Macau Keeping Busy

The view of The Venetian in Taipa from Sheraton Macao

 

I was in Macau yesterday and today and my schedule there was packed with visiting friends and eating (and drinking) that we finished really late last night and I was too tired to blog.

Interesting observations about Macau this trip:

My ticket to Macau (left) and return to HK for only HK$100!

When I went to buy first class return tickets at the Cotai Jet ticket counter at the Shun Tak ferry terminal, the staff said the total amount was HK$393. I was surprised as it's usually about HK$600. I reiterated that I wanted first class tickets and she confirmed. So I paid and then looked at the tickets.

The one going to Macau was priced at HK$293, while the one going back to Hong Kong was HK$100! I wondered if it was because no one wanted to go back to Hong Kong because of the protests and later asked my friend's former colleagues who work in hospitality in Macau.

They said it was because of competition from the Hong Kong-Macau-Zhu Hai bridge that forced the ferries to make their prices more competitive. If you can take a bus along the ferry for about HK$70, it's much cheaper, though it takes around the same amount of time, and logistically to go to the casinos and hotels, taking the ferry is more convenient.

Very tender char siu that may have been sous vide first

In addition, some sailings have been cut. I tried to buy a ticket for the 4.30pm sailing, but they said there were no sailings at that time, so I had to choose between 4pm and 5pm. I chose the former.

Macau in general was not as packed with mainland tourists as before, but many more than Hong Kong. The check-in counter at The Sheraton Macao had long lines of customers, but when walking through the shopping malls attached to the hotels, there weren't many people wandering around, let alone shopping. Maybe they were all gambling.

We met up with a chef of a Michelin-starred Italian restaurant who told us while business was pretty good, it was difficult for some of his Hong Kong-based guests to get to Macau because of the protests. But with this past week being relatively quiet on the protest front because the District Council elections were over, business seems to be slowly trickling back.

Delectable braised vermicelli with prawns in clay pot

Afterwards we had a late dinner with my friend's ex-colleagues at Fook Lam Moon in Galaxy Macau, well known for its refined Cantonese cuisine and the food overall was very good. The char siu was made from black-haired pig, the meat looking more like beef and very tender, which made us wonder if the pork was sous vide before it was roasted.

Other standout dishes were braised vermicelli with prawns in clay pot that had a slightly spicy finish, the signature crispy chicken, rice mixed with crab meat, conpoy and mushrooms, steamed in a lotus leaf, pan-fried boneless chicken wings stuffed with ham, and braised fried bean curd mixed with minced fish with bamboo fungus.

For dessert, the steamed red date pudding was delicious and elegantly topped with bits of gold foil. As it was one of the dinner guest's birthday, we also had longevity buns, fluffy peach-shaped steamed buns with lotus seed paste and slightly salted egg yolk inside.

Fan-tastic tofu with minced fish and bamboo piths

Our table was the last one to clear out of Fook Lam Moon before we headed to the Ritz-Carlton Bar & Lounge on the 51st floor. One of my friend's ex-colleagues who works at the hotel was very surprised to see how busy it was -- practically every seat in the bar was taken, it was very noisy thanks to the crowd and the live singer who was accompanied by a pianist who had competed in America's Got Talent.

After not much sleep three of us had an early breakfast in the 24-hour Cantonese eatery next to the casino. Every other table ordered a bowl of congee (HK$78), while we had a few dim sum to keep our stomachs from growling before lunch.

We noted how mainlanders wandered around in packs of three. There were three men in their 50s who each had a belt with the letter "H" on them; three women wandered into the restaurant, and last night in the bar we saw three young men coming and going several times. What's with that?

Pan-fried turnip cake with XO sauce for dim sum

After lunch I managed to catch the 3.30pm ferry, half an hour earlier than my ticket. The ferry was not full, probably because it was a Saturday afternoon.

Waiting Around in Mykonos

The famous wooden windmills at Fabrika in Mykonos

Tourism is a big part of Greece's economy, as everyone who caters to tourists speak various languages like English, Italian and Spanish, offer a variety of services, particularly food and transport to make the visitors' time in the country more enjoyable.

We are currently in Mykonos, an island over three hours' ferry ride from Athens. It is completely dependent on tourists who are there to soak up the sun, frolic in the clear blue waters, party the night away and eat lots of souvlaki and drink alcohol. Visitors are mainly French, Italian, Spanish and American.

