tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10802854571666290352024-03-21T20:07:38.874-07:00Yum Yum YuAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-75666443955961742112017-07-17T14:08:00.001-07:002017-07-17T14:09:55.803-07:00Larb<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Summer is here so who wants to be spending ages in the kitchen when they can make the most of the lighter evenings and beautiful weather? I certainly don't!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I want it to be quick, I want it to be kind of healthy and I want it to be kind to my purse too (because let's face it, ingredients are becoming more expensive), especially since I'm going through a little thing called unemployment.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you have been following me on facebookland and Instagram you may have seen me whip up some budget dinners with East Asian Flavours lately - that's right, no mince and tatties or bubble 'n' squeak in sight! East asian food is great during summer months because it's usually light but there's still loads of flavour packed into a simple dish.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5Bi3l7wiKFtqwXKMBxxZ3YlPZH2E_XSOxeNwchi2g2pS1M8DHtuyjoFwbW68iK2GvFUGQsxb-Un6bBti-TxAGSYY5eBlkRk430nP6M4Xt1IrmW5aslQhBJYCC3k1ZkeJbAGHRGkuO5qo/s1600/19983548_1519488038072505_8510013347168776334_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1343" data-original-width="1600" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl5Bi3l7wiKFtqwXKMBxxZ3YlPZH2E_XSOxeNwchi2g2pS1M8DHtuyjoFwbW68iK2GvFUGQsxb-Un6bBti-TxAGSYY5eBlkRk430nP6M4Xt1IrmW5aslQhBJYCC3k1ZkeJbAGHRGkuO5qo/s400/19983548_1519488038072505_8510013347168776334_o.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some good staples to have in your veg box!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3lYf5lUlv_YHFT6ooybGljC_3XG-zcXQXH9o-uW8uqrCFcW2J2yyXJ1NoNfxl5jFPYC0RRqHaadFJgy5T_kHIgS9pKhLbdaRMxRoi2YDndh8Nu8qo280HRToEWQFf41oVCE84r3vTfeZ/s1600/20017422_1520495561305086_5056728187806466942_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq3lYf5lUlv_YHFT6ooybGljC_3XG-zcXQXH9o-uW8uqrCFcW2J2yyXJ1NoNfxl5jFPYC0RRqHaadFJgy5T_kHIgS9pKhLbdaRMxRoi2YDndh8Nu8qo280HRToEWQFf41oVCE84r3vTfeZ/s400/20017422_1520495561305086_5056728187806466942_o.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pan fried mackerel with home made chilli, sweet and sour sauce.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Moo Pad Krapow</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The recipe I am sharing today is for the Larb dish that I made this evening - larb is a thai dish normally eaten cold or warm and served with lettuce leaves (great with cos lettuce or butter lettuce). I was taught how to make this by my amazing ex-colleague, Paritar, during our restaurant days and it's always a go to dish if we want something lighter for dinner. This recipe has been altered and I would recommend anyone using this recipe to alter it to your tastes. Add more lime juice or toasted rice or coriander if you like - it's definitely a recipe you can play about with in terms of how you like your flavours. I tinkered with the recipe tonight because I didn't have any chilli flakes so used fresh chillies and cooked off the shallots as I'm not keen on raw onions. We also had it warm with rice tonight as we wanted something a little more substantial.</span></div>
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<u><b><span style="font-size: large;">Larb Recipe</span></b></u></h2>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients(approx):</span></b></h4>
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<span style="font-size: large;">250g mince (can be replaced with chicken, seafood or tofu)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 red onion sliced or 2 shallots sliced</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">juice of 1 and a half limes</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1.5 tbsp fish sauce</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 tsp caster sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1.5 tbsp chilli flakes (or more, depending on how much heat you can take!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1.5 tbsp rice</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1/3 cup of chopped coriander</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Method:</span></b></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Warm up a frying pan and toast the rice in the pan until it's golden - you will also smell a beautiful aroma coming off of it. Prevent scorching the rice by giving the pan a good shake regularly. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Place the toasted rice into a grinder or mortar and pestle then grind it all up. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Using the same pan you toasted the rice, fry off the mince and then place it into a large bowl to cool slightly.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mix the lime juice with the fish sauce and sugar then add to the mince.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Add chilli flakes, toasted rice, onions/shallots and coriander then give everything a good stir.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's ready to serve!</span></li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I used fresh chillies and cooked this with the mince and onions this evening.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">TIP: If you don't plan on eating this right away, I recommend the toasted rice be left out until you are ready to eat it.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-68143277650985759822016-09-26T07:49:00.001-07:002016-09-26T08:01:25.618-07:00Testing out Matcha Organics' Matcha<span style="color: black; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=TOPaa82aa85ec60defc92f6d97fe0265a0c" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.tomoson.com/images/front/pixel.png" style="display: none;" /></a>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Matcha. It seems like it's all the rage at the moment - matcha ice cream, matcha latte, matcha cakes, matcha smoothies etc. What's your favourite Matcha product?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Matcha is specially grown/processed green tea that has been ground to powder form - meaning that rather than consuming the essence of the leaves, you are taking in the actual leaves themselves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Up until recently, I've only had matcha in it's original tea form and in ice cream mochis but when I got sent a packet of matcha from Matcha Organics, I knew I needed to try it in other recipes a lot more. That's when Matcha Organics comes in - they have a free recipe ebook for anyone who may not know how to use matcha in recipes. Recipes range from smoothies to cupcakes to salads, it's fantastic!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">I found this matcha to be very good quality although I'm thinking whether it would have been better if it came in a pot because everytime I open the resealable packet, a light puff of green powder greets me.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">The packet of matcha from Matcha Organics - Can be purchased here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OJMI0CK" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OJMI0CK</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The first thing I made when I got the matcha was a coconut matcha latte and man, it was to die for! I have been having a cup almost every single day and found that I'm not craving my mid-afternoon coffee if I have had matcha in the morning.I let some regulars at my shop try it and they told me that it tastes like "Nice" biscuits; now when something tastes like biscuits, it can't be bad. Right? I even converted some people, who normally don't like matcha, into matcha latte lovers so I'm thinking of getting more to put on our permanent drinks menu in the near future.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDo6Q4nypMmj6ftTsjJzosrIr15aCwLXtt1b2joxCapKUrWN7vq8fVrE-m00136KXIT1tQ2yPl1-y8fZiP7-kLoW00GOu-RHtyaiBQlTLG5bqeNDlA0igOzBQpkLhvzqvwf7szZ9KnyhW/s1600/DSC_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipDo6Q4nypMmj6ftTsjJzosrIr15aCwLXtt1b2joxCapKUrWN7vq8fVrE-m00136KXIT1tQ2yPl1-y8fZiP7-kLoW00GOu-RHtyaiBQlTLG5bqeNDlA0igOzBQpkLhvzqvwf7szZ9KnyhW/s400/DSC_0034.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">Coconut Matcha Latte - so creamy and scrumptious!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">After a couple of days of making coconut matcha lattes I knew I needed to do something new...so I consulted the free ebook <span style="background-color: white;">(<span style="color: #333333;">Download your Top 100 Matcha Recipes Here: <a href="http://www.matchaorganics.com/ebook" target="_blank">www.matchaorganics.com/ebook</a></span><span style="color: #333333;">) and came across Oreo Matcha Cheesecakes. I ended up halving the ingredients for my first batch so that if it didn't turn out great, I haven't wasted too much of the powder.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">The result was tasty individual cheesecakes that had a slight earthy tone to it - it was quite scrumptious and my guinea pigs stated that I could even try adding slightly more matcha next time. The slight adjustment I would make would be not to use paper cases but instead use silicone cupcake cases or the cardboard style ones because I found they came out much prettier and resulted in cleaner lines when taken out of the moulds.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTm5mIW91KSBjdG5R2-etXPrxB5dtFUAQ80ZzGu3t9LtPu9a33wQvuL7tSr4a-9PCZgk_698Kpltp4t9STtJEkD3eljiRA-Et35MHbAHukp_fbE2ZfujuYKg6JNlj_3JnwXmSBun7d_FoG/s1600/DSC_0094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTm5mIW91KSBjdG5R2-etXPrxB5dtFUAQ80ZzGu3t9LtPu9a33wQvuL7tSr4a-9PCZgk_698Kpltp4t9STtJEkD3eljiRA-Et35MHbAHukp_fbE2ZfujuYKg6JNlj_3JnwXmSBun7d_FoG/s400/DSC_0094.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small;">A cross section of a Mini Oreo Matcha Cheesecake</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">One thing's for sure, I would definitely recommend this stuff to anyone and will most likely be buying it again for my shop. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">To get yourself some good quality matcha, you can purchase it here: <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OJMI0CK" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OJMI0CK</a></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Download your Top 100 Matcha Recipes Here: <a href="http://www.matchaorganics.com/ebook" target="_blank">www.matchaorganics.com/ebook</a></span></span></div>
<a href="http://www.tomoson.com/?code=BOTTOMaa82aa85ec60defc92f6d97fe0265a0c" rel="nofollow"><img src="http://www.tomoson.com/images/front/pixel.png" style="display: none;" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-33122474120617835162015-02-08T10:18:00.000-08:002015-02-08T10:19:32.984-08:00Peanut Butter Cookies<span style="font-size: large;">There is a cookie for everyone. No one can resist a good cookie to go with a glass of milk or a cup of tea/coffee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The important question for me would be: Chewy or Crunchy?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I like my cookies crunchy - chewy ones remind me of flapjacks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nutty cookies are my favourite as the nuts help to cancel out some of the sweetness of the cookies and make them very more-ish. Have you tried Mark and Spencer's crunchy pistachio cookies? Best cookies, EVER. I will be trying to recreate it at a later date, when I have moved in and settled in to my new abode.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have already moved in but the stress of a first time home ownership and work has made me go quiet of late so I do apologise but fingers crossed that's me getting motivated again. I have been in my new house for 2 weeks now and I still haven't unpacked everything - I still need to clean the old place to hand back to the landlord so still freaking out a little!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Right, back to the cookies. I must admit, cookies are not my strong point and I have only been successful with 3 cookie recipes in my baking life:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Choc chip cookies - recipe from Marcus Wareing's "How to Cook the Perfect...".</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Oatmeal Cookies.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And the Peanut Butter Cookies recipe below. I found this recipe in one of the first baking books I ever bought (from a 99p shop!) and I still go back to it for inspiration at times. This book is simply called, "Home Baking".</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Again, I adjusted the ingredients and baking time slightly in order to achieve a more nutty taste. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What's your favourite cookie?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXuh5byNzcnLR-Y8Mr7VRGbejoktPp30DEn5_zuNdg5BbyBS3cbf-zQiY_KuFi1yEKoqmmh9P-LkAesQt5Go6Y-aBrek6o_CzqyZk0elkOVdHsRTrJplMnmHw6EHr5N9jLYeDJQNK5WYG/s1600/IMG_20141130_132844.jpg" height="400" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsXuh5byNzcnLR-Y8Mr7VRGbejoktPp30DEn5_zuNdg5BbyBS3cbf-zQiY_KuFi1yEKoqmmh9P-LkAesQt5Go6Y-aBrek6o_CzqyZk0elkOVdHsRTrJplMnmHw6EHr5N9jLYeDJQNK5WYG/s1600/IMG_20141130_132844.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<div style="background-color: #faac58; color: black; padding: 10px; text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-size: large;">Peanut Butter Cookies</span></u></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #faac58; color: black; padding: 10px; text-align: left;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients:</span></b></div>
<div style="background-color: #faac58; padding: 10px; text-align: left;">
