Monday 24 October 2011

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…


Wednesday 12 October 2011

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.



Tuesday 4 October 2011

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!