There are "boutique hotels" everywhere and stretching resources, particularly electricity and the internet. Last night when we were going out for dinner we could see sparks flying out of the power poles and we even had a blackout in our hotel at 5am! Internet is spotty which is why it's hard for me to upload pictures...

The monastery in Ano Mera

Today we ventured out to visit what we were told is a small traditional Greek Town, Ana Mera where there is a well-known monastery. But to get there from Ornos, where we are staying, we had to get a bus to Fabrika, and from there another bus to Ano Mera.

The bus costs 1.80 euros one way, or we could have ordered transport for about 30 euros an hour. Of course we tried the latter.

We were armed with the bus schedule and the next bus to Fabrika was supposed to be 10.10am. We waited and waited in the sun (and the moved to the shade) but no bus came. It wasn't until 10.40am did the bus come and we jumped on.

Half an hour later we arrived at Fabrika, another bay area where we saw three cruise ships anchored there. We walked to the famed wooden windmills, though one was in repair, making it not as picturesque. Many of the cruise ship passengers were hanging out here taking pictures or have lunch along the coastline which is packed with restaurants next to each other.

We had to walk past all these places to get to the Old Port to catch our next bus to Ano Mera. After securing our tickets we got on the bus. I need add these buses are not what one would think are public transit buses -- they are basically tour coaches that ferry mostly tourists but also some locals around.

The small church is very ornate inside

As a result, the bus does not have a proper announcement system to say which stop is coming next or even a microphone for the driver to tell passengers what the stop is clearly. As a result we missed our stop. The bus driver was annoyed with us, but let us stay on the bus as he was going back and would pass by Ano Mera again.

A few minutes later we were dropped off in what looked like the middle of nowhere. Across the street we could see a church with a special flag and guessed it was the monastery. It was a small church but inside was packed full of details, religious iconography, a mural of Jesus Christ on the ceiling of the dome and intricate wooden carvings, and lots of silver and gold.

Upstairs was a small museum that had more embroidered vestments, jewellery and other religious objects in precious metals and stones.

A chubby boy about nine or 10 years old sat at the entrance taking 1 euro suggested donation from each visitor who came in. Why wasn't he in school? Nevertheless, he was polite though and said thank you to each person who paid. He also liked petting the cats who hung out in the churchyard.

Following our visit to the church we got some lunch and I tried grilled sardines that were delicious with a lemon sauce. I find the food here in general is under seasoned which is unusual, but better than too salty.

We went back to the bus stop to wait for the bus. At first we got the time wrong and had to wait 30 minutes for the 3pm bus. It did not come. While we were waiting, other tourists inquired about the bus and we had to explain the bus was supposed to be there at 3pm but it still hadn't arrived. While buses came our way, but then passed right by us because they were tour buses. At one point we wondered if we would ever get onto our bus.

Grilled fresh sardines for lunch!

It wasn't until 3.30pm (when the next bus was supposed to arrive) did the bus come. It was frustrating to have to wait for buses to come when they didn't follow the schedule...

Then we had to wander from the Old Town back to Fabrika and had to navigate our way through the maze of streets filled with shops selling souvenirs and cafes to finally make our way back to the bus station.

When we finally made it back we rewarded ourselves with a trip to our hotel pool after a long day of walking around and using public transport. Oh and yes a lot of waiting around...

Munich: The Grandeur of Nymphenburg Palace

The idyllic fresco on the ceiling in the Grand Hall

It was raining this morning when we woke up... but the precipitation let up by the time we left the hotel to catch a tour bus to Schloss Nymphenburg. It was built as a gift from Bavarian Elector Ferdinand Maria of the Wittelsbachs to his wife, Henriette Adelaide of Savoy, who finally gave birth to an heir to the throne, Maximillian II Emanuel, in 1662.

Construction began two years later, employing Italian architect Agostino Barelli. Henriette Adelaide of Savoy was an Italian-born princess, and called her Baroque home, "Borgo delle ninte", or "Castle of the Nymphs", hence Nymphenburg.

Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este

After Elector Maximillian Emanuel grew up, he expanded the country home to create a summer residence, expanding to its left and right to accommodate the entire court during the summer months. Today the additions create a giant curve around the man-made pond and canal.

There is a long driveway to the palace and then for just 6 euros you can check out some rooms inside the palace. It isn't on the same scale as say the Palace of Versailles, but still grand nonetheless.

