Courgette

Dinner at dusk...gorgeous, green surroundings...crisp, white tablecloths...elegant table setting.

Appetisers - Caramelised onion tartlets with goat’s cheese

Complimentary canapés - perfect combination of sweet and savoury in the one mouthful.

The Grand Hotel

Description from Wikipedia about The Grand Hotel:

The Grand Hotel retains the elements of classic Chinese architecture in its building. It is not only the most splendid landmark of Taipei, but representative of contemporary palatial architecture.

I went to the Grand Hotel this year in March for the Farewell Banquet of a work conference. It was every bit as palatial as it looks in the pictures*. It's not surprising at all that this magnificent establishment has played host to many foreign dignitaries. What was surprising - the quality of food matched the majestic architecture. I wondered if this was the kind of place that relied on the beauty of the interior design and didn't worry too much about putting effort into the food.

I needn't have worried. The pork pies (top left) melted in my mouth when I bit into the pastry, and the selection of cold entrees explored different textures (crispy duck skin, creamy salad, the unique flavour of the fish roe and the crunchiness of the jellyfish). The other dishes were delicious in their own right, but the standout dish for me was the unagi (Japanese eel) with Chinese-style sticky rice. What a perfect fusion dish!

*Pictures of the Grand Hotel were not taken by me, they were sourced from Google images.

Coming soon - my next post will feature a review of Courgette!

What a legend!

I’ve been to Legends Spanish Restaurant in Manuka a few times since I moved to Canberra in 2008 and it has never let me down. The first time I went was a romantic evening for two.  He ordered the garlic and chilli prawn tapas to share and they were unforgettable. I had never had prawns that amazing in my life before and I don’t think I have since.

The restaurant has evolved over the years. It used to be upstairs, above a nightclub called Minque. Legends has now taken over and renovated the space that Minque used to occupy. I didn’t take any photos of the restaurant, but it now has a modern and vibrant interior.

Legends has always been a “special occasion” kind of restaurant for me. When my parents came down to Canberra, I took them to Legends. When Taiwanese visitors came to Canberra and they asked me where they should go for dinner, I suggested they go to Legends. Everyone I know, who has been, is always impressed by the quantity and quality of their banquets. A friend, C, who has heard me speak highly of this restaurant was keen to try it out and organized an outing, the subject of this review. It had been over a year since I had last visited, so I wondered if the quality of the food was as good as it used to be. I hoped so.

Naturally, we ordered a banquet. We chose the $40 banquet, which came with a selection of tapas to share and a paella for the main. Lucky for me, the garlic and chilli prawn tapas were on this banquet menu and I was keen to see if they were still as delicious as I remembered them to be. Unfortunately, the prawns lacked the intense flavour I remembered, but I’m not sure if that was because I had since built up the memory of them as better than they actually were…

Taiwan showcase - Ice cream spring roll

I have been taking photos of food for years. I can’t remember when I started. Therefore, I have a huge collection of food memories to share. And because my fondest food memories were during my trips to Taiwan, I’ve decided to begin a showcase of Taiwanese food.

This is something I always have to get whenever I see it – the ice cream spring roll. The one below is from the Tonghua Night Market in Taipei City. This particular vendor makes the best ones I’ve ever had.

Morning tea at the Hyatt

I’d always liked the idea of having high tea. I had been meaning to go to the one at the Hyatt Hotel, Canberra ever since I found out they did high tea - so when C and M invited me along, I couldn’t resist! Except, it was morning tea ($26), not high tea. Ah well, it should still be pretty good, right?

The service was impeccable. We were greeted at the entrance by a doorman and a doorwoman. My first impression as we arrived at the Tea Lounge – it was the definition of elegance. Delicate classical music played softly in the background and conversation was quiet. Once our tea/coffee orders were taken, we were off to the buffet!

You get what you pay for (if you’re lucky)

I discovered voucher websites such as GrabOne and Living Social a couple of months back. In the giddy heights of excitement during my initial buying spree, I purchased what I thought was an extremely good deal – a three course meal for two people, plus a bottle of wine to share and tea/coffee each, for $49. The restaurant was Pelagic Bar and Dining - a new seafood restaurant in Canberra (where Antigo's used to be) and it came highly recommended by a colleague. A quick check of their website and it describes itself as "modern, stylish, comfortable and exudes a unique casual elegance. We are renowned for serving spectacular seafood dishes and creating exceptional food and wine menus using fresh premium produce and the finest Australian and international wine..." I was looking forward to finding out if this restaurant lived up to the hype.

However, I promptly forgot about the pre-paid voucher and when I remembered it, it had almost expired! Not to fear, my emergency foodie buddy who I can always count on, came to the rescue!

On the evening of our visit, S and I were greeted by a very friendly waitress. Our orders were taken in reasonable time and we started off with a glass each of our bottle of house white. Conversation flowed as we watched plates of food pass our table. S started looking forlornly at entrée after entrée as they were placed in front of other people. Our wine glasses were topped up again before the entrées arrived.