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">115g Butter, softened</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">120g Crunchy Peanut Butter</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">100g Golden Caster Sugar</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">80g Dark Muscovado Sugar(original recipe asks for light but I prefer the nuttiness of the dark)</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1 Egg, beaten</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">85g Plain Flour</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">1/2 tsp Baking Powder</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">pinch of salt</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;">115g Rolled Oats</span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: black;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Method</span></b></div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 180ºC and prep 2-3 baking sheets by greasing them.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Place the butter and peanut butter in a bowl and beat until well combined.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CxEKnYXiZ3WSNj4VSOIAHVchJngYjn1xXXIIAOT6zcsij8nyImefh4wjhfej64ijLx2rTGF7c0euQJPHJMJNwXZtKJIoeIOtXibqYekgBck6bY4N1_1M1qtWWXXw1XKm0iyy7A6g-faf/s1600/P1040835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CxEKnYXiZ3WSNj4VSOIAHVchJngYjn1xXXIIAOT6zcsij8nyImefh4wjhfej64ijLx2rTGF7c0euQJPHJMJNwXZtKJIoeIOtXibqYekgBck6bY4N1_1M1qtWWXXw1XKm0iyy7A6g-faf/s1600/P1040835.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Beat in both the sugars until light.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Gradually beat in the egg and vanilla essence.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9kboSwncECuOJ1mCBvArUUGm5-dWaowmBZn6zVqydIvolk7AnDKM1-fkumNgl-aHyEZ5FutoXyC25xS20L84U0m3p1o03fXvcQ7MfK6xGbeOj06m5Yl7wAxshsJN_OeKcQ9H8KsXy6cS/s1600/P1040837.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9kboSwncECuOJ1mCBvArUUGm5-dWaowmBZn6zVqydIvolk7AnDKM1-fkumNgl-aHyEZ5FutoXyC25xS20L84U0m3p1o03fXvcQ7MfK6xGbeOj06m5Yl7wAxshsJN_OeKcQ9H8KsXy6cS/s1600/P1040837.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Sift together the flour, bicarb, baking powder and salt, then add to the peanut butter mixture.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Add the oats and stir everything together.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Drop spoonfuls of the mixture on to your baking sheets, spacing them well apart.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YMvIUdArrS6togMiHG-l0wWeekqHilbNGnrSs3hW0WHBHSpZOQZZ6nApU-Lg0DscP_cpVqlkg1orQlxUcglbumJVdwk_4pvlii7icdUHm9dz0KlLBxZgoHE8S_IIb8qp350CWYGfC62L/s1600/P1040838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2YMvIUdArrS6togMiHG-l0wWeekqHilbNGnrSs3hW0WHBHSpZOQZZ6nApU-Lg0DscP_cpVqlkg1orQlxUcglbumJVdwk_4pvlii7icdUHm9dz0KlLBxZgoHE8S_IIb8qp350CWYGfC62L/s1600/P1040838.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Flatten slightly with a fork.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwKQHL9IfNL4gcuq1fUuzJy4WJypsPCoA8FT3b8-QxuZkfMmG9Da6KscNSYXpE3bnN0UJxZqQWGu_0lmuB7c3n8-dPqrUuSM4gbVBZ6grKD3QFzfXOc8HPnavOUTBfKOqOLcR9SnhO_El/s1600/P1040842.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHwKQHL9IfNL4gcuq1fUuzJy4WJypsPCoA8FT3b8-QxuZkfMmG9Da6KscNSYXpE3bnN0UJxZqQWGu_0lmuB7c3n8-dPqrUuSM4gbVBZ6grKD3QFzfXOc8HPnavOUTBfKOqOLcR9SnhO_El/s1600/P1040842.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Bake for 12-15 mins, until lightly browned. If you want them to be more crunchy then check on them every minute or so after 13mins to ensure they don't burn.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax9mkDO6LkQTbAmmTiRIlLk_d1Yf8ocUt9e3SbXw2NoFU4lKO-wZv2uBRby6hu1zJRwCi1w_MpDnuYFSHnSHP-_MdCkYLnefVWugvbhzfkpZd_TZOPmxv0K8Ga8I-Om3fftVM-3cZy2DG/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgax9mkDO6LkQTbAmmTiRIlLk_d1Yf8ocUt9e3SbXw2NoFU4lKO-wZv2uBRby6hu1zJRwCi1w_MpDnuYFSHnSHP-_MdCkYLnefVWugvbhzfkpZd_TZOPmxv0K8Ga8I-Om3fftVM-3cZy2DG/s1600/DSC_0026.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cool on the sheets for 2mins and then transfer them to wire racks to finish off the cooling process.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ln1t8GHZYM2GAxtW_Nk6kqD2xPTkZwi80Eb1lZ0LHwOBxhOe7sFJXOObS_Ni3kvYTcxPl3MoMkzZKZiHmetiNI_1JpiEmo43sdkmts7MFNJKXu2MgczfFdtFatrm_Z4nP8sih7bRPzHP/s1600/DSC_0032_1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ln1t8GHZYM2GAxtW_Nk6kqD2xPTkZwi80Eb1lZ0LHwOBxhOe7sFJXOObS_Ni3kvYTcxPl3MoMkzZKZiHmetiNI_1JpiEmo43sdkmts7MFNJKXu2MgczfFdtFatrm_Z4nP8sih7bRPzHP/s1600/DSC_0032_1.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: #faac58; padding: 10px; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #faac58; color: black; padding: 10px; text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1eVqWhuHZm9WWr_jdXysmnDc8ZjCxO-KC8BLu-3wV9fkwxt7uyRciZHK7gQCqK0wqZZjcubF3rx9FzG6M4Te9HuVJZ7KJrkOI8KPORCUc4Aum3Hr_HjOmNc0cXZqeQMgiQrXmHL8f8if/s1600/IMG_20141205_121011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi1eVqWhuHZm9WWr_jdXysmnDc8ZjCxO-KC8BLu-3wV9fkwxt7uyRciZHK7gQCqK0wqZZjcubF3rx9FzG6M4Te9HuVJZ7KJrkOI8KPORCUc4Aum3Hr_HjOmNc0cXZqeQMgiQrXmHL8f8if/s1600/IMG_20141205_121011.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Great with a cup of espresso!</span></b></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-80450937039999606982014-12-29T06:48:00.002-08:002014-12-29T07:08:03.338-08:00Cotton Cheesecake <span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I never tasted cheesecake until I was in my early 20s and even then I was never sure about a heavy rich filling on top of a crunchy biscuit base - although my first cheesecake had more of a soggy base.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As time went on I realised there are so many different types of cheesecakes about and it was just finding the right one for me. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They can be baked, fridge set or even steamed! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They can have a biscuit base, sponge base or even no base at all.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They can have chocolate, fruit or just on its own.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The possibilities are endless!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">East asians are more likely to prefer a lighter sponge style cheesecake that has been dubbed "Japanese Cotton Cheesecake". It is so light and so moist that one of my friends who first tried this cheesecake even said, "it's like eating a cheesecake cloud!" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have also had others who are not so fond of it because they are stuck in their ways of liking the rich creamy sweet desserts that they are used to.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Japanese Cotton Cheesecake is by far my favourite cheesecake, although I had never tasted one from an actual bakers - until this year when I was in Hong Kong. I still prefer my version because the one I bought had a weird artificial taste and weird texture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This wasn't just my opinion, even my sister in law who loves cotton cheesecakes turned round and told me that mine was better than the one we had in HK.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSEKhh4HBtVVv09gIVbPkXYRCtFfUzOGKfqo5qmKAAa4IsFfLowC2KMXqJGvdNMv9VZ_aNdSH6zXJJ6RJwAtmUl0mJ5h60tgahW21n9GWjCa4Qr7EH7acgZq1VwAiVnrJsnperSaJSAJr/s1600/P1040118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSEKhh4HBtVVv09gIVbPkXYRCtFfUzOGKfqo5qmKAAa4IsFfLowC2KMXqJGvdNMv9VZ_aNdSH6zXJJ6RJwAtmUl0mJ5h60tgahW21n9GWjCa4Qr7EH7acgZq1VwAiVnrJsnperSaJSAJr/s1600/P1040118.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This bought one left me so disappointed but also quite proud that mine tastes better.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It isn't hard to make, but it is hard to perfect. I would always get frustrated as to why my cheesecake looked like a volcano but after some searching for tips on how to make it look pretty, I was ecstatic when I finally made a pretty (and tasty) cheesecake. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Don't get me wrong, I still like the rich creamy cheesecakes that have the crunchy biscuit base - ONLY if it has a crunchy biscuit base. My mum makes hers with a sponge base and topped with jelly - as much as I love my mum and her cooking, I don't particularly like <i>that</i> combo. Something about sponges being put with ingredients that soak in to the sponge makes me wanna gag (trifle is the worst).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKsIIIabPNxQk0TuU4zXEkxigA4eLeIhLpx8WmQ0UqrqFQV32HfcDUb-8xc759mr6sC0D4o89gwJLXftZxwtebhqKv4Tnt_YNmFtrEY03oWGk7zuuXA6muZro29w0mjEHFdX0PpggUdZr/s1600/IMG_20140108_102513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKsIIIabPNxQk0TuU4zXEkxigA4eLeIhLpx8WmQ0UqrqFQV32HfcDUb-8xc759mr6sC0D4o89gwJLXftZxwtebhqKv4Tnt_YNmFtrEY03oWGk7zuuXA6muZro29w0mjEHFdX0PpggUdZr/s1600/IMG_20140108_102513.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It took a lot of practice for me and to this day, I still make the "rookie mistakes" because I tend to fall back in to bad habits. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The pans I use are the traditional pans that are used by bakers in East Asia to make these cheesecakes so it may be hard to source these styles of pans in the UK. I had to get mum to buy them from Hong Kong for me. Don't be disheartened if you can't get them because deep round cake tins work too but make sure it is NOT loose based! If you only have a loose based tin, wrap it up in tin foil so no water gets in. Remember to adjust cooking time when baking them in different sized tins. 2 of these tins should equal to two 6" or 7" deep round cake tins. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you live in the UK and are interested in buying these pans, please get in touch and I can see what I can do about sourcing them over here.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6ElAKYPf-ZnyGzRjYshSH3WnEUQb0I0BGxfc3PtpnY4aJg0A8y2BaiTTBzGAKGZUxlfGL8ew_IvJmkKZeSWJsCKF33jBgeozZ6B5WzaYy5LqdQbS6QIsdCHms-4tCpOu2Jr3jlmvEMYz/s1600/P1020980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv6ElAKYPf-ZnyGzRjYshSH3WnEUQb0I0BGxfc3PtpnY4aJg0A8y2BaiTTBzGAKGZUxlfGL8ew_IvJmkKZeSWJsCKF33jBgeozZ6B5WzaYy5LqdQbS6QIsdCHms-4tCpOu2Jr3jlmvEMYz/s1600/P1020980.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Right, without further ado here is the recipe:</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: #f2f5a9; color: black; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u> Cotton Cheesecake</u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Ingredients:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
160g Cream Cheese</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
25g Butter</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
120g Milk</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
B)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
40g Plain Flour</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
30g Cornflour</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
C) </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4 Medium Egg yolks</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
D) </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4 Medium Egg whites</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Cream of Tartar (about 1/8th of a tsp)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
100g Caster Sugar</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Pinch of salt</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Method:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li>Line your tins with baking parchment.</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Xqc7cDRX9EZ-4EYzs7LLlCACkkrqVt-URgzqqpjX_ID-UmFXIVKkxfRr-8PcAQPk51bUjnpj6AI-nyHxQU6eoWxp-Jwu0-1BqFdljJz-jeBwj-TFA2D2kPvGPqwDBtO4FFkUh0gi4CVY/s1600/P1020982.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Xqc7cDRX9EZ-4EYzs7LLlCACkkrqVt-URgzqqpjX_ID-UmFXIVKkxfRr-8PcAQPk51bUjnpj6AI-nyHxQU6eoWxp-Jwu0-1BqFdljJz-jeBwj-TFA2D2kPvGPqwDBtO4FFkUh0gi4CVY/s1600/P1020982.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ensure the parchment goes above the sides of the tins.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Preheat oven to 160ºC and move the rack you intend to bake on to the lowest section of the oven.</li>
<li>Place all ingredients from A) in to a heat resistant bowl, place on top of a pan of barely simmering water and whisk to combine. Continue to whisk until it is slightly thick.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4zURwrVW4mbNBYazpgQ4zmPr9mMkbKoSbe408KvQU1LYz5yWnyqrQbj0IHIVuTHwuNVZme5tPOPAOAMIQCs9iQGjeYOwaIURBWxUV1fA9QP3vnCImG4It845JGrLF8G8GiSywPmu_ABp/s1600/P1020985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4zURwrVW4mbNBYazpgQ4zmPr9mMkbKoSbe408KvQU1LYz5yWnyqrQbj0IHIVuTHwuNVZme5tPOPAOAMIQCs9iQGjeYOwaIURBWxUV1fA9QP3vnCImG4It845JGrLF8G8GiSywPmu_ABp/s1600/P1020985.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Take off the heat and whisk in B).</li>
<li>Once combined, whisk in C).</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLGiPFhOY1reL-2Ph35QMUT9lgMCM5B205huC1fS_rlwKeA-SpSEnMoO5u4nIqJLvMfhTgi53AeWQoqcmjI0C9UpRRQye-QIH4M3-ms4TBb_e1d6zskhN-674QA20yLGR6QCf6dVSoUHi/s1600/P1020986.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhLGiPFhOY1reL-2Ph35QMUT9lgMCM5B205huC1fS_rlwKeA-SpSEnMoO5u4nIqJLvMfhTgi53AeWQoqcmjI0C9UpRRQye-QIH4M3-ms4TBb_e1d6zskhN-674QA20yLGR6QCf6dVSoUHi/s1600/P1020986.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites from D) until it is all foamy, then add the Cream of Tartar and salt. Continue to whisk until soft peaks start to form. </li>
<li>Gradually add the sugar - a little at a time - until the whites are stiff and glossy. Try not to overbeat!</li>