The first room we entered was the Great Hall, which is in the centre of the palace with a lavish Rococo style. There's a fresco on the ceiling featuring an idyllic scenery and suspended are stunning chandeliers that are covered in crystal beads.

On the walls are portraits of many people, some with interesting backstories. One is Maria Leopoldine of Austria-Este. She had the misfortune of marrying at age 18 to the 70-year-old Elector Karl Theodor.

Her main role was the produce her husband an heir, but she refused to obey, and after Karl Theodor died in 1799, she managed to negotiate the succession to another line of the Wittlesbach family, than a competing Habsburg imperial house.

The Chinese-themed walls and lacquer cabinet

As a result she became very popular which helped Mari Leopoldine become an estate owner, successful property agent and a stock market speculator. She was a very independent woman in the 18th and early 19th century.

Meanwhile the rooms are furnished with beautiful pieces, like a table that has designs of realistic-looking birds, flowers, fruits and insects that are inset with precious stones in marble. Another room has a Chinese theme, the walls looking like floor-to-ceiling screens, while the room also features a beautiful lacquer table with gold Chinoiserie design.

There's one room that has 36 portraits of women that King Ludwig I of Bavaria deemed beautiful women. They weren't all aristocrats or royalty -- there's even a daughter of a shoemaker in one of the portraits painted by Joseph Stieler. Interesting to note is that the king had something for brunettes...

This "collection of the most beautiful" was made open to the public. They were shown in two salons in the Festsaalbau of the Munich Residence, and only after the war in 1945 were the portraits moved to Nymphenburg.

From his youth, King Ludwig I was fascinated by female beauty. He was also a generous art patron, transforming Munich into the art centre of Germany.

A beautiful table of flowers, birds, insects and fruits

One of the bedrooms we get to visit is Queen Caroline's, which still has the original furnishings for visitors to see, complete with mahogany furniture.

In 1842, then Crown Prince Maximillian II and his wife Marie of Prussia took up residence in Nymphenburg Palace. Three years later, she gave birth to the heir to the throne in this bedroom. The son was named Ludwig in honour of his grandfather, Ludwig I.

However this son, Ludwig II ascended the throne at the age of 18, but he had a difficult relationship with his parents and he had is own psychological issues. Partly because he was so indulged and reminded of his royal status, Ludwig II became eccentric, shunning big social events and preferred to be secluded, and became very interested in the works of Richard Wagner.

The bedroom where the future King Ludwig II was born

Ludwig II also spent a lot of his money constructing castles, the most famous of which is Neuschwanstein, located about an hour a way by train from Munich. Apparently Walt Disney modeled his famous fairytale castle on Neuschwanstein.

In the end it was determined Ludwig II suffered from paranoia and was deemed incapable of being king; in the end he died a mysterious death, found dead in shallow water with one of his psychiatrists in 1886...

After wandering through the palace apartments, we took a long stroll to try to find the Chinese-inspired pagoda. We did find it, a Baroque-style small building, and inside is Chinoiserie style wallpaper and furniture. However, the security guard said that our ticket did not include admission to this pagoda so we had to leave.

The palace should really have staff on standby in these extra places to accept additional admission fees -- it is already a 20-minute walk to get to the pagoda from the palace -- why can't we just pay extra on the spot?

A look at the palace from the garden at the back

Nevertheless, we had a good time visiting the palace, as well as seeing all the birds, in particular the swans and ducks that occupy the grounds. They make good natural lawnmowers, which means we had to avoid the green-coloured poo...

Dolce & Gabbana Ruin a Model's Career

Model Zuo Ye attempting to eat pizza with chopsticks in a D&G commercial

Back in November, Dolce & Gabbana released a strange commercial where a Chinese model wearing a red dress from the Italian fashion house, is seen struggling to eat pizza, cannoli and spaghetti with a pair of chopsticks.

The Italian fashion design duo were accused of racism and cultural insensitivity for the commercials, which were timed just before they were about to put on their fashion show in Shanghai. It also didn't help that co-founder Stefano Gabbana got into a row on a private Instagram message when he apparently described China as a "country of s***". The screen capped conversation was published it online, compounding the already bad situation.

Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce giving an apology

As a result the fashion show was cancelled at the last minute when Chinese models and stars pulled out, and the two designers were shown in a video giving a sober apology for the PR crisis they had created.

