Here’s to three years and many more. My first omakase, decadently mind-blowing as it should. Thank you, J.
Hana Sakazuki
2/F China Tai Ping Tower, Phase II,
8 Sunning Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
Hana Sakazuki
Après-ski meals
First off, fondue is a must (or some among us might cry sacrilege)…
… balanced by the soupy spicy goodness of la fondue chinoise ! You know we are serious about hotpot when the yuanyang pot had traveled the distance (all of 9518.12km) to make this little party possible and, erm, we have the right soup packs (Haidilao no less) and fresh chilli soy sauce dips.
Some minor mishaps involving temperature hot tofu did take place…
… but nothing that 50 oysters couldn’t solve.
Have to admit I’m more a fan of raclette than fondue. What about you ?
M also whipped up tartiflette from scratch and left everyone, Frenchies included, duly impressed.
On our last night in the mountains, we shared a dozen of cheap and tasty escargots from Annecy (score)…
… and come full circle back to fondue.
Disclaimer: We may or may not have drank an unspeakable amount of wine and génépi on all of the nights we stayed with M and C.
Al-Jilani Restaurant
I haven’t found a better mee kuah elsewhere and this post is mostly for my sister because I’ve finally noted down the address this time so she could head there when I’m not in town for her mee kuah fix. Their roti pratas and curries are also pretty tasty too.
Al-Jilani Restaurant
127 Bencoolen Street, near Middle Road
Singapore 189637
Open 24 hours/ 7 days a week
Pho Mui
Being in Paris on our way to Lyon on Christmas Day turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I was guilty of consuming most of the two huge plates of beansprouts, Thai basil and ngo gai outside of the frame. Mmm, just what I needed on a windy wintry day.
Pho Mui
97 avenue d’Ivry, 75013 Paris, France
+33 1 45 83 70 68
Au Bascou
Basque for lunch on our last afternoon in Paris purely by chance, one of the few meals where we ate out this trip. We definitely have to come back again with the mother-in-law next time we are back. And I think my mom might actually enjoy Basque cuisine.
Au Bascou
38 Rue Réaumur, 75003 Paris, France
+33 1 42 72 69 25
You ask me what I did in Shanghai, this is what I ate did in Shanghai
With chuan’r on wheels, who needs McDonald’s delivery ?
Not very good.
Omg so good.
Erm yes, turtle and snake herbal hotpot.
CHICKEN CARTILAGE CHUAN’R ! Om nom nom.
Extra servings of dishes that I like.
And I’m not the one who ordered smelly tofu at 3am.
On this note, am off to France tonight for a rainy and white Christmas so this is looking very likely to be my last post of the year. Have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year boys and girls ! Don’t do anything that I wouldn’t and see you around next year.
Straight off the plane
To chuan’r and friends with luggage in tow. It’s becoming quite a ritual I must say.
They don’t tell you where the washroom is before you board the boat
Contrary to what I had been advised, I feasted on seafood within a week after the freak accident which had left an open wound (thank god for no stitches). In my defense, the dinner was scheduled weeks ago and I couldn’t possibly have cancelled last minute. In any case, I’m trying my best to stay away from dark soy sauce for the foreseeable future. Boy, the seafood that night was good.
Haidilao
Increasingly it makes no difference which hotpot establishments I go to given the number of posts/ photos dedicated to my ongoing obsession with this bubbling pot of joy. The impeccable service alone, which is a rarity for those familiar with the F&B scene in China, warrants a visit to Sichuanese hotpot chain Haidilao. Food-wise, who can say no to fresh, affordable, delicious ingredients and tasty soup bases ? They’ve seriously outdone themselves. Not that the poor picture quality helps but, see, huge grin on the face of the noodle guy ! Everyone looks genuinely happy working there !
So, anyway, until Haidilao opens in Hong Kong next year or the year after (so I’ve been told), it will probably be fair to say that Haidilao would be the primary reason why I’ll be traipsing over to Shenzhen every so often.
海底捞 Haidilao
5-6/F, No. 63 Youyi Lu, Luohu district, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, P.R. China
中国广东省深圳市罗湖区友谊路63号茂业友谊城A座5—6楼
+86 (755) 8225 0991；+86 (755) 8225 0992
El Camello Jr.
If you only have time to go to one restaurant in Tulum, this would be it. And this was what I did, tattered printout of a Phat in Shanghai blog post in hand (big thanks Sandy !). My late lunch at El Camello Jr. was hands down my best meal in Mexico coupled with the best service to boot. Well worth the risk of hitching a ride with a bunch of Mexican boys who offered to drive me to the restaurant when I asked them for directions. True to my beliefs, nothing beats local eats and atmosphere at local prices. I’m still dreaming of that impossibly huge glass of michelada de camarón, amazing shredded shark dip, chips and salsas that pack such a fiery punch. If only I had some company that day to chat over drinks and share the hearty meal with.
El Camello Jr.
Southern end of Avenida Tulum
Tulum, Mexico