap and clean with affordably priced donburi lunch specials, I started with octopus and miso soup before divulging into my rice bowl topped with fresh raw tuna. But boy did Holly get a surprise. What looked like little bean sprouts on the top of her rice bowl was far from her assumption. At closer look, each individual little white stem actually seemed to have tiny eyes! Yes, she was served a heaping amount of the local delicacy baitfish atop her rice. We all took a few bites but unfortunately no one could get the whole dish down.

Baitfish donburi

Tuna donburi

Fresh octopus

On my personal list of dining adventures was to visit one of the izakaya’s housed under the Yamanote Station tracks. We met up with Crystal, former Mountbatten alumni and colleague of Jaime who is currently living in Tokyo. She took us to Andy’s Izakaya, a traditional Japanese pub full of salary men, cigarette smoke and a surplus of food. We ordered enough to share and it seemed as if it wouldn’t stop coming; tempura, scallops, mushrooms, udon and it went on. Crystal also introduced us to shochu; similar to vodka, it’s a clear distilled liquor fermented from potatoes typically mixed with cold green tea.

Holly at Andy’s izakaya

Udon at Andy’s Izakaya

Crystal at Andy’s Izakaya

We were off to colorful Harjuku by mid-day the next afternoon and hadn’t even had a snack. Luckily busy Takeshita Street is lined with crepe shops from sweet to savory and it was the perfect treat to hold us over until dinner.

Angel Hearts crepes, Harajuku

Nestled in the basement of Tokyo Station is Ramen Street, with shop after shop of ramen establishments. Although I was a bit unimpressed, we stopped for lunch the next morning for some traditional ramen.

Ramen Street, ramen

Later on that day after exploring the grounds of the Imperial Palace we stopped at Jonathan’s, a small diner to regroup for the evening. Jaime had some Fanta, and it was green!

Green Fanta

That evening was a highlight. We met up with Crystal again in the Ebisu neighborhood. Slowly walking down the street she had us quickly duck into what just looked like a simple storefront. Once inside the food hall it was a bazaar of little stalls, one after the other with a maximum of 6 seats at each, specializing in a different dish. It was called Ebisu Yokocho. We found a small little place where we could cook meat over the grill in the center of the table. On the menu was everything from pig tongue to heart to loin and neck however we kept it simple with some chorizo, skirt, pork and salads. It was delicious and somewhere we never would have stumbled across without the help of our expat friend.

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The next morning we made the five hour journey to Takayama, a small town in the Japanese Alps who specialize in two amazing things to consume: hida beef and sake. Hida is one of the best grades of beef from the Hida District and can be served as steak, yakiniku, sukiyaki, or shabu shabu. It’s absolutely delicious. Takayama’s old town is lined with sake breweries and you can actually taste the difference of the quality, as the regions cool climate makes it ideal. We stopped in Niki Shuzo Sake Brewery and tried everything from the local favorite to a seasonal specialty.

Cheers at Niki Shuzo Sake Brewery

Niki Shuzo Sake

Soba is another Takayama specialty, specifically when hida beef is added to it. Kyoyo is a lovely, dark restaurant with friendly staff from a local family. I ordered the hida soba of course while Jaime tried the cold soba (buckwheat noodles dipped in broth). To start I ordered houba miso, a local delicacy of miso with shitake and leek grilled on a magnolia leaf. We followed it with some tofu topped with miso and finally crab legs grilled by the owner’s mother right in front of us.

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During the day we couldn’t stop snacking. Every roadside stand we passed one of us would rush for fried hida beef dough balls, pork buns or croquettes. Our final meal in Takayama was at Tengu, a small ten seat curry restaurant and that’s is all they serve. The hida beef curry melted in my mouth like butter. There was no fat and just the right amount of spice. I’m still thinking about it.