Meanwhile the poor model involved in the commercial was attacked online by fellow Chinese, who accused her of "making money by insulting your own country" and "vilifying the image of the Chinese".

Two months after the incident, Zuo Ye finally spoke out, explaining she had not given enough thought to the content of the video and felt "very guilty and ashamed" about it.

"Personally I would never show any disrespect to my motherland. I love my country and feel proud to be able to represent China on the catwalk," wrote Zuo on her Weibo account. "I will draw a lesson from this and show the Chinese in a better light. Again, I apologize to my fellow countryman."

Zuo says she didn't have much say over the content of the ad

But how is this her fault? The recent graduate of South China Agricultural University wouldn't have known ahead of time what she was expected to do in the commercial and how it would impact her career, that she says is now almost completely ruined.

Zuo is a young model hoping to break out with this commercial, but she was unwittingly swept up in the racist ad. She said she was only told she was going to shoot a "fun video" involving Italian cuisine and the email briefing didn't give much more information.

During the three-hour shoot in a Chinese restaurant in Milan, everyone on set spoke Italian except the director, who instructed Zuo in English to show surprise, bewilderment and appreciation of the food, even though she felt awkward.

She said she questioned the use of chopsticks in the video, but was just told to follow instructions.

"I couldn't do it in the first try [picking up the cannoli with the chopsticks] and I asked, 'Are you kidding me? With chopsticks?' The director said, 'Yes! I know it's hard. Just try to do that'."

After two months' silence, Zuo apologized

"I felt awkward when using chopsticks for food that was larger than the normal size. I seldom laugh in my daily life but the shooting required a lot of extravagant acting and I felt very uncomfortable too," Zuo wrote.

She said as an ordinary model she was not allowed to give feedback on the commercial's content nor was she able to watch the final product.

However, many people online still weren't happy with her apology. "I still think your explanation was useless and your video disgusting. You can only blame yourself for having no distinguishing capability. No point whitewashing your wrongdoing," one internet user wrote.

Other sympathized with her, saying, "Blame a model? Why not blame the chopsticks while we're at it."

Zuo obviously wants to put this terrible incident behind her so she can move on in her career, but being dogged by those who cannot empathize with her situation doesn't help at all. At least she was brave enough to explain her side of the story, though it will take time for the fiasco to go away.

Cozy Neighbourhood Restaurant

Highlight of the evening was the halibut cioppino with mussels and clams

When I was in Vancouver, my parents took me to a neighbourhood restaurant that I've been to before, but not recently. It's called La Buca on 24th Avenue and Macdonald. The small Italian restaurant has its menu written on a chalkboard that probably changes regularly.

A starter of asparagus with proscuitto and summer truffles

The staff read out each item and explain them clearly, so as not to embarrass anyone who doesn't understand each ingredient or cooking method. It's a very friendly way to make all customers comfortable.

Each of the dishes were executed well and were delicious. To start, my dad and I shared a rhurbarb salad, the rhubarb cut into chunks and poached, with a gorgonzola dressing topped with hazelnuts.

Another appetizer was green asparagus lying on a bed of thinly sliced proscuitto and topped with summer black truffle from Italy. What a treat.

For mains my mom had halibut cioppino, the fish was perfectly pan fried, and the meat flaking off with a fork. The fillet was surrounded by mussels, clams, shrimp and presented in a light tomato broth with scallions, onions and pearl barley.

simple but delicious tagliatelle with meat sauce

My dad ordered the pork ragu radiatore, the squiggly pasta with a decent amount of Parmesan shavings on top. The ragu was cooked till it was soft and was quite hearty, as was my dish of tagliatelle with beef sauce, though not tomato based. The homemade pastas for both dishes were springy and were well coated with their respective sauces.

The theme of rhubarb was in the desserts too, where our olive oil cake had long chunks of the red vegetable cooked in its juices and the cake had a dollop of ice cream. The cake was very moist with the rhubarb adding a tart flavour. Meanwhile the dark chocolate tart wasn't too sweet, though it was quite dense.

Hearty radiatore with pork ragu sauce

There was a steady stream of customers coming in while we were there, and we gave our table back almost half an hour before the appointed time because service was so efficient. 

La Buca

4025 Macdonald Street

Vancouver, BC
(604) 730 6988

Revisiting Ciao Chow

A pretty and delicious Proscuitto and arugula pizza at Ciao Chow

Last night we went to Ciao Chow for dinner, a place I visited almost two years ago when it opened.