</ul>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcY_gD4jg75z8NshZCNTjDYjzZD-HQ_B8TRQGVHP84QOcgi0jQs_5q90ZhGOcZl-Mkp9NxzLPV8Gzim1EnQ63rbdLFpqx1FC3ip09u8i-nwcFmaEp7dgQ3x6OXCLmSwzMKp4Ll9QBzPxt/s1600/P1020989.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOcY_gD4jg75z8NshZCNTjDYjzZD-HQ_B8TRQGVHP84QOcgi0jQs_5q90ZhGOcZl-Mkp9NxzLPV8Gzim1EnQ63rbdLFpqx1FC3ip09u8i-nwcFmaEp7dgQ3x6OXCLmSwzMKp4Ll9QBzPxt/s1600/P1020989.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love the look of whites when they reach the stiff peak stage!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>Fold the whites in to the Cream Cheese mixture in 2-3 batches, using the balloon whisk. </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZQ_7zDW4ytX52L_9G2C18shR5PCMnfKfrLa0_lenc8GHKRi84m6Y_cslQWFYuld6XBLbGrh8X9prlMrfPtOgbA1LelWFUNQybk-feNzX2aNtIivQAVlUaf7DMXM7JZLOJ8WnrDDT5vF6/s1600/P1020994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghZQ_7zDW4ytX52L_9G2C18shR5PCMnfKfrLa0_lenc8GHKRi84m6Y_cslQWFYuld6XBLbGrh8X9prlMrfPtOgbA1LelWFUNQybk-feNzX2aNtIivQAVlUaf7DMXM7JZLOJ8WnrDDT5vF6/s1600/P1020994.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Once combined, you can use a large spatula to complete the folding process to ensure all whites are incorporated.</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EDIfacdBNvVwWeGtL92RcAVfRbML1xbOFvC1LkW-EdhFq_HvYs26GSgk1HIcLIzdCyLMk-XmwAlw3z9EEp0k__1Z48LvdtsoGmRYp9fdEafoG-DgS_Myo0AZzywqUGqhOodZSzmJ5q7J/s1600/P1020996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4EDIfacdBNvVwWeGtL92RcAVfRbML1xbOFvC1LkW-EdhFq_HvYs26GSgk1HIcLIzdCyLMk-XmwAlw3z9EEp0k__1Z48LvdtsoGmRYp9fdEafoG-DgS_Myo0AZzywqUGqhOodZSzmJ5q7J/s1600/P1020996.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Gently pour the mixture in to the baking tins.</li>
<li>Bake in a bain marie in the oven for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted in to the cake.</li>
<li>If you have a very cold kitchen, take your cheesecakes out of their tins and complete the cooling process in the switched off oven with the door ajar.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB0U3sPUuuDsLSSxDpoq6g-oCg2PVLJgjK-ZKeWycwWmPgpaSPMdGmLjfT5HE2DhTfawcUShbiqvUS9x-FVkymNl1LKhtslzE7RVDT70Zk93Mol-7vVcn-nXW06RQt_Fh8_1faDKJPmdG/s1600/P1020999.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB0U3sPUuuDsLSSxDpoq6g-oCg2PVLJgjK-ZKeWycwWmPgpaSPMdGmLjfT5HE2DhTfawcUShbiqvUS9x-FVkymNl1LKhtslzE7RVDT70Zk93Mol-7vVcn-nXW06RQt_Fh8_1faDKJPmdG/s1600/P1020999.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best to try and take off the parchment immediately after it comes out so as not to get the wrinkles you see here.<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5_7G-VtK_PC8lzmDXbbOgvBzuf4IGzV6GE8DYcf_k3Md4oLrmgqffy64-uCUb8_k6D8_Wz_ge0oKJsxye35iZNElBN93OTGmEJCQ28M6Yq1sHaqel2146_RywUaHaTw_hyWWF51fIZnR/s1600/IMG_20121210_164232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5_7G-VtK_PC8lzmDXbbOgvBzuf4IGzV6GE8DYcf_k3Md4oLrmgqffy64-uCUb8_k6D8_Wz_ge0oKJsxye35iZNElBN93OTGmEJCQ28M6Yq1sHaqel2146_RywUaHaTw_hyWWF51fIZnR/s1600/IMG_20121210_164232.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love flavouring mine with Pandan! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-50088717991722724452014-12-02T04:22:00.000-08:002014-12-03T06:53:38.952-08:00Coffee Chiffon<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I love Chiffon cakes. Fact.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Easy (ish) to make, no fuss and no need to decorate.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Light and moist texture that can be eaten on it's own with a good cup of coffee/tea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I remember the first time I made this coffee chiffon, it was for my brother's birthday and he specifically requested not to have a cake made for him (due to the fact that he's not a fan of sweet things) but I couldn't let him go without a birthday cake. He loves coffee, so I searched for ages for a coffee chiffon recipe and when I eventually found one that I was kind of satisfied with, I reduced the sugar by almost a half; using what knowledge I already knew about Chiffon cakes, at the time, to tweak the recipe. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I used cream for the middle to add an element of freshness - it worked wonderfully and the bro really enjoyed it. Happy days!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VrdBnPpsE9wneFbt0-lP_tXNNvlSbRqAUyx9hqWtLn42MGyf58Rzf0oMXxPjCVyDaRlN6s95oYEvqTJyQZEUAoU0VDhKXPiyKPdVxvxW9kWx5hqFf-9rQwnknBaQKBdzs9c_R3iMh0iV/s1600/IMG_20130318_173203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2VrdBnPpsE9wneFbt0-lP_tXNNvlSbRqAUyx9hqWtLn42MGyf58Rzf0oMXxPjCVyDaRlN6s95oYEvqTJyQZEUAoU0VDhKXPiyKPdVxvxW9kWx5hqFf-9rQwnknBaQKBdzs9c_R3iMh0iV/s1600/IMG_20130318_173203.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bro and Ella with his birthday cake.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The second time I made this, the texture was even better but the sponge lacked any flavour of coffee and I was so gutted. The reason was simple, I changed the coffee I was using. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The coffee I used the first time was made using Nescafe Original coffee granules.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The coffee I used the second time was made using Nescafe Azera. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Now, Azera costs more and is supposed to give a more "authentic" barista style coffee so it baffled me as to why it tasted of nothing when added to the cake!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My advice to anyone trying this recipe out, is to play around with the coffee you use and once you find the perfect one, don't change!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am still searching for the right coffee for my Coffee Chiffon - once I find it, I will be amending this post!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you find the perfect coffee to add to this, please comment below and share with us!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For now, I hope you like this recipe.</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: #f5da81; color: black; padding: 10px;">
<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>Coffee Chiffon</u></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ingredients: </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A:</span></b></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">300g Plain Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">150g Caster Sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1tbsp Baking Powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pinch of Salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">125ml Vegetable Oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">150ml Fresh Coffee</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">8 Egg Yolks</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>B:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">8 Egg Whites</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">90g Caster Sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Method:</b></span></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 170ºC.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sieve the dry ingredients from list <b>A</b> in to a large mixing bowl.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Make a well in the flour.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Put the rest of the ingredients from list A in to the well and mix with a balloon whisk until the mixture is smooth, but make sure you don't over mix it.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rqqTUsqTyq1wN4tx9OxM-6BtrtpTYn9Xwidg7aZ-DM9BfO1WZX7d36Q8kgVOWlRLYx3QHijY27NWqP89ecp1OiUE5SzqPAoNQNQCuQxJUa1wV18BRti-ethbEQMIqHGzLJkVELcijmkz/s1600/P1040001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9rqqTUsqTyq1wN4tx9OxM-6BtrtpTYn9Xwidg7aZ-DM9BfO1WZX7d36Q8kgVOWlRLYx3QHijY27NWqP89ecp1OiUE5SzqPAoNQNQCuQxJUa1wV18BRti-ethbEQMIqHGzLJkVELcijmkz/s1600/P1040001.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beat the whites and Cream of Tartar until foamy, gradually add the sugar from <b>B </b>and continue whisking until stiff peaks form.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WGmckyWK_AutgnntorlQw65-xVneqxqwSB-ab_vx-1_WkSo0qSR5Q7oQNQxxkhW8o-wLtaIm8Q1l2RXtxrC6jqQ2kdnc6R_pdiVM7QqgdZPUxdB6stglxp2XwxUtx2wInfFhyphenhypheneNdzDo9/s1600/P1040003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-WGmckyWK_AutgnntorlQw65-xVneqxqwSB-ab_vx-1_WkSo0qSR5Q7oQNQxxkhW8o-wLtaIm8Q1l2RXtxrC6jqQ2kdnc6R_pdiVM7QqgdZPUxdB6stglxp2XwxUtx2wInfFhyphenhypheneNdzDo9/s1600/P1040003.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fold the stiff whites in to the coffee mix in 2-3 separate batches - I use a balloon whisk for this but you can use a spatula, whatever is easier for you.</span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9TTzJd9ATUaIs16eoDq3AEzUxciqN0DofKgi1X3tNsU-iLo4sHZn_Rdu2rR4RLlXYNUz1hn18ArJxhLcczDrTTh3oeDi4AycvSpYsSbAW664J5Ux2nuJTjNpvPZzSpE92wpBwBuFtX_E/s1600/P1040004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC9TTzJd9ATUaIs16eoDq3AEzUxciqN0DofKgi1X3tNsU-iLo4sHZn_Rdu2rR4RLlXYNUz1hn18ArJxhLcczDrTTh3oeDi4AycvSpYsSbAW664J5Ux2nuJTjNpvPZzSpE92wpBwBuFtX_E/s1600/P1040004.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<ul style="color: black;">
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fold carefully but quickly until all egg white lumps are gone and then use a large spatula to complete the folding.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowa4CU29ODDqwGKcasy1PrpgW99wbpbft-XVWnNKY87kjj0D7uqJt4-T_-kp5Q1sx-Vsoe4NXD6qkH-NWtlqBLFDKbRD-8y3dVyxIVKXrt23w1DuRvKp8WxYO94457bXQx8m70pGIrieV/s1600/P1040005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgowa4CU29ODDqwGKcasy1PrpgW99wbpbft-XVWnNKY87kjj0D7uqJt4-T_-kp5Q1sx-Vsoe4NXD6qkH-NWtlqBLFDKbRD-8y3dVyxIVKXrt23w1DuRvKp8WxYO94457bXQx8m70pGIrieV/s1600/P1040005.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<ul style="color: black;">
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pour carefully in to a Chiffon Tube Pan. Lift the pan an inch or 2 above the work top and drop it - do this a couple of times to remove large air pockets.</span></li>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bake for about 65-70mins - remembering that different ovens vary so check after 60 mins - using the skewer method to check it is done. Cool upside down in the tin for at least 20mins. I usually let it cool completely in the tin.</span></li>
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<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">To remove the cake, use a thin sharp knife and run it around the side of the cake and tin, then once you have taken it out, run the knife along the bottom and inside the tube part to get the cake off the rest of the pan.</span></li>
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">You can decorate it however you like - maybe with a caramel sauce? Fresh cream? Sprinkled with walnuts? </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I prefer it plain with no filling or icing and have it with a nice cup of tea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I Decorated the one below with a chocolate ganache and filled with a whipped ganache.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love the food over there because there is such an eclectic mix of chinese, indian, traditional malay cuisines and so many fusions - I really was spoilt over there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So like the Hong Kong posts, this is just photos and captions of some of the foods I tried over there:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Our first morning, Shirley's parents took us to a place a few minutes drive from their house that sells the best stir fried squid and egg dish I have ever had!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The only thing that put me off was the amount of flies that were about but it is unavoidable in a hot country and a shop that has an open eating area.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-oZkPpCgDgL6XZ4FMEGHYYyiMITrbkCmsnqvC4eoivyDzTOfsUEsx06gSQQADAXCHaperR-FypmEPiaxcNnm1UmeglxC0FHAjqdoAMnuW9qPtK349HOzLLGNDx0aV7zJueOcB9qfJDu5/s1600/IMG-20141030-WA0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-oZkPpCgDgL6XZ4FMEGHYYyiMITrbkCmsnqvC4eoivyDzTOfsUEsx06gSQQADAXCHaperR-FypmEPiaxcNnm1UmeglxC0FHAjqdoAMnuW9qPtK349HOzLLGNDx0aV7zJueOcB9qfJDu5/s1600/IMG-20141030-WA0010.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stir fried shredded squid and egg.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Crab dumpling - very tasty!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaRcfYDf2Rpa5I9rC2HdBYr2I-QxaloHWKdAAHAMb_IOVxU8lgHziSQcc6tSX1pxymBUz6fN_nG60f_7e0FPC8Xtj2PTJ_0KQooakn_3YHatWLI-BDefmHi5IoWPZ28XwT4_jGZroZBOh/s1600/IMG-20141030-WA0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaRcfYDf2Rpa5I9rC2HdBYr2I-QxaloHWKdAAHAMb_IOVxU8lgHziSQcc6tSX1pxymBUz6fN_nG60f_7e0FPC8Xtj2PTJ_0KQooakn_3YHatWLI-BDefmHi5IoWPZ28XwT4_jGZroZBOh/s1600/IMG-20141030-WA0002.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The thing they are most famous for, Chinese Chive Dumplings - it doesn't look very appetising but it is a must eat.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdzNnT5UiCTcqSXytT6ZPY100Oz-IRDKTP9S_VUWcTV0DrUY7B3iL0lVu923xVXEU7Yusl3_pK5PjlVqzrgqBbxrQB_2FeFRpNuBAj1vxZUGoQdOLxaxB9XuLbnhXefJNvKDrWSX6C0Pq/s1600/IMG-20141030-WA0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhdzNnT5UiCTcqSXytT6ZPY100Oz-IRDKTP9S_VUWcTV0DrUY7B3iL0lVu923xVXEU7Yusl3_pK5PjlVqzrgqBbxrQB_2FeFRpNuBAj1vxZUGoQdOLxaxB9XuLbnhXefJNvKDrWSX6C0Pq/s1600/IMG-20141030-WA0001.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Stir fried rice vermicelli - most chinese people eat this for breakfast/brunch.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RRnZQM3AvDaUr9Uh6WPc7ss0W3jVlNhjOOeC8HORBl54svuO2uqw9_S0W59beuUxPXb7T9ZLw_okOSV2EgajRxEuS-nMnPYI4_fwlrDpfSc6mHPwkb0x7dlmXuO1nK2mf-rOO89OOyLZ/s1600/IMG-20141030-WA0000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8RRnZQM3AvDaUr9Uh6WPc7ss0W3jVlNhjOOeC8HORBl54svuO2uqw9_S0W59beuUxPXb7T9ZLw_okOSV2EgajRxEuS-nMnPYI4_fwlrDpfSc6mHPwkb0x7dlmXuO1nK2mf-rOO89OOyLZ/s1600/IMG-20141030-WA0000.