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Slurp, slurp, snot, snot, slurp. The louder you slurp or burb, the more appreciative of how good the meal is. This is what I listened to while sat in a small udon shop in Kyoto’s Higashiyama neighborhood sampling prawn tempura udon. As we continued to walk throughout the day we were constantly surrounded by food. Jaime snatched up takoyaki, or fried octopus balls while Holly grabbed some candied fruit.

Tempura Udon

Fried Takoyaki

Takoyaki, octopus balls

Candied fruit

That evening at Finlandia Bar the girls tried some local cocktails while I learned to appreciate different Japanese beers. They didn’t serve Red Bull, but they did Red Bear, vodka flavored to taste just like Red Bull. Jaime had the waiter serve up his favorite concoction which consisted of a wasabi liquor yet was quite refreshing with ginger ale. The dimly lit bar was a great place to stop off in Gion, Kyoto’s geisha district and the bartender was very friendly and spoke excellent English, recommending to Jaime which Japanese whisky to try next and offered us some dinner suggestions.

Red Bear Vodka

After meeting the brew master of Pabst Blue Ribbon China at an Irish pub, he recommended the best sushi restaurant in Kyoto, Kappa Sushi by Mayuzumi Group. Located in our favorite Kyoto neighborhood of Pontocho, it had been days since we’ve actually had sushi. How was that possible? We ordered from an extensive menu of fresh fish, each to our own taste. The fatty tuna was praised and I have to agree it was by far the best I’ve ever had. Yet, when Holly and I ordered the mozuku seaweed with vinegar it was far from what we expected. Slimy, snot like texture of green ooze we both slurped it up, laughing as it dribbled from our mouths. I must admit it did taste good though.

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At this point we felt oddly healthy, yet bloated. We blamed it on all the salt we consumed daily.

On a day trip to Nara we feared the end of our trip was approaching and still had some food items on our agenda we’ve yet to try. I finally got myself the green tea ice cream all the kids were eating. After a day of petting wild deer and visiting temples we desperately scouted for a place to eat gyoza, or Japanese dumplings. Finally we found a small diner-like eatery where we each got our own personal large serve of gyoza, kimchi, spring rolls and noodles.

My green tea ice cream cone

Gyoza

Curry katsu for breakfast wasn’t initially what I was craving the next morning but boy oh boy was it tasty. Fried pork cutlets in a brown gravy sauce over rice, it was awesome. Holly had croquettes for the 5^th day in a row.

We moved on to Hiroshima and as part of our daily tradition stocked up on diafuku for the journey, a Japanese sweet of red bean in a doughy round rice cake. After arriving we scouted out an okonomiyaki eatery – a savory egg and noodle pancake. We stumbled upon an okonmiyaki food hall, with little stalls next to stalls all grilling the dish either with Chinese or udon noodles fresh in front of you while you waited. The serves were enormous but somehow we ended up eating it all.

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That night we took the ferry over to the quiet, serene island of Miyajima. We stayed at a lovely guesthouse that served us an amazing 8-course meal, while tranquil music played in the background. This was our Thanksgiving feast. Fresh oysters, sashimi, fried fish, soup, and green tea ice cream for dessert…it went on.

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Before leaving we stopped off for more oysters, a delicacy in Hiroshima where we ate them fried in curry after they were cooked fresh on the street corner. Accompanied by a local Miyajima beer it was the perfect way to end our last stop on our culinary journey.

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One thing we never go to try though was blowfish. Interestingly we learned that the majority of people who die of its poison aren’t at restaurants but from inexperienced cooks at home.

Blowfish

It’s been less then fours days since I’ve returned from Japan and nearly dinnertime. Luckily for me a new Japanese restaurant recently opened up down the street and I just ordered some curry katsu to satisfy my cravings.

These Two Eyes!

Welcome to These Two Eyes! Follow along for travel, food and experience recommendations across the world!

Food

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Eat, Poop, Sweat

My Tasmanian Secrets

I crave

My Japanese Culinary Adventure

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