This time I went back with the restaurant owners so we were treated there, and there were some interesting items on the menu worth sharing.

Thinly sliced ox tongue (left), house-smoked salmon (right)

For antipasti, there's thinly-sliced ox tongue with a garlic-parsley sauce (HK$49), but the sauce could be on the side. The house-smoked salmon (HK$49) is also very good, but give the calamari (HK$66) a miss. The batter doesn't work and the tomato sauce needs seasoning.

We really enjoyed the kale salad (HK$99) that came with pine nuts -- though there would have been bonus points if they were toasted -- along with croutons and honey garlic dressing.

The manager told us the octopus salad (HK$119) was new on the menu and it needs some work. Some octopus pieces ranged from chewy to almost jaw-breaking, though we liked the other ingredients, such as baby potatoes, green beans, arugula and lemon dressing.

Popular kale salad with pine nuts and croutons

Ciao Chow is known for its pizzas and they are still good. We had the one that is basically a Margherita pizza topped with proscuitto and arugula (HK$209) and the dough was delicious, holding up the tomato sauce without being soggy.

I almost ordered a pasta, but then looking down at the main courses I spied an intriguing dish -- assorted seafood soup that is baked with a pizza dough top (HK$448). We had to try it.

It arrived in a large oval pan covered with pizza dough baked on top. The server then used a large spoon to cut the dough into four pieces before revealing what was underneath -- a gorgeous combination of fish, mussels, clams and prawns in a cherry tomato broth seasoned with white wine and garlic. Basically a bouillabaisse baked with a pizza dough on top to make it Italian. Magic!

Seafood soup under pizza dough

The seafood was perfectly cooked, particularly the mussels and fish; the clams had a bit of sand in them, but plump, the prawns a tad overcooked though still good. Our only complaint would be to have more of the tomato broth to eat.

We were pretty full at this point and passed on dessert -- luckily our generous hosts did not insist. For mocktails I tried the strange-sounding aged balsamic punch (HK$58) that was a concoction of fig, vanilla aged balsamic, and lemon juice. It was slightly tart, but the edge was taken off by the aged balsamic that gave it a rounded flavour. It's definitely an acquired taste.

By the time we left the restaurant just after 8pm and bar area were practically full for a Wednesday night.

Ciao Chow

G/F, California Tower

30-32 D'Aguilar Street

Central
2344 0005

Picture of the Day: Fearless Girl

The defiance of Fearless Girl stares down Charging Bull

Today we went downtown to the financial district to look at the latest artistic addition to the area.

Charging Bull has been there for many years, signifying Wall Street with its, well, bullish attitude towards the markets.

It's a favourite statue for many tourists to take pictures of, particularly mainland Chinese, who see the bull at the epitome of American capitalism and the hopes of rubbing its nose will bring them good luck.

Charging Bull is a favourite with tourists visiting Wall Street

But in March, just before International Women's Day, the statue of a little girl was deliberately placed in front of the bull by State Street Global Advisors, an investment-service company to make a statement about gender diversity and to send a message to finance companies to increase the number of women on their corporate boards.

The 4-ft statue is a fantastic counterpoint to the masculine animal, but for Arturo di Modica, the Italian artist behind Charging Bull, he feels the meaning behind his piece has changed because of Fearless Girl and wants to sue State Street for not conferring with him earlier.

He felt the new addition changed his piece from having a meaning of "strength" and "power" to being a threat.

Maybe we are biased, but we love Fearless Girl. We need more of them to change people's perceptions of women and maybe finally have equity pay as well as equal treatment, and standing in front of a charging bull is a strong, determined start.

Dining Carbone Style

The Italian hand-painted rustic plates made for Carbone come from Italy

This afternoon my friend YTSL and I headed to New York Italian restaurant Carbone for lunch. I needed to load up on some carbs for my 10K run tomorrow as part of the Standard Chartered Marathon, and she was keen to go back for one of her favourite pastas.

It was relatively quiet for lunch, save for a boisterous private party at the back, but it was a comfortable and relaxed environment.

A half portion of spicy rigatoni vodka was delicious

After we ordered, some nibbles kept us occupied -- two slices of garlic toast, four slices of salami, a small dish of large green olives, and freshly cut chunks of Parmesan cheese from a large cheese wheel.