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The wall decor shows just how long this place has been opened for and is busy all the time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the afternoon we met with Shirley's uncle, who treated us to a very scrumptious lunch at his local chinese restaurant.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjU0_hj_jOVsiU1k0nJFHiu2ZIuKGhylYUc-hcNRA76wjntWA3WXSZb_4FBjbKNbTj16E1LPFsI8gVEEbr_gkhMcri35VrkPFJqs91nZU8zilJ7G86TGFoHm0uA0t70inWLb1wlK9HZGh/s1600/P1040332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQjU0_hj_jOVsiU1k0nJFHiu2ZIuKGhylYUc-hcNRA76wjntWA3WXSZb_4FBjbKNbTj16E1LPFsI8gVEEbr_gkhMcri35VrkPFJqs91nZU8zilJ7G86TGFoHm0uA0t70inWLb1wlK9HZGh/s400/P1040332.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This place makes their own Tofu! It's not only impressive but it was probably the best tofu I have had in a long time.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aQbvPNieXf26NEloEwaiP2csrwOSVIahwB8Eomcyo4FPqows98XS8B-22C6TVhiwSloMElzvj0rY5shNp-tb4xazoDsS9mHXx0a3ArGoHqjbBV5YnV8F6SPbYQoaxb8DuAFfzDFPuSQk/s1600/P1040333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1aQbvPNieXf26NEloEwaiP2csrwOSVIahwB8Eomcyo4FPqows98XS8B-22C6TVhiwSloMElzvj0rY5shNp-tb4xazoDsS9mHXx0a3ArGoHqjbBV5YnV8F6SPbYQoaxb8DuAFfzDFPuSQk/s400/P1040333.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Roast Duck and Chicken - the chicken skin was removed and the meat was chopped up and seasoned then the skin was put back on and then cooked. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eXqKJIw8l-3InNAKyjDZeKyvnD_U5t2n6NezF0hD65t0O0gY7ACNuGnslSglu9yxLbJLKW_9cbU6nIH1KWwd7A4I4_Vg9Bo-29VGid1FJNTdCX2yuAzNSOm-6PM5VMySNikuqEkuOOIA/s1600/P1040336.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eXqKJIw8l-3InNAKyjDZeKyvnD_U5t2n6NezF0hD65t0O0gY7ACNuGnslSglu9yxLbJLKW_9cbU6nIH1KWwd7A4I4_Vg9Bo-29VGid1FJNTdCX2yuAzNSOm-6PM5VMySNikuqEkuOOIA/s400/P1040336.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Bamboo Curry King Prawns - my favourite dish. So good that I ate the king prawns with their shells still on!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVWnzw9ww2cUgBKmakzcmdsJW1PklUSjF_aM5Q4Bg6L6xSLxmo1qFTLteiuv3UKiUHq8qwwlLT9grICbRG_i2WrHvOzgMuEuUMJTY3c7pXkvA0WjNzO_vgjmNL0YsbBZZpaS9NsPwNklm/s1600/P1040337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUVWnzw9ww2cUgBKmakzcmdsJW1PklUSjF_aM5Q4Bg6L6xSLxmo1qFTLteiuv3UKiUHq8qwwlLT9grICbRG_i2WrHvOzgMuEuUMJTY3c7pXkvA0WjNzO_vgjmNL0YsbBZZpaS9NsPwNklm/s400/P1040337.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fish Stew - that was kept hot over the warmer.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEHTrSorhP9W1YvDl1MMP3Re4w3njYNZCW4PdyjOfdoAdHnGaUqA3tx5UhJlh2fFrx1Fqh2PifAncNUC6Riwpna7HsYeEES1a88ybyQcqoy1B9AW5FJwcmG3JgCjR5Fe1W9c0eZ9uCcVB/s1600/P1040339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlEHTrSorhP9W1YvDl1MMP3Re4w3njYNZCW4PdyjOfdoAdHnGaUqA3tx5UhJlh2fFrx1Fqh2PifAncNUC6Riwpna7HsYeEES1a88ybyQcqoy1B9AW5FJwcmG3JgCjR5Fe1W9c0eZ9uCcVB/s400/P1040339.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sambal Stir Fried Green Beans.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlff9oraTV7EOM_7b_AplVmzCpBSfCO2LQeyBuI3MUTegU-kh8dC04efu1ZbbbvubnXV1l1vKyORbgJ9lfZSZfAlbBln0tCBViprldXrpiqVMutHSJtdYSKpzwPttKQNpg7mQyLimC-E0/s1600/P1040341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlff9oraTV7EOM_7b_AplVmzCpBSfCO2LQeyBuI3MUTegU-kh8dC04efu1ZbbbvubnXV1l1vKyORbgJ9lfZSZfAlbBln0tCBViprldXrpiqVMutHSJtdYSKpzwPttKQNpg7mQyLimC-E0/s400/P1040341.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fish Laksa - Steamed fish in a laksa broth with udon-like noodles. The mint gave it a nice freshness that completes the dish.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Returning from our day out, Libby's Boyfriend swerved the car in to a tiny car park that had this little Rojak Stall. They sell skewers of fruit, veg, egg and squid that you dip in to a sweet, thick and spicy peanut sauce. It is so more-ish and you can either stand there and eat it (they count the finished skewers afterwards) or you can buy it to take away. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieL0wfkIe28MuouEKMgKwpnfKNobkrup1TLxGMlJWBTTviUs9rcApF6KQPeLO5v9gHxkaw41pjaL6cSuGi65puTRealqPwKXeBGuwRgHCjrbFN42UvoudyGUThceukxRpwYHwh9_N5Zidl/s1600/P1040392.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieL0wfkIe28MuouEKMgKwpnfKNobkrup1TLxGMlJWBTTviUs9rcApF6KQPeLO5v9gHxkaw41pjaL6cSuGi65puTRealqPwKXeBGuwRgHCjrbFN42UvoudyGUThceukxRpwYHwh9_N5Zidl/s400/P1040392.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is called Apom, a coconut flavoured pancake. This is the indian style, which has crispy edges and is a light sponge in the centre. Definitely something I wouldn't mind trying to make at home!</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmQJ1VtiWl8/VE5lcvPR32I/AAAAAAAAMAs/eHzG2v9kjkI/s1600/IMG_20141027_221626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZmQJ1VtiWl8/VE5lcvPR32I/AAAAAAAAMAs/eHzG2v9kjkI/s1600/IMG_20141027_221626.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is another roadside stall, selling Hokkien style Man Jeen Beng, a style of pancake with many options of fillings. They also sell Apom, but his are more like a thai style of Apom, that has real coconut shreds and no crispy edges.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This man was very friendly and let me take as many photos as I wanted.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCU1CHRkvMdT7zk3PZR7FG5ufs034dy7sDR0hwfLolzK5pfVIOgxzqdwNfEUctzkqv5udZB-a_yJKj_o2ZPxPcP1coKoZ734WtnNwcZBLy6EXF5vGBmtQxq2_7OVbOq6p77Zd4aLiNFEU_/s1600/P1040397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCU1CHRkvMdT7zk3PZR7FG5ufs034dy7sDR0hwfLolzK5pfVIOgxzqdwNfEUctzkqv5udZB-a_yJKj_o2ZPxPcP1coKoZ734WtnNwcZBLy6EXF5vGBmtQxq2_7OVbOq6p77Zd4aLiNFEU_/s1600/P1040397.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tGNe30brjIxuyXvUKZ2F0xd5pWV0Jmi7ebpYLxw2q4l962UChFzXoqKvUY-KjTDXs6i4Ysauxb5lIBN_nIr25h6h9hGM1AIcp1AUsNgp72WCcXCc4FOhHAFuPRQnOby_cyMjyRHw27V-/s1600/P1040403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7tGNe30brjIxuyXvUKZ2F0xd5pWV0Jmi7ebpYLxw2q4l962UChFzXoqKvUY-KjTDXs6i4Ysauxb5lIBN_nIr25h6h9hGM1AIcp1AUsNgp72WCcXCc4FOhHAFuPRQnOby_cyMjyRHw27V-/s1600/P1040403.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Egg style</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbxZi07OSKaYFsrUP55ixW7DFpVlolHG_vdVorNdtBRccZKisUZdPRZjDFJsAR-ZAAhkvS5X-9hI_ThxBaCTQ-iApR0A9lEBFYMMawzzuFIPJIgjDoGcbsb3Nl5c_qOof389Ty2IeaVLP/s1600/P1040406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdbxZi07OSKaYFsrUP55ixW7DFpVlolHG_vdVorNdtBRccZKisUZdPRZjDFJsAR-ZAAhkvS5X-9hI_ThxBaCTQ-iApR0A9lEBFYMMawzzuFIPJIgjDoGcbsb3Nl5c_qOof389Ty2IeaVLP/s1600/P1040406.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When cooked, they are folded and put in these racks to cool so they remain folded when taken out, making it easier for people to eat on the go.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5Wl2J2y8XRSmpoVzuAVYvsKtxeqcxk26Ff0thyw7Hm4RuzQBlPvDASVBOrHjblXdpwwIjFHC7QpODdTI9rXOrxoUiEXS-k_qD7qH6B_zMxSrdJjM5ovlLdmYvyrxIljfEPkzEMad9aCL/s1600/P1040410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD5Wl2J2y8XRSmpoVzuAVYvsKtxeqcxk26Ff0thyw7Hm4RuzQBlPvDASVBOrHjblXdpwwIjFHC7QpODdTI9rXOrxoUiEXS-k_qD7qH6B_zMxSrdJjM5ovlLdmYvyrxIljfEPkzEMad9aCL/s1600/P1040410.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He works several rings at once!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nasi Lemak will always hold a special place in my heart. The crunch of the small fried fish, the sweet spicy chilli sauce, coconut flavoured rice and topped with boiled egg.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This little parcel of goodness was bought at a stall next to the pancake stall and was manned by an 8 year old boy who had better math skills than most adults. I ate this as soon as I got in the car and it sure filled my stomach! 20p - I can't even get a packet of decent crisps for 20p in the UK!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTN5axxxHQU8RjAcAMyWGld395K_vqvCDq1pAQl2Bsr_1kNciHai0w5m3GeD9BFLK-D-PYGbkhQwLVXzKi-PhCB0IWRSquVgvrEPzVDbCkvN7jr7s7hy6S0ngszOeTU26rdCyFAxjBduC/s1600/P1040411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrTN5axxxHQU8RjAcAMyWGld395K_vqvCDq1pAQl2Bsr_1kNciHai0w5m3GeD9BFLK-D-PYGbkhQwLVXzKi-PhCB0IWRSquVgvrEPzVDbCkvN7jr7s7hy6S0ngszOeTU26rdCyFAxjBduC/s1600/P1040411.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Most of us know the benefits of coconut water. Just imagine having unlimited access to fresh coconuts every day - Shirley's grandparents don't need to. They have several coconut trees on their land and while we visited, they showed us how they got them down, opened them and how to eat the flesh inside. Doesn't get any fresher than that.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgHZ22m8X5fkYPhsAcMhe0RrTyeraF_PiStA5JND0oxaGk99XRcIJ6MBKG7DOIHjv0-uvaEXcFgLDan0KASZ8sriFMzq2VdLUNpvq5vL-Dcnl0qjCi2ljj5lFwaBzJaOOmnX8eMrjwFQB/s1600/P1040418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGgHZ22m8X5fkYPhsAcMhe0RrTyeraF_PiStA5JND0oxaGk99XRcIJ6MBKG7DOIHjv0-uvaEXcFgLDan0KASZ8sriFMzq2VdLUNpvq5vL-Dcnl0qjCi2ljj5lFwaBzJaOOmnX8eMrjwFQB/s1600/P1040418.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Seafood restaurant at the beach.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Came here for dinner one evening and yes, it was mostly seafood!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Really good seafood and very well cooked too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lucky for us, it started raining that night so we didn't end up having dinner in our own sweat.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidanMZXYULZ4gQK53gzpVABttGY1Syw3JCjYzTHE7PPjWLYovnrI4m-urkDB_E1HzOzR-jjqntqfuqnr30SMrd3UoR_OmJ6bbg_jqXkW9sL80wDfi0890mzzcgi4_U56YuEfLYg5g0Ru8G/s1600/P1040438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidanMZXYULZ4gQK53gzpVABttGY1Syw3JCjYzTHE7PPjWLYovnrI4m-urkDB_E1HzOzR-jjqntqfuqnr30SMrd3UoR_OmJ6bbg_jqXkW9sL80wDfi0890mzzcgi4_U56YuEfLYg5g0Ru8G/s1600/P1040438.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Fried Mantis shrimp with salted duck egg. The yellow shreds is actually the salted duck egg whites and this was one of my favourite dishes of the evening.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VnFtlb07_ds58b0nzqW8BrSijOCOaGwZUDWjnCoqiWvgK5NWYT09NKrsLKnmcBXaLFGsAJ5GheBqnyGqhpuHisfegmRSZsYgc7Z7O5z6FNPlwPu-VGrvg0jH-SpGKb2vdYn_TwjwcLpB/s1600/P1040440.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5VnFtlb07_ds58b0nzqW8BrSijOCOaGwZUDWjnCoqiWvgK5NWYT09NKrsLKnmcBXaLFGsAJ5GheBqnyGqhpuHisfegmRSZsYgc7Z7O5z6FNPlwPu-VGrvg0jH-SpGKb2vdYn_TwjwcLpB/s1600/P1040440.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Baby octopus, simply steamed and with 2 types of dips, one sweet and spicy, the other more salty and spicy.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyQ14UBca-9iXrdxY61NFWPZySNfSOldvVJHW51k8kQKXoQdUSzn0sXPYkLBHughzN8hEGae0w4lLC_r_mmZiFx4Ng8EiNVEgvRRxQuGV_bWqm0phOOE74ygPcWb6Lv3dwTgpZtfZMdlV/s1600/P1040441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyQ14UBca-9iXrdxY61NFWPZySNfSOldvVJHW51k8kQKXoQdUSzn0sXPYkLBHughzN8hEGae0w4lLC_r_mmZiFx4Ng8EiNVEgvRRxQuGV_bWqm0phOOE74ygPcWb6Lv3dwTgpZtfZMdlV/s1600/P1040441.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sizzling black pepper venison - Not my cup of tea because I thought the sauce was too strong for the venison.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyql2oVht0LlKbSKLHH7m-M3_CjDP3tfYkgdhAZQ6xwKbALp3YLtHuDLJ8c67HPdQgbhjKmq2SKf3cc5m3637SX6jobGzszrDskCmtZaRJgvAAcH9ff8lwdgjGcaY9AIU4UpGb7NBGoSn/s1600/P1040443.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqyql2oVht0LlKbSKLHH7m-M3_CjDP3tfYkgdhAZQ6xwKbALp3YLtHuDLJ8c67HPdQgbhjKmq2SKf3cc5m3637SX6jobGzszrDskCmtZaRJgvAAcH9ff8lwdgjGcaY9AIU4UpGb7NBGoSn/s1600/P1040443.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Mango salad - Very very spicy but very very addictive! So tasty and so fresh.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZcWYdKuG3XmrNProKHX54MUc1KY53Uvsum9bHBclTNYgNmyEao6uVtjovyOalZPpzC8pKnlYybFXSvVIf0sls6yrQ6C6XoaZvQjYdt-sZWGdxAZfssMy0STJwPCgwZBxWVrMmi_qh5by/s1600/P1040444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZcWYdKuG3XmrNProKHX54MUc1KY53Uvsum9bHBclTNYgNmyEao6uVtjovyOalZPpzC8pKnlYybFXSvVIf0sls6yrQ6C6XoaZvQjYdt-sZWGdxAZfssMy0STJwPCgwZBxWVrMmi_qh5by/s1600/P1040444.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Steamed Garlic Clams </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqjBRQXgb8JvfkyRGsYOcPixKToxVSxRr_2nzBDiIsjGG2d4DxJTpMmP-b8FsqalEpG61u10n2FekipB9TO2aaT1bkZlJgvuMNligiEzdlbhhX8TexJMnkR6mg2lv-iDYLuAZidomJ3yx/s1600/P1040445.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGqjBRQXgb8JvfkyRGsYOcPixKToxVSxRr_2nzBDiIsjGG2d4DxJTpMmP-b8FsqalEpG61u10n2FekipB9TO2aaT1bkZlJgvuMNligiEzdlbhhX8TexJMnkR6mg2lv-iDYLuAZidomJ3yx/s1600/P1040445.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thai style Ham Hock - meat falling off the bone with a sweet chilli dip to dunk in, what's not to like??</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckchx4u0sK7q1dqwKQMrN8U010rQPFYOQr2JBdKM_LAhbWHtFh3YKBWqCGB7Gi8cUpIvKXSAI_-WwcMb7T6zuQ7M9vE2Gphrgo3diY9sb1Muz3MLhxFi5jzsrptiBK1ZGXNobulovQJCE/s1600/P1040448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckchx4u0sK7q1dqwKQMrN8U010rQPFYOQr2JBdKM_LAhbWHtFh3YKBWqCGB7Gi8cUpIvKXSAI_-WwcMb7T6zuQ7M9vE2Gphrgo3diY9sb1Muz3MLhxFi5jzsrptiBK1ZGXNobulovQJCE/s1600/P1040448.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This Garoupa was the most expensive part to the meal but it is still way cheaper than what it would have cost in the UK.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bsGPdjVffpcLREaa2ywhDGP1RVjS2f_mpd7J8ZAMChj7aA51uO-YVBCoJKKdIbKH22laTyytK79QhfKCKh8BMKS8Ypmf_8mA5ahOgKLOTlGN6I76MaUsZp3-9kO34Wwkz63XNY_EWbCF/s1600/P1040449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bsGPdjVffpcLREaa2ywhDGP1RVjS2f_mpd7J8ZAMChj7aA51uO-YVBCoJKKdIbKH22laTyytK79QhfKCKh8BMKS8Ypmf_8mA5ahOgKLOTlGN6I76MaUsZp3-9kO34Wwkz63XNY_EWbCF/s1600/P1040449.