Our starter octopus pizzaiolo (HK$198) arrived, three chunks of Spanish octopus which were meaty but quite chewy, though we quite enjoyed the sliced roasted peppers and fingerling potatoes.

Then the main event -- spicy rigatoni vodka (HK$208), with tomatoes, onions and Calabrian chilli. The server instructed the kitchen to split the pasta into two plates, saving us the trouble of doing it ourselves.

The pasta was creamy, but didn't taste heavy, and wasn't too spicy, though there was a kick in the after taste. I enjoyed it so much that I quickly cleaned up the plate!

A sinful treat in the "blackout cake" with chocolate gelato

I still had enough room for dessert, and the dessert trolley was wheeled out featuring a lemon cheesecake, tiramisu, carrot cake and what was described to us as a Black Forest cake. YTSL was interested in that one, but when it was served to us, it was more of a chocolate cake with layers of cherry mousse in between.

It was a very large slice, but we chipped away at it and soon it disappeared into our stomachs. While there were blackberries, raspberries and cherries garnishing the dessert, it would have been better if it has been topped with just cooked cherries -- they complemented the chocolate cake that again wasn't too heavy, though we did load up on the calories.

At just over HK$300 per person including service charge, it was a great lunch, nice ambience, friendly service and yes! great food too.

Now to burn it all off tomorrow...

Carbone

9/F, LKF Tower

33 Wyndham Street

Central
2593 2593

carbone.com.hk

Hearty Northern Italian Cuisine

The highlight -- 24-hour slow cooked veal shank that was very tender

I'd heard a lot about La Quercia, a northern Italian restaurant on 4th and Alma in Vancouver.

Meat mixed with bone marrow with asparagus

My parents had raved about it and we managed to snag a reservation with a few other friends. The restaurant is best known for its set dinners, as the chef likes to create new menus every day using the freshest ingredients. For the large set menus, large groups can enjoy a meal family style.

Also the dinner times are pretty much set in stone -- 5.30pm or 8pm. We chose the latter and after I watched part of the Gastown Grand Prix, I caught a cab on West Hastings before Victory Square where the Cenotaph is, and managed to get to the restaurant in 15 minutes.

It's a small cozy place that seats 34 people, though it can get quite noisy in there. We picked a fruity red wine with a dry finish to start and settled into the late dinner that was CAD$80 a head.

We started with the veal tonnato, a thin slice of veal that was light pink, with tuna, capers and a grissini. This was followed by bone marrow mixed with meat and then placed back in the bone cut lengthwise.

Ravioli with beetroot and ricotta, poppy seed butter sauce

The meaty mixture was very smooth and easily spread on the toast. It wasn't like any other bone marrow that I'd had before, and was accompanied with some pickled asparagus to cut the richness.

Next came a salad of charred greens with radish slices in a subtle anchovy dressing garnished with Italian parsley leaves that was light and fresh.

We all loved the two pasta dishes that followed. The first featured small delicate ravioli filled with beetroot and ricotta, and had a poppy seed butter sauce. Together the bite-sized combination of textures and flavours was scrumptious.

Next came small and thin sheets of pasta mixed with Parmesan, potato, beans, and pine nuts that was hearty and rustic. Another winner we could have eaten a whole plate of and been sated.

Pasta with beans, potato, pine nuts and Parmesan

Finally our main course arrived -- the place was full and it took time for the kitchen to prepare our dishes -- but this was worth the wait. It was a big hunk of veal shank that was slow cooked for 24 hours and in a mushroom and red wine jus.

As the server cut into it tableside, the meat effortlessly fell off the bone and the tenderness of the meat together with the full flavours made this dish a highlight. It was accompanied with roasted fennel bulbs.

To completely contrast the heavy meat dish, dessert was wonderfully refreshing and creative. It was pineapple and orange "carpaccio" -- thinly sliced in a fruit juice sauce and a small scoop of sorbet on top. Heavenly.

Pineapple and orange "carpaccio" with sorbet to finish

Definitely a memorable meal with good company too! However, it was quite a long wait between courses that tried our patience, but we were most impressed with the pasta and meat courses.

La Quercia

3689 West 4th Avenue

Vancouver, BC
(604) 676 1007

laquercia.ca

Hip Osteria in Vancouver

The restaurant encourages diners to eat family style

A good friend of mine who likes trying new restaurants went to Savio Volpe over a month ago and immediately decided to book a table for when I was back in town for me to try it.

The high ceiling and chic interior make this place hip

Located on Kingsway near Fraser, the area used to be pretty much a dead zone because it's a hard place to park and there weren't any particular stores to gives the neighbourhood some exposure, except for maybe buying Bibles?

But in recent years a Mexican restaurant called Los Cuervos Taqueria Y Cantina opened up on the same block, drawing in business with its tacos and margaritas.

Black kale salad topped with pecorino and crisp bread

And now with Savio Volpe, a new osteria that has a total hipster feel, the neighbourhood should gain momentum in becoming a new cool place to see and be seen.

Reservations are a must and we were lucky we made a booking so long ago that we got one of the best seats in the house -- a little nook area by the bar. We liked the high ceilings and the bar also had a guy slicing proscuitto and cheese, while at the back was the kitchen complete with a wood-fired grill.

The friendly waitress suggested the two of us order about four items on the menu and we obliged.

We started with a black kale salad with lemon pepper dressing, pecorino and crisp bread. The kale was chopped into bite-sized pieces and a refreshing, rustic taste. We also ordered clams, but their delicate taste was overpowered by the bits of ham they were cooked with.

Roast suckling pig, topped with fried egg and crackling

Nevertheless we must have gotten the last order of the roast suckling pig -- our waitress immediately put in the order for us -- and it was definitely a winner. The pork was so tender and juicy, topped with a fried egg and crackling that was absolutely crunchy delicious.

This main was accompanied with a side of polenta and gorgonzola that was perfect, and filling too, with its creamy, rich texture. And to wash down the meal we each ordered a 10oz glass of craft brews from local breweries in Vancouver.

For dessert, the gelato was hardly a light affair -- made by local chocolate and pastry shop Beta5, the flavours were bay leaf, lime topped with pomegranate, and chocolate hazelnut. The last one was our favourite -- chocolatey and crunchy make a perfect sweet finish.

Trio of gelato (top) Lime, chocolate and hazelnut, bay leaf

Savio Volpe

615 Kingsway

Vancouver

Tel: 604 428 0072

saviovolpe.com

Keeping Entertained at Sea

The sun peeking through the clouds on the way to Boston from Nova Scotia

This blog entry was written on October 6, but only uploaded now because I have internet access.

The nightly entertainment on the ship has been pretty good so far. As entertainment director Joanna Haley has arranged a jam-packed schedule of things going on – sometimes simultaneously which can make it hard to decide what to watch.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, the first night featured Quebec singers and musicians performing folk songs and dances. We didn't know quite what to expect but they were fun to watch and provided a taste of Quebecois culture.

Last night was Broadway performer Jeri Sager. She made her mark in Fiddler on the Roof, played Fantine in Les Miserables, was Grizella in Cats and Evita in the title role.

The string quartet performing during afternoon tea service

Sager was not only a great singer belting out show tunes, but also funny, though at times talked a bit too much about herself – even singing a song about how people think her name is Teri not Jeri…

She gave a bit of insight into show business, how she made her break in dinner theatre in Maryland – "view and chew" people in the industry nicknamed it. Not only did she perform on stage, but had to wait on tables too. Talk about multi-tasking.

Then tonight we were treated to a show called "Viva Italia" put on by the Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers.

They sang or danced to anything Italian – from Galileo to Michelangelo, to Luciano Pavarotti to pasta, and Andrea Bocelli. Most humorous was the second number where they had almost all the dancers – men and women – wear long dark-haired wigs and carry picture frames so they looked like Mona Lisa. Then their bottoms were pulled off to reveal skimpy underwear or boxers.

The delectable fluffy scones we ate several times on the cruise

Some of the dancing was impressive, particularly involving some acrobatics, and the singing by the two men and two women were excellent. Some of the costumes were a bit on the tacky side, like the painting the Birth of Venus on a dress, or small lutes sewn onto ballerina dresses…

Today was a day at sea and we kept ourselves busy. We listened to a talk given by Sir Alan Collins, former British High Commissioner to Singapore and Taiwan, the Philippines and New York.

He talked about Queen Elizabeth II and how she has not only served her people well for over 60 years, but is also the best representative of the UK. Having worked closely with her on some occasions, Collins stressed many times how The Queen is down to earth, loves children and has a great sense of humour.

Standing ovation after the Viva Italia performance

One anecdote he recounted (though he was not there) was a meeting of the Privy Council that she presided over, and one of the members, a woman, had a large handbag and at one point her mobile phone rang.