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Proper chicken satay skewers - great barbecued chicken with a sweet peanut sauce. This was sold separately outside the restaurant but you can buy it and bring it in to have with your meal.</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Brunch in Penang</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When we think of brunch here in the UK, we think of things like pancakes, french toast, and a nice pot of hot tea or coffee. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Brunch in East Asia can be anything you like, and that is just why it is such a foodies paradise. Where we went to, was a corner unit that had tables and chairs and you buy the drinks from the people who owned that place but there are tiny food stalls - each one sold a different cuisine - surrounding it so you can take your pick of the food...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EmgQeJ4lLDLYJqVU4DGSJir-NXmcM-rNHlfVk9wQYcj-qwR_Zw9bI76BSJHNYH70i6RMCLEJOYVG6pplNWxCxaiMhvQyrzhd3UdsEbm6z_mlF5fREjRNOzMvX6h0Ok0m2IY2BBHhX2TI/s1600/P1040451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_EmgQeJ4lLDLYJqVU4DGSJir-NXmcM-rNHlfVk9wQYcj-qwR_Zw9bI76BSJHNYH70i6RMCLEJOYVG6pplNWxCxaiMhvQyrzhd3UdsEbm6z_mlF5fREjRNOzMvX6h0Ok0m2IY2BBHhX2TI/s1600/P1040451.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Wonton noodles - Hong Kong Wonton noodles are in a broth, in Malaysia, the noodles are coated in a sauce and the broth is on the side for you to drink. Personally, I prefer it this way. Would have preferred a couple more wontons instead of the char sui though.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQUzykhsvIJR83M1fumkxAuJKObObSZAWlbQzbj2eW4mKTb9h-hsUcDTpV_y3vD0w-CDVqv2f1dMgCNTl-zDP4RlB5ri0Rr8tnhg4gTJVcmE11Ulshz1cQKNAg5qmYgWgSIVRWrbbggaS/s1600/P1040453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwQUzykhsvIJR83M1fumkxAuJKObObSZAWlbQzbj2eW4mKTb9h-hsUcDTpV_y3vD0w-CDVqv2f1dMgCNTl-zDP4RlB5ri0Rr8tnhg4gTJVcmE11Ulshz1cQKNAg5qmYgWgSIVRWrbbggaS/s1600/P1040453.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Vietnamese Spring Rolls - The healthiest thing to have in asia! Wish there were more places that did vietnamese spring rolls in the UK. Yes, I am too lazy to do it myself. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RJyuKuvYyIBEFbDAHFD7MzZMxLkF31oTHvcvZ4OLNqn2PzLGLIMwOSdYyYOM2Jk2nJs-48aaadLmEsmpoyBeTNI55sQbqU3dyCR-9g83pyKdIzmkK-Iq4A8P7ZRaAE1pRbAH-UhTSIST/s1600/P1040455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7RJyuKuvYyIBEFbDAHFD7MzZMxLkF31oTHvcvZ4OLNqn2PzLGLIMwOSdYyYOM2Jk2nJs-48aaadLmEsmpoyBeTNI55sQbqU3dyCR-9g83pyKdIzmkK-Iq4A8P7ZRaAE1pRbAH-UhTSIST/s1600/P1040455.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Vietnamese Roast Pork noodles - this looked amazing. You mix the ingredients in to the noodles underneath so it gets coated in the beautiful topping. </span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Coffee break in China House</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The area of Penang that we visited was a tourist hotspot and is where the world famous street art is located. I had major fun taking photos of them all. We then decided to have a little coffee break in a place called China House. It is quite a big property - with a beautiful open courtyard in the middle, back entrance leads to the bar/cafe that is used in the evening for live music, the front entrance leads in to the cafe that houses an art gallery. Customers are invited to draw on the large sheets of paper they lay out on the tables.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">They have a huge selection of bakes on their cake table and their menu contains a loads of different food options for you to choose from.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim49xioaUfPCB2BBePeKXhx85PrAXnI37wSri0rPDcySMgxD-E2D8LoPet6Kh8tof1xm_mNc1UnFsJKe1-L-ahAiyy2aNBZ58D4rlix9oMm1gOMtSWp0moZev7GmQ9Wb4tvtQyVldS-iF-/s1600/P1040520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim49xioaUfPCB2BBePeKXhx85PrAXnI37wSri0rPDcySMgxD-E2D8LoPet6Kh8tof1xm_mNc1UnFsJKe1-L-ahAiyy2aNBZ58D4rlix9oMm1gOMtSWp0moZev7GmQ9Wb4tvtQyVldS-iF-/s1600/P1040520.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Their cake table.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGM6p8leoh45kOOIqKDOAOgmdrU5zUcvlBVz1Qw2EJ0zCGLCdCRonAao4A7dtFhhN8h7NNuSCILWq5Z_kDr7kyNU61Rg7EIRZKowDR4sL7w2pU2TP1691UTZjTKYQGhkFXOSyH4xAZj8uJ/s1600/IMG_20141030_003502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGM6p8leoh45kOOIqKDOAOgmdrU5zUcvlBVz1Qw2EJ0zCGLCdCRonAao4A7dtFhhN8h7NNuSCILWq5Z_kDr7kyNU61Rg7EIRZKowDR4sL7w2pU2TP1691UTZjTKYQGhkFXOSyH4xAZj8uJ/s1600/IMG_20141030_003502.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is called the Milo Dinosaur - very popular in Malaysia and is basically an iced coffee with a Milo crumble on top. So simple but very effective!</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Purple Dragon Fruit Juice</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Malaysia is on of the few places where freshly pressed fruit juices don't cost the earth but taste so sweet without any added sugars.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jjxMoGNQfdSJW7DZK_Kzr0k-lqyQNG9gs4vJyLD3ew92gFjG-XmWzXjDCy2ITU9-JGlPaES3VS7dOcH9k5QN5xkNKsEXfB6nbT1AY0EB6U_IX3mFPaBeZmBye8lrup6jzYFEiSnCzy6P/s1600/IMG_20141030_002535.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0jjxMoGNQfdSJW7DZK_Kzr0k-lqyQNG9gs4vJyLD3ew92gFjG-XmWzXjDCy2ITU9-JGlPaES3VS7dOcH9k5QN5xkNKsEXfB6nbT1AY0EB6U_IX3mFPaBeZmBye8lrup6jzYFEiSnCzy6P/s1600/IMG_20141030_002535.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Night Food Market</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Now, this is a place that you would not want to go if you don't like cramped spaces.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The great thing about these night food markets is that again, where you sit, you must buy the drinks from whoever owns those tables and chairs but you get to choose which stall you buy your food from. This would normally be heaven for me but unfortunately I started feeling quite ill by this point of my trip and as much as I wanted to go around and get lots of food, I just couldn't. I had a little of what the others brought back and personally, I wasn't that impressed with the food. Even my brother felt a little disappointed with this market. Glad I wasn't the only one.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJftOYqHg09Aak-Zwi1U-HGCTLobUWH2h6JROvOFgGOhkmxrd2K0mfzubam1e6U2Cbm2rTkbtItCeZu-9ubZkMK3jYftnJ6bqLToRq5oLLn2aZc8ziFToh9PMqduF335jQpQO5HZNa6hD/s1600/P1040621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMJftOYqHg09Aak-Zwi1U-HGCTLobUWH2h6JROvOFgGOhkmxrd2K0mfzubam1e6U2Cbm2rTkbtItCeZu-9ubZkMK3jYftnJ6bqLToRq5oLLn2aZc8ziFToh9PMqduF335jQpQO5HZNa6hD/s1600/P1040621.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Spicy noodles</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7NAb9ehyphenhyphen6gF6gYJvKwS_DEWf44_W38nSFMqK5zCDZkCxY6QAASGlL-msWzZrX3MYYhWUHFH1YM3-tFKKhHuNnJR2K2D4Y4_Syye_ewCbwVmlg07Q1G8ujiQs2Newxg_-OA2Ae8nEyTmY/s1600/P1040622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO7NAb9ehyphenhyphen6gF6gYJvKwS_DEWf44_W38nSFMqK5zCDZkCxY6QAASGlL-msWzZrX3MYYhWUHFH1YM3-tFKKhHuNnJR2K2D4Y4_Syye_ewCbwVmlg07Q1G8ujiQs2Newxg_-OA2Ae8nEyTmY/s1600/P1040622.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Baby oysters stir fried in eggs - the dish but still not as good as the <a href="http://yumyumyu.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/hong-kong-part-2.html" target="_blank">oyster pancakes</a> I had in Hong Kong.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqRzU6db1JfDPLlp0N_Cw1uX1FcHzzdnKzyi-9mHvA7Dhdw_88uxfG1pYIaKM5XyfSR-xX2YBkrh6c8XbHVMfUnrwquByWeoqcO-F_9i7Rbm9FfUIUJjZs5bF_-9msI-h8sf0e4_i0yP-/s1600/P1040623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOqRzU6db1JfDPLlp0N_Cw1uX1FcHzzdnKzyi-9mHvA7Dhdw_88uxfG1pYIaKM5XyfSR-xX2YBkrh6c8XbHVMfUnrwquByWeoqcO-F_9i7Rbm9FfUIUJjZs5bF_-9msI-h8sf0e4_i0yP-/s1600/P1040623.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dry Grilled Squid - found this quite bland</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOjejHRQKOVhFlnci1tw57B71yIJg4W2hNjZqfWaYY6rtEFiWfQ82SilerfwL7J01VHuS9XAyFfum5uk6a0oNJOHgrU3kIBfhoA-RGfTgFA4zcSUpHpu8oUvx7vf0d-MaZAtDxT2jwrPP/s1600/P1040624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOjejHRQKOVhFlnci1tw57B71yIJg4W2hNjZqfWaYY6rtEFiWfQ82SilerfwL7J01VHuS9XAyFfum5uk6a0oNJOHgrU3kIBfhoA-RGfTgFA4zcSUpHpu8oUvx7vf0d-MaZAtDxT2jwrPP/s1600/P1040624.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Squid with a sweet spicy condiment - this was the least impressive dish because the squid had a strange texture to it.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4mi_xi_uoum2CoWH9_xqGUXuWQWSqHP5xaibpqJ751f0Hi9XoIcikmsUNopBtA_g1D2Eat8nuZn0cIhKv7-yBUKVhHICnAYt8oKj4Qhze3vewktZIfcvM71lb6SmVizX0WaJ9m2gYL4v/s1600/P1040625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_4mi_xi_uoum2CoWH9_xqGUXuWQWSqHP5xaibpqJ751f0Hi9XoIcikmsUNopBtA_g1D2Eat8nuZn0cIhKv7-yBUKVhHICnAYt8oKj4Qhze3vewktZIfcvM71lb6SmVizX0WaJ9m2gYL4v/s1600/P1040625.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Grilled Fish - I had high hopes for this but this had way too many small bones in it so was a little off putting.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJD8shK83n93X3hLyjWZpIqwz3Gzi7j-zwY1HeJd1P8rJsJXTaLDInNRfKL4O4qU_KlCsWZTBS7MhFo3H8AeP_c6fcqzmUrCgG-sdtjmn8-Al38zsXiS8yn7igK46USMnx26zy-nEwelGK/s1600/P1040627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJD8shK83n93X3hLyjWZpIqwz3Gzi7j-zwY1HeJd1P8rJsJXTaLDInNRfKL4O4qU_KlCsWZTBS7MhFo3H8AeP_c6fcqzmUrCgG-sdtjmn8-Al38zsXiS8yn7igK46USMnx26zy-nEwelGK/s1600/P1040627.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Malaysian Ha Meen - Prawn noodles, very spicy!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVaztT0jeqc8NFtcQW-9gOiF7xkrv2VSJPKLPkEwbvO82kCTFtJA9EXhLRK371LC3Du9u3hp4DS_68hscRF4HqN_quQclmHgZz3WfsUV0u9DhGTvqKiXEyj3LcJzMnx-Z_y03Yqkkb-K0/s1600/P1040629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijVaztT0jeqc8NFtcQW-9gOiF7xkrv2VSJPKLPkEwbvO82kCTFtJA9EXhLRK371LC3Du9u3hp4DS_68hscRF4HqN_quQclmHgZz3WfsUV0u9DhGTvqKiXEyj3LcJzMnx-Z_y03Yqkkb-K0/s1600/P1040629.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Buzzing night food market.</span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lunch at Lou Wong in Ipoh</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ipoh was a very very long drive from where we were staying but they wanted us to sample the chicken with beansprouts that restaurants in Ipoh is famous for.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Me and my brother both thought, "chicken and beansprouts, really?"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">But yes, REALLY. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Probably the best tasting chicken I have tasted in a very long time. In fact, all their dishes were fantastic! They don't put any of the chicken to waste either.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBVupMP67Mjk93u36mc9FiFHa8uNYUQQIG04PVqQofJvZ4NOC3YOKi6lg2cc-Al3lgBZ1pY_LePznDgAcR85qVFFRhpp_wroJhHlhH9oPNSwJPjX6Fcbw6TBHgMcdOX0OfhRUiNotI0u6/s1600/P1040642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdBVupMP67Mjk93u36mc9FiFHa8uNYUQQIG04PVqQofJvZ4NOC3YOKi6lg2cc-Al3lgBZ1pY_LePznDgAcR85qVFFRhpp_wroJhHlhH9oPNSwJPjX6Fcbw6TBHgMcdOX0OfhRUiNotI0u6/s1600/P1040642.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chicken and fish meatballs.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1fopNQY5qxbPBrpRLIDftLQZTB_yES7dd3uJvzJo4-0NdCnuh4hO3YkjbEk1cyF_MuOIrdQCqLyx4JlTv5asp6Sw2sLiOYFNCeWhyx4s7dxm-JvIw8gr1j_iQAbSSefLurg5-8pVoqFW/s1600/P1040643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW1fopNQY5qxbPBrpRLIDftLQZTB_yES7dd3uJvzJo4-0NdCnuh4hO3YkjbEk1cyF_MuOIrdQCqLyx4JlTv5asp6Sw2sLiOYFNCeWhyx4s7dxm-JvIw8gr1j_iQAbSSefLurg5-8pVoqFW/s1600/P1040643.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Beansprouts</span></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-quNf3Y0MeeBNDpUxqS7xYQWiJ32eAzPYS5hZd23QoWgeQw7uZqh4fUY_lwm_cxAWOhV4S4L2kEHMeVyAaEcSeSLb6q3F6sw1oNfYrjvY-hgX6Vwt9q5wCfjeXOP0uPYG31kruZT_BDlS/s1600/P1040644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-quNf3Y0MeeBNDpUxqS7xYQWiJ32eAzPYS5hZd23QoWgeQw7uZqh4fUY_lwm_cxAWOhV4S4L2kEHMeVyAaEcSeSLb6q3F6sw1oNfYrjvY-hgX6Vwt9q5wCfjeXOP0uPYG31kruZT_BDlS/s1600/P1040644.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Chicken feet that has been cooked in chinese medicine herbs - this has become my favourite chicken feet dish because it was packed full of flavour from the herbs and cooked so long that everything fell off the bones so easily, giving that melt in the mouth feel.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4-0TK9bCvBMrNXgEIWlvXzPiKkR4wWjNqnZDd4x_Dx_5SwgTtzgDdZ1BR2T7s6VeNjHtkdF6ZdPKmXPAl8-31yFxKs09F2PpwLRb0MMyauJjgDD22MqCXP735Ezdar_K6Eus4OtwlMp9/s1600/P1040649.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl4-0TK9bCvBMrNXgEIWlvXzPiKkR4wWjNqnZDd4x_Dx_5SwgTtzgDdZ1BR2T7s6VeNjHtkdF6ZdPKmXPAl8-31yFxKs09F2PpwLRb0MMyauJjgDD22MqCXP735Ezdar_K6Eus4OtwlMp9/s1600/P1040649.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This chicken, so succulent and so god darn tasty!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU79rC2r13-nNxmoDzfpAyoV7T0WE_I4iQW8hKxKVQusFWLZSAfB6xGEjtbWnNwFCdDn2QZL7ykJaQOi3ZhR0Pks_2cdZNyqWD8z_6Fy4K-3BkZnAQvIcl5hYkjr8s-X_IN_uanUIKeLF0/s1600/P1040650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU79rC2r13-nNxmoDzfpAyoV7T0WE_I4iQW8hKxKVQusFWLZSAfB6xGEjtbWnNwFCdDn2QZL7ykJaQOi3ZhR0Pks_2cdZNyqWD8z_6Fy4K-3BkZnAQvIcl5hYkjr8s-X_IN_uanUIKeLF0/s1600/P1040650.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I originally thought this was chicken liver but it turns out it was the stomach. Not tough at all and seasoned very nicely.<br /> </span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last meal in Malaysia</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Cooked by Shirley's Mum - what a feast it was!</span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IzJS2JavnvZaXhc7trbsw56qwenxNMU5QdEjGH9Z1UisLO8ssECILksXhANQHdKmPqbbhyphenhyphendIzwo2HlMaMBf4Hiy84ud82cK95dYPWKxMF69gOMNxdIZavMLkYnGmOAGnLioIt5Ysavmy/s1600/IMG_20141030_235635.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7IzJS2JavnvZaXhc7trbsw56qwenxNMU5QdEjGH9Z1UisLO8ssECILksXhANQHdKmPqbbhyphenhyphendIzwo2HlMaMBf4Hiy84ud82cK95dYPWKxMF69gOMNxdIZavMLkYnGmOAGnLioIt5Ysavmy/s1600/IMG_20141030_235635.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">All in all, my food experience in Malaysia was epic to say the least! I was always full - sometimes too full to eat much of the next meal. Yes, it was extremely hot (never sweated so much in my life!) and although I had a bad reaction to the mosquito bites, it was all worth it to sample their food and visit the places I did. I know I hadn't sampled everything they had to offer but maybe one day I will return to try out more.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-46449970037395714522014-11-10T11:51:00.000-08:002014-11-10T12:07:36.340-08:00Hong Kong Part 2<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Continued from Part 1...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't just want to be logging foods I had been eating in restaurants over in HK but also foods I had been buying to take home.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Japanese Cotton Cheesecake from Hey Yo</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the first cotton cheesecake I have ever bought. Seriously.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have always made my own so I was intrigued to know what the ones the pros make are like. My sister-in-law, Shirley, was also intrigued as she normally likes my cotton cheesecakes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One bite and I instantly tasted some weird artificial flavour. Something was just real off about it and the texture was not the usual "light as air" feel, more like wet and mulchy(if this is a word). I had to get Shirley's opinion on this and luckily she thought the same as me - she took one bite and had that "what the hell?!" face.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe it was just the one we bought from this brand but I wasn't prepared to waste any more money on trying out others. Maybe next time.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Macarons from Paul Lafayet</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These were just too pretty to pass by without trying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am never a huge macarons fan, purely because I find it quite sweet most of the time - although if done well, the intended flavours they put in will outweigh the sweetness.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These, did not.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too sweet and I have a feeling that rather than using ground almonds, they may have used almond flour and possibly almond essence as the taste of almonds does overwhelm slightly.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Macarons from Pierre Herme</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Going through Central and we come across Pierre Herme. Who could resist?!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The difference between Pierre Herme Macarons and the ones I bought from Paul Lafayet is quite big - not just on price, also on quality.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The flavours are amazing and you can taste every element in those macarons. The staff are very informative and are very knowledgable on their products which just add to that experience in store. Can't fault it.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I chose the Hong Kong Edition box rather than the classic.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, so back to restaurants...</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shanghai Min - Tsim Sha Tsui</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My youngest Aunt on my Dad's side has always been my favourite aunt because she genuinely cares about us. She treated us to a beautiful lunch in Shanghai Min one day and the views were gorgeous.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The place does look very high end and I can imagine a lot of business people having their corporate dinners here. They are very accommodating to children too so that really helped when we had 2 young ones with us.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We had set menu lunches and it was so filling!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This should technically have a separate post but I don't want to favourite any particular place because each place has a different style.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No.2 enjoying the views of traffic and the sea.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cold ham hock terrine style and black fungus that has been filled with a refreshing stock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ribs that fell of the bones when you go to eat it and what looked like a dehydrated style tofu. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fish with some chilli salt. These were very delicious! plating was a little strange though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soup that is served in what looks like wax disc burners. Kept the soup nice and hot while we nattered away.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22px;">xiaolongbao - this was just heaven! The way to eat it is to take a small bite off the side, then let the soup stock inside "drain" on to a spoon. Drink the stock and then eat the pork and crab meat "dumpling". My first time trying this and gosh, I hope it won't be the last time.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shell shaped Man tou - very light inside and the kids loved it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fish on toast. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hairy Crab - these crabs had a very high content of "mustard" inside and it tasted divine! They provide gloves, scissors and a picker so you don't get your hands dirty. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their style of Dong Boh Pork belly - good but not as good as the ones my ex-colleagues used to make.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tong Yuen for dessert - Best dessert I have had in Hong Kong! My favourite - glutinous balls with a black sesame filling in a ginger sweet soup. The ginger sweet soup has quite a heat to it but it compliments the sweetness of the Tong Yuen nicely.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tai Po noodle shop</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, I forgot to get the name of this place but if you venture in to the centre of Tai Po there are several noodle restaurants that are pretty decent. They specialise in their own made fish balls and wonton noodles.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The best accompaniment for bowls of these noodles? Crispy fish skin! Yes. Fish skin. Way better than prawn crackers, believe me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The noodles are so filling and the wontons have whole king prawns in them, total noodle heaven! Only $70(HKdollars) for 2 bowls of noodles, a plate of fish skin and 2 drinks - pretty damn cheap eat.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chan Kun Kee - Sha Tin</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When in Hong Kong, you need to try Dai Pai Dong at least once. No, it isn't the cleanest of places and yes, there is a chance of sharing tables.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BUT.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cheap food, fast service and by golly gosh, the food can not be replicated in any other restaurants in HK.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We got there early so found a table with ease and by the time we were finished the place was packed and had people standing by our table waiting for us to leave! This is how good they are.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Order dishes to share, that is the style. You would be silly not to try more than 2 dishes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The food is full of "wok hay" - a term used for when food has been cooked in a wok that has reached it optimal temperature, giving the food a distinctive taste. Something dai pai dong food is well known for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hand shredded chicken - with ham and jellyfish, so fresh and the wasabi totally makes it their own dish. The crab roe gives the dish the salty element and great texture.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mini oysters pancake (ho jai beng) - My all time favourite dish in Hong Kong! Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I can't stop thinking about this dish!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clams in black bean sauce - fresh and packed with flavour.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Garlic mantis shrimps - the most underwhelming dish only due to the not so fresh shrimps.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hokkien fried rice - best fried rice ever! Thanks to the chicken skin. Yes, not the healthiest but so so so good...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kai Lan - it's kind of a must when having dinner.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wah Lap Tea Restaurant - Tai Po</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am a huge Dan Tat fan and this place does the best Dan Tat I have ever eaten in my life. One mouthful was all it took for me to just go, "awww". Not over-sweet, no artificial custard taste (that most have) but all the egg taste!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Their pineapple bun is so soft and although it didn't have the signature cracked top, it was one of the best tasting pineapple buns I have had as well. The reason they don't have a cracked top, is probably because they omitted the alkaline powder which is perfectly fine with me. Their tea is smooth, made with condensed milk but still very strong - think it was a little too strong as it had a slight bitterness to it.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tai O day trip</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This day trip with my mum was long but it was real good to have some mother and daughter bonding time with mama as we haven't done something like this in over 10years. She taught me a lot about Hong Kong on this trip too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The great thing about this shop is that everything we had here was not over-sweet in order to allow the true flavours of the black sesame and soya to come through.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This stall serves many things; like fish balls...</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40utbjSlMB4u0bDlm7ZS2eVvQUQ62tYt9mImV7sCrE_2W_eQ8UaJW2eywZO35R2_CjLhBejW7tctkNbnVGupUhOWdY9EJuiAT__EpuuJdlqUPOnymAZ1WrlQyr5QBbOHlS3ziGb8x0Uk2/s1600/P1040700.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi40utbjSlMB4u0bDlm7ZS2eVvQUQ62tYt9mImV7sCrE_2W_eQ8UaJW2eywZO35R2_CjLhBejW7tctkNbnVGupUhOWdY9EJuiAT__EpuuJdlqUPOnymAZ1WrlQyr5QBbOHlS3ziGb8x0Uk2/s1600/P1040700.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">...Ginger milk (which is mixed using the method above to make it smooth)...</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgO90kIlVCnKPeXX_XtiIuUEI9NEIIoMBa9J7LwOaybs3xeKfmbEOj7ySq0E3ticy5K1WuT7Y9yUGi_VuBcIekZbN1bu5LUIKxz7B1whp3hYLXel5EOm_13UeM2qi2zfMcfWmXQx1q6dj/s1600/P1040697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCgO90kIlVCnKPeXX_XtiIuUEI9NEIIoMBa9J7LwOaybs3xeKfmbEOj7ySq0E3ticy5K1WuT7Y9yUGi_VuBcIekZbN1bu5LUIKxz7B1whp3hYLXel5EOm_13UeM2qi2zfMcfWmXQx1q6dj/s1600/P1040697.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...Tea dumplings aka gai shee tung...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...Tofu Fa (my favourite and available hot or cold)...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61UJwf_TSW3ZVX5FLpiyUNNA0KR1NSHMwtsPe6wPFerBqZfgd97VH3pz557uIGtSJzV_R7W2Gk5Ubfu0WMVqeqgSw-ilJKyvpszhZI1jUA7ASiAtgVyNotMrs7Ntzjzj1OmwDEbzt3C-y/s1600/P1040704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61UJwf_TSW3ZVX5FLpiyUNNA0KR1NSHMwtsPe6wPFerBqZfgd97VH3pz557uIGtSJzV_R7W2Gk5Ubfu0WMVqeqgSw-ilJKyvpszhZI1jUA7ASiAtgVyNotMrs7Ntzjzj1OmwDEbzt3C-y/s1600/P1040704.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">...and Black Sesame Pudding, which me and mum bought to take home to enjoy in front of the TV that night.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcO7rL0-8gmdt6bP4ZeCjX-ScaWKIiz-Pv454j0iPReNrwgnCBqVdlVipgBwtRB1b9MTIvPBrL7bzHHUYMHFhaV7SR_K2UFXWptWoVB27dUkUc7Bh_1IN5reZgpHdw08q4vHEnBgIbSva/s1600/P1040705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcO7rL0-8gmdt6bP4ZeCjX-ScaWKIiz-Pv454j0iPReNrwgnCBqVdlVipgBwtRB1b9MTIvPBrL7bzHHUYMHFhaV7SR_K2UFXWptWoVB27dUkUc7Bh_1IN5reZgpHdw08q4vHEnBgIbSva/s1600/P1040705.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Grilled/BBQ'd oysters and razor clams. With cheese - as you do.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKMC1Yo4UR3qMo0MO0B2aNXC3kAWlbaVcj7ugwfI9uDuRhIzedqts65otM0NsUTuIRVvbi0_Ig7xFVBgrg_6xf4xOVn809LBz9V2y882Baob4F97Dme1exZW4qNaeyMOOAq6WtgOFVUIE/s1600/P1040714.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDKMC1Yo4UR3qMo0MO0B2aNXC3kAWlbaVcj7ugwfI9uDuRhIzedqts65otM0NsUTuIRVvbi0_Ig7xFVBgrg_6xf4xOVn809LBz9V2y882Baob4F97Dme1exZW4qNaeyMOOAq6WtgOFVUIE/s1600/P1040714.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">First stall I came across that makes Gai Dan Jai so couldn't resist!</span></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6BthS5UpxDwWCHBfCfKA3d9p7f5LOQkf1PoY8-d6Pxyy6QAkQ6Ltx3xuHRMSNRbPjCi7a3H7epN2PJDZvA_gdL7iSToARmkSWEDEJigV0cTLrsmv9-OVAeRhL0L4xIC19CQi6ALF3hIZ/s1600/P1040716.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc6BthS5UpxDwWCHBfCfKA3d9p7f5LOQkf1PoY8-d6Pxyy6QAkQ6Ltx3xuHRMSNRbPjCi7a3H7epN2PJDZvA_gdL7iSToARmkSWEDEJigV0cTLrsmv9-OVAeRhL0L4xIC19CQi6ALF3hIZ/s1600/P1040716.