Embarrassed, she tried to find it, but couldn't and resorted to dumping everything on the table before she answered the phone, by which point the person on the line had hung up.

"Oh dear," The Queen said. "I hope it wasn't anyone important."

And Collins also played the video of the opening of the 2012 London Games when James Bond picked up The Queen at Buckingham Palace to take her to the stadium where she jumped out of a helicopter to make her entrance.

The diplomat informed us that two dresses were made – one for her and one for her stunt double and this was top secret… uh sure.

We also caught the last half of classical guitarist Christopher Bundhun's recital. He played a variety of pieces by JS Bach, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Isaac Albeniz.

The highlight was afternoon tea in the Queens Room. We got there half an hour early to line up and were surprised to find we were the first in line. Time passed relatively quickly, though an Asian man – Japanese? walked in and out and then back in with another woman. Didn't they see we were standing in line?

When we were finally allowed in, they and a group of others were already seated. So strange. One wonders why the staff didn't shoo them out, and anyway didn't they see we all had to line up?

In any event, a four-piece string quartet played for us as we dined on finger sandwiches – OK just one for me – and those amazing scones topped with icing sugar. The scones were the fluffiest and lightest ones I have ever tried. So good.

The atmosphere in this room is so elegant even though we're in casual clothes. The staff wear white gloves and it's a treat to be there, though it's all over within an hour. We might just have to go back again the next day at sea to soak it all in – and savour another scone!

Italian Neighbourhood Delights

One of the appetizers on the blackboard is the scallop carpaccio

Last night my parents took me to a neighbourhood Italian restaurant called La Buca on the west side of Vancouver. It is located in a small strip mall that includes a relatively new neighbour, The Ridge Garden Restaurant, a Chinese eatery that had to move following the demise of The Ridge Theatre and bowling alley that made way for a condo development on Arbutus and 16th.

Enjoyed the roasted beets with burrata and salad greens

When we made reservations at La Buca we were told we could come at 6pm, but return the table by 7.30pm. No problem. So we arrived and I was pleasantly surprised to find an unpretentious, cozy place with a kitchen at the back and specials written on the blackboard. The blast of air from the vents were alternately cold and hot, but that didn't deter us from our meal.

After we settled in, we were hooked in by the specials, described in mouth-watering detail by the waiter. Although we were there at 6pm, there were already people finishing their meals. Clearly this place is a favourite among locals.

For starters we had the scallop carpaccio (CAD$16) dressed with deep-fried shallots to contrast the smooth texture of the raw scallops, and garnished with orange segments, Italian parsley and a light sauce. Another appetizer was the roasted beet and burrata salad (CAD$16), featuring chunks of tasty beet and creamy burrata, complemented with greens like arugula, frisee and red cabbage dressed with a subtle vinaigrette.

Beautifully cooked Wagyu beef from Idaho with chanterelles

The zuppa di pesce with fregola sardo (CAD$13.50) was a tomato-based broth featuring slices of fish, lots of celery and carrots julienne, but sadly only one clam despite the appearance of three clam shells in the soup.

Nevertheless, mains did not disappoint. The special of wagyu beef cooked medium rare with chanterelle mushrooms (CAD$45.50) was a winner, very juicy and tender, cooked perfectly and was an ideal hearty wintery feast.

The whole branzino (CAD$41.50) or seabass stuffed with herbs and capers and baked was flawless. The succulent fish meat was delicious, though the area around the head was strangely undercooked. Nevertheless, diners at the next table missed out on savouring this dish as they were turned off by having to watch out for bones.

Whole branzino (seabass) with lots of chard and potatoes

La Buca is known for its homemade pasta, and the ravioli of Dungeness crab with bits of lobster (CAD$26.50) on a bed of green pea puree was memorable too. The pasta was thin and elastic, and the light crab meat went well with the tanginess of the green peas.

If that wasn't enough, desserts were tempting too and we couldn't resist trying the aptly named Nemesis (CAD$8), a dark chocolate flourless cake that looked dense, but was in fact light and fluffy and addictive. It was accompanied with a generous dollop of cream and honeycombs to balance the slight bitterness of the chocolate. The dessert was devoured in no time.

Flourless chocolate cake with caramel, cream and honeycomb

Overall it was definitely one of my better meals in Vancouver!

La Buca

4025 Macdonald Street
Vancouver
604 730 6988

labuca.ca