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWsLP0yG3GsrM_h9qDg9i-KRcbMeM699mHWpVeAc1elpHSBBMtAmTALAXBWn_0JVLzw1CzXGg3eWIHE8hdqBu3m_ZptIClD7dScll_EkUvKj7gDpWt-fuIfzXGKFwMAm9ShPu7Ef-sxnL/s1600/P1040717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWWsLP0yG3GsrM_h9qDg9i-KRcbMeM699mHWpVeAc1elpHSBBMtAmTALAXBWn_0JVLzw1CzXGg3eWIHE8hdqBu3m_ZptIClD7dScll_EkUvKj7gDpWt-fuIfzXGKFwMAm9ShPu7Ef-sxnL/s1600/P1040717.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These 2 men have had this stall for many years and there is always a queue of people waiting to buy their peanut mochis and tea dumplings.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRX8IYWYhUgJssI9txPNXWnCZOtATTOW2GZNYiAtmHGMyimB-ijs4UbGy_9uh8CWZWz8AapSSb2GZrdse_i_i4Z0fGU0YByS3qomDfi-g8BYIZyzoKC5xDr75jozUpkxRThkfx0JnoBmri/s1600/P1040722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRX8IYWYhUgJssI9txPNXWnCZOtATTOW2GZNYiAtmHGMyimB-ijs4UbGy_9uh8CWZWz8AapSSb2GZrdse_i_i4Z0fGU0YByS3qomDfi-g8BYIZyzoKC5xDr75jozUpkxRThkfx0JnoBmri/s1600/P1040722.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This lady sells fish maw primarily but due to sales being slow, she decided to cook them in skewers to sell to tourists who may not buy the fish maw whole. Clever tactic and necessary to make a living.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSzt2s_wZBCkh3kQqpSaYrXIAJ0ET2TZ2Tja8MFOHGuMWRCisZaV8xYv55JMBdq4BFv-Lps3VzMAAoXGepL5GYD3APOj3ID9eExZzglAc3nxtlg1whsUY_Qca1k0H_HoAK4gHpvetde4M/s1600/P1040726.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSzt2s_wZBCkh3kQqpSaYrXIAJ0ET2TZ2Tja8MFOHGuMWRCisZaV8xYv55JMBdq4BFv-Lps3VzMAAoXGepL5GYD3APOj3ID9eExZzglAc3nxtlg1whsUY_Qca1k0H_HoAK4gHpvetde4M/s1600/P1040726.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mum's fish maw skewer - she loved it!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPHG1Ex0PAf54vRgBtVSsGz0ld4JSNTedi_Qq3_Xe9RGhuHRzWuStL4tJOgraa8SD29uFsJv0xRVYHP9FPnARv3Bg7x0ct_QUC51rxWY1Bv9uJTGFGQPZ-2U3ZL4jCHHjtRuwtnQKDKRM/s1600/P1040735.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSPHG1Ex0PAf54vRgBtVSsGz0ld4JSNTedi_Qq3_Xe9RGhuHRzWuStL4tJOgraa8SD29uFsJv0xRVYHP9FPnARv3Bg7x0ct_QUC51rxWY1Bv9uJTGFGQPZ-2U3ZL4jCHHjtRuwtnQKDKRM/s1600/P1040735.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another look at the Gai Shee Tung. Quite good - not as good as grandma's though.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIldQTCwmtmv4d60GiXhXKablO8g7u2mG_E0yR7CMhn37n4nK555j3YDNUxShaMDqIl_aLhFcBFhi_WNKijbQmm6toYTT0EHsQ2kM7JxjIzqQt-DtgYnJTKQh8brtLQBe5jmG-iZ6tZ4Ee/s1600/P1040745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIldQTCwmtmv4d60GiXhXKablO8g7u2mG_E0yR7CMhn37n4nK555j3YDNUxShaMDqIl_aLhFcBFhi_WNKijbQmm6toYTT0EHsQ2kM7JxjIzqQt-DtgYnJTKQh8brtLQBe5jmG-iZ6tZ4Ee/s1600/P1040745.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Walking towards the Tai O Heritage hotel, we came across this shrimp past drying area. These are not bricks, these are shrimp paste blocks put out to dry. The smell is quite overwhelming but when added to dishes, it is very tasty!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mI81kZ0Is6-EzuOaiukbUBEYke2y5PQnU1ng11enftAEV8YJn_WrPmfMAN1Y86Q_y6082lIe5tQREhylU8eteOzJBqseSUxPkDyKuZ03uNnUqxlFkPeYs3dUo74XleBinWT8aqevMYnl/s1600/P1040775.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3mI81kZ0Is6-EzuOaiukbUBEYke2y5PQnU1ng11enftAEV8YJn_WrPmfMAN1Y86Q_y6082lIe5tQREhylU8eteOzJBqseSUxPkDyKuZ03uNnUqxlFkPeYs3dUo74XleBinWT8aqevMYnl/s1600/P1040775.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like what they did here are the hotel - They used the shrimp paste to marinate the pork chop and to season the mayonnaise. The pork chop was very juicy and not tough one bit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another thing Tai O is famous for is their salted duck egg yolks. Here at the hotel, they made fish burgers where the fish has been coated in a salted egg yolk crumb. Very rich but the flavour is so unique!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On our return from the hotel, we came across this man making gai dan jai the traditional way and there was a huge queue. So we ended up waiting half an hour for his gai dan jai - totally worth the wait. The best I have ever had.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My love of quail eggs will never end. Had to buy some boiled ones to take home to enjoy. </span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steamboat and other foods in Tsim Sha Tsui</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Came here for dinner with the parents and their friends...what was supposed to be a very tasty meal turned out to be an over expensive dinner that made me wish I was back in Chan Kun Kee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pufferfish - So overrated. I actually didn't enjoy this appetiser.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sashimi - not fresh at all, which half the table could tell but the other half finished it no time (I personally think it is just because they think it's expensive so "it must be good").</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These King Prawns were pretty good but nothing to rave about.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tsui Wah - Central</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another chain restaurant (they even have one in the airport where prices are hiked up a lot!) but they are fantastic. I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed the food there to be honest and wouldn't mind going there if I needed to find a quick bite to eat in Central.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mum's fish ball noodles.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bro's Salted Fish and Chicken Fried Rice - that flavour of the salted fish was surprisingly strong, this is a good thing by the way! So moreish and such a big plate of it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pork chop curry with roti - D-licious! The curry was spicy but not burn-your-mouth spicy. The roti was crispy and flaky yet not greasy, perfect for dipping in to the curry.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yum Cha</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, we can't come to Hong Kong and not go yum cha right? Right.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So much food!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favourite was the char sui rice - succulent pork pieces on top of rice that has been drizzled lightly with a soya sauce mix.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So that was my little food adventure, I hope you have enjoyed it and hopefully helped to give you some idea of where and what to eat if/when you visit Hong Kong. </span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-569311714812731872014-11-09T01:50:00.001-08:002014-11-09T01:55:05.851-08:00Hong Kong Trip: Part 1Apologies for being so quiet on here the past few weeks, I have been away in Hong Kong and Malaysia for a holiday but fear not, the next few posts will have loads of photos and information on just some of the foods that I have tasted in these 2 countries.<br />
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The only reason I agreed to go to HK this year was because I needed to visit my grandfather, if it wasn't for that I would have gone elsewhere because I feel like I haven't seen enough of the world yet. I am never keen on going to HK because of the rude people, the rush and the general air quality is never great. One thing that does keep me happy there though, is the cheap and varied food available.<br />
So without a further ado...here are the places/foods I tried out in HK.<br />
Note: This is not a "Guide to Hong Kong", it is just my experiences. Enjoy!<br />
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<b>AJISEN RAMEN - Sunshine City Plaza, Ma On Shan</b><br />
This is a chain of japanese restaurants that can be found all over HK and since it was our first day, we thought we would ease ourselves in by going here. Got to be honest though, this branch in Ma On Shan is not very good. All staff, bar one had a very "cannot be bothered" attitude.<br />
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Enoki muchrooms wrapped in beef: Yes, it looks dull and the flavours were very bland. I have had way better!</div>
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Eel Rice: generic, nothing special.</div>
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Pork Ramen</div>
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Kimchi Fried Rice that I had ordered and waited so long for that my sister in law had finished her noodles before we saw any sign of it.</div>
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Cucumber salad with crab roe: this could have been a really good dish if they hadn't overloaded it with mayonnaise. </div>
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<b>Myung Ga, Tsim Sha Tsui</b></div>
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We were treated for dinner here by my brother's good friend and I can't thank her enough! The food was fantastic - fresh, varied and every dish was truly authentic. The lady that served our table initially looked very cold and scary but she was in fact very funny and at times, comedic.</div>
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Great evening was had by all!</div>
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Seafood Pajeon - A korean pancake, my all time favourite dish of the evening. So crisp and light but not too greasy.</div>
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Jokbal - Korean marinated Ham hock, comes with a sauce and lettuce to wrap it in. They left the bone and cartilage intact so that the pork lovers can eat the meat off the bone. Nothing wasted.</div>
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The appetisers that they serve, before the main food comes, were all so refreshing and definitely opens up your appetite to have more. There is a good combination of spicy, sweet, salty and sour in the dishes so something for everyone. Trying authentic kimchi for the first time was also quite exciting!<br />
We also had broth soups that are very similar to our chinese broth soups, packed full of goodness and a nice kick.<br />
This was also my first time trying out korean BBQ, there are switches on the side for you to alter the heat and the waiter would help you in cutting the meats in to bite sized pieces for everyone - so SO tasty. In fact, I'm salivating just thinking about it.<br />
You will notice that I have included a photo of a glass bottle of sprite, which is something we lack in the UK now - every soft drink is in plastic bottle forms. Maybe it was me being in a holiday mood but it definitely tasted better from the glass bottle.<br />
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<b>Portugese Tarts</b><br />
Portugese tarts were introduced to Hong Kong in the 1940's through the portuguese colony of Macau and have remained very popular in HK. You can get them at almost any bakery in HK.<br />
I bought these at the local supermarket and although a bit sweet, they were very good! Better than the custard tarts back home - mainly because it was puff pastry. Mmm...<br />
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<b>Cafe 100% - Wu Kai Sha train station</b></div>
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Came here to have a quick lunch before setting out and surprisingly they were pretty good. They were very busy so we ended up sharing a table with a couple of guys, which isn't a rare occurrence in HK. If you like having a table to yourself when eating out then you may not want to venture in to the small busy eateries. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish slice noodles and broth.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aubergine stir fried with salted fish and minced pork on rice - very flavourful and the aubergines were perfectly cooked. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beek Brisket Curry - Not too spicy but still a nice kick. Would have loved some roti or naan to go with it instead of rice.</td></tr>
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<b>Tai Hing - Ma On Shan Plaza</b><br />
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This is a chain restaurant that specialises in roasted meat dishes and for a chain restaurant, this branch is doing a pretty good job of it. They always have people waiting to be seated so if you want to give it a go but don't want to wait for a table, make sure to go on non peak times and avoid weekends at all costs!<br />
There is a combo rice that allows you to choose 3 different types of meat - I went for crispy roast pork, soya sauce chicken and char sui with rice. All of it was perfectly done but I did find that single stem of choi sum a tad pointless - I suppose they needed some colour on that plate.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The combo rice.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iced Lemon Tea - I lived on this in HK!</td></tr>
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<b>Grilled Cuttlefish - a stall at The Avenue of Stars</b><br />
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We took a walk along The Avenue of Stars, which wasn't really the attraction for me, in fact it was the view of Hong Kong Island across the water and that beautiful sunset! As we took a leisurely stroll, we could smell something grilling from the little stall up ahead.</div>
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The smell was too distinctive to forget - it was the smell of grilled cuttlefish! It is slightly more expensive than the ones you can get elsewhere but the place is a tourist trap, what did you expect?<br />
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They also cut it in to strips for you so it is easier to eat on the go. </div>
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Chuen Moon Kee - Mongkok</div>
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Yes there are protests in the area but luckily this restaurant was a block down from where the troubles started after our meal, so we had it quite peaceful.</div>
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If you want to try traditional clay pot rice, this is the place!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eel with black beans claypot rice </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chicken with lap cheong claypot rice</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ribs claypot rice</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: left;">Honestly, the crust that forms at the bottom of the pot is the pièce de résistance!</span></div>
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The claypot rice was definitely the highlight but the other dishes we ordered were pretty darn tasty too...</div>
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Don't be afraid to order extra dishes as they are quite small, but for me that's the great thing about it because we can sample more dishes this way.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Stir fried veg with lap cheong</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Seafood, with my all time favourite combo, egg and tomato.</span></td></tr>
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<b>Wudai Tongtang Homemade Dessert - Mongkok</b></div>
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So after the totally awesome dinner, we were taken to have dessert. Asian desserts are normally pretty good because of all the mango and coconut they use (yum!) but unfortunately this time around the desserts side has somewhat let me down. Shame!</div>
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Mango and coconut cheung fun - The mangoes were so ripe and tasted so beautiful! My only gripe with this is that they could have done without the cream inside. The UHT style cream just made it taste a tad funky and heavy.</div>
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Mango and coconut "pancake" - again, cream was the spoiler but other than that it was pretty nice.</div>
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Mango, pomelo and coconut sago aka yeung jee gum lo - Just not as good as Mum's version. </div>
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<b>TO BE CONTINUED...</b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-87536784771361324402014-10-02T12:47:00.000-07:002014-10-03T12:42:38.198-07:00Pâtisserie Maxime - A little bit of France in the Capital.<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As a little girl, I was always fascinated by the beautiful window displays of cakes and bread in Hong Kong bakeries. They obviously got the inspiration from European bakery windows that always seem to be filled with the most pretty bakes. European patisseries and bakeries are like shoe shops - they have this wonderful display of cakes and bakes, of every size and colour. They all look perfect and when one catches your eye, you can't seem to walk away, you have to have it! </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I remember that feeling 5-6 years back, when I went on a short break to Paris with my good friend Heather. I was totally inspired by how skilful these bakers were.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Paris is a wonderful city and I would love to go back again. Full of history, architecture and culture - a sightseeing heaven. Food was not shabby and for the budget we were on, we did pretty damn well in getting pretty decent food. Didn't go in to a McDonald's once!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you speak french, great! If like me, you chose German instead of French in school, then grab a basic phrase book and take it with you. Learn the basics as the French people would appreciate you trying to speak to them in their native tongue, rather than you SPEAKING, LIKE, YOU, ARE, PATRON-ISING, THEM.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My favourite dish was a Bovine Crepe. My first time trying savoury crepes and my first time trying beef that was not cooked all the way through. I will admit that I panicked slightly inside when I cut through the patty and it was all pink inside but I knew that it would be insulting to ask for it to be cooked all the way through. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I ate it and I loved it! I never went back to eating well done steak after that.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikUIBJ3KBUztwVor6XLBCtsKQu_Vw5y4gOIs8xsL8RGGrUW4R61fnQqW5ovXusY65lJtSwx2UeUHGHETrqCLw4OERhyjJdun_KPLylWHgbYm8pbK1d7mBso7wn3WBKdIsOW8-ULmyjzIQ_/s1600/2520_54557130874_265888_n.jpg" height="300" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bovine Crepe, it doesn't look great but it was real good!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We never visited any bakeries, until the last day while we were on our way to the airport. We walked past this bakery window and everything on display caught my eye and we knew it would be a shame to leave Paris without having sampled their bakes. After devouring the pastries we had bought, I vowed I would return to France one day to explore the different patisseries and macaron shops.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Do I need to, now that the patisserie scene is expanding so rapidly here in the UK? Well, any excuse for a holiday right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have recently become unemployed after Dad sold the restaurant. Which has given me more time to work on this blog and figure out what it is I want to do with my life. I told M to look out for vacancies in and around where he worked so I can get a steady income coming through but without the stress of being management.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He text me the very next day, telling me a new patisserie had opened up in Edinburgh and that they were looking for staff. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Pâtisserie Maxime is the place and I went straight on the internet to see what the requirements are. Fluent in French. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Damn! Why did I have to take German in school? *sigh*</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was on their website and was fascinated to know more about the place and after reading up about <a href="http://www.patisseriemaxime.co.uk/about/4583714435" target="_blank">Didier Meyer</a>, I felt the need to pay Pâtisserie Maxime a visit.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQP7kzZWONmjAQMaICHAfJjt6_BI43xOBSDk-liajmEs3StEbbOWTESJKglW3Hubev5zkPjDMEsEaYMNgwtlQNsL9Ff4q6Nrf02TOLZyl-NIMm4Y-duc-a7zOTPDnii5m0TuAk7hNtFzI/s1600/1902830_1505000076408057_8211199130139004925_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLQP7kzZWONmjAQMaICHAfJjt6_BI43xOBSDk-liajmEs3StEbbOWTESJKglW3Hubev5zkPjDMEsEaYMNgwtlQNsL9Ff4q6Nrf02TOLZyl-NIMm4Y-duc-a7zOTPDnii5m0TuAk7hNtFzI/s1600/1902830_1505000076408057_8211199130139004925_n.jpg" height="400" width="400"></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Photo Courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/PatisserieMaximeEdinburgh/timeline" target="_blank">Patisserie Maxime</a></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Date of Visit: 1st October 2014</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.patisseriemaxime.co.uk/home/4583714434" target="_blank">Pâtisserie Maxime</a> is located on Queensferry Street, and just outside their door is a very busy bus stop which is not necessary a bad thing when you may get those who have 5 minutes to spare, pop in to buy a cake and coffee to take home with them. Downfall is that people stand and wait for their bus at the window, so it can be difficult for passers-by to see the beautiful display of cakes and bread they have to offer. Upon approaching the entrance, there were 2 people in the doorway waiting for their bus and we had to excuse ourselves to get through but once inside, I couldn't care less about those two people because what greeted me was just a wonderful selections of sweets, bakes and chocolates. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The staff behind the counter were very friendly and greeted us with much warmth. A tad different to the slightly cold service I remembered from Paris. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A great mix of sweet and savoury</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">An old lady wanted the fruit gateaux from the window but was having difficulty describing it to the barista so I gave a her a hand - can I just volunteer there? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was thinking of a fruit tart for my selection, until the lady asked what the Torche Marron was. I remember Michele Roux Jnr eating one and talking about it in France on one of his programmes before and I really wanted to try one - this was my chance. It was meant to be!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We ordered that along with a Framboise Mousse, a Citron Tart and Cappuccinos. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The seating area is very modern, clean and very comfortable - I was half expecting the chairs to be rock solid but I love how you sink in slightly upon sitting on the chair but you also get that support for the back so there isn't any slouching. The decor is simple and some may say too simple but I like it. It goes well with the style of the shop front and since it's not huge inside the simplistic approach to the decor has made it look much bigger than it actually is.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Torche Marron</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEE_I08l9DkiNymDVQZxjUyfxo6PPCvOGfKv3LimN95pm_gGTjTucBJV_4TEjm9La1or-0sZGGLzV1_ipx87Iy-JRiqYkpyJevEvVNeHhe_bzPxilwbracijZMohqf2nsQQjXe_jYCtWg/s1600/P1020925.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoEE_I08l9DkiNymDVQZxjUyfxo6PPCvOGfKv3LimN95pm_gGTjTucBJV_4TEjm9La1or-0sZGGLzV1_ipx87Iy-JRiqYkpyJevEvVNeHhe_bzPxilwbracijZMohqf2nsQQjXe_jYCtWg/s1600/P1020925.jpg" height="300" width="400"></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">From what I remember, a Torche Marron should be whipped cream and Meringue on a tart wrapped in a lovely chestnut puree. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This was the real deal! The chestnut puree was smooth and had such a wonderful aroma to it that it reminded me of my mum's chestnut cake, although mum's chestnut cake had a good whack of rum in it, of which I'm sure Mary Berry would approve.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The cream gives a nice fresh element to the tart and cuts through the sweetness of the meringue nicely. Mother would approve as she loves her chestnuts and dislikes things that are overly sweet.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Charlotte Framboise </span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I wish I could describe what it was like, but someone finished it before I could even have a taste. Here was what M said: "It was so goooood. The mousse was so light and the raspberry flavour was awesome. They had a small disc of sponge inside the mousse to give it texture."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So it must have been tasty. Shame I never got some!</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Citron Tart</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The base is not your ordinary tart shell, it isn't crispy but it totally works - it was more like a very firm almond sponge, with a thin layer of baked creme pat in the middle, a beautiful dome of lemon creme on top and the side dusted with desiccated coconut. Just divine. The lemon creme was smooth with a nice lemon sharpness to it but not too sharp to make your cheeks suck in. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our coffees were made the proper way - no scalded milk - yippee! A strong aroma but not too acidic so was perfectly smooth.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If I have one teeny tiny negative, it would be the hand towel in the toilets. Don't get me wrong, the toilets are super clean and ticks all the boxes for me but when there is a hand towel (like the ones in your own bathroom) in place of disposable hand towels or a hand dryer, it is a slight let down. I have no doubt in my mind that they would change it regularly if it was busy but there is no way in knowing what the previous person had on their hands and if they wiped them with that towel and I go to wipe my hands with that towel...well you get the idea. So that was the only negative I have about the place. [note: 03/10/14 - was notified by Patisserie Maxime that the hand dryer has now been installed! Great news.]</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Pâtisserie Maxime is still new but it is fast becoming well known in Edinburgh, for all the right reasons. A clean, modern patisserie with all the beautiful classics (some with a twist) and staff that many coffee shops would be envious of. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes, they speak french - a "bonjour" on arrival, "au revior " upon leaving and "merci" when serving you - why not? They are french and making customers feel like they have walked in to a little patisserie in France is all part of the experience. A wonderful experience that should definitely be kept on. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I just wanted tip these in to my bag!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I wish Didier Meyer and his wonderful Edinburgh team all the best with Pâtisserie Maxime. Such quality, skill and passion from everyone, you would be a fool to go to any coffee shop other than here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They do savoury foods like quiches and sandwiches too, that are all freshly made by the team.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was kicking myself for forgetting to buy a tube of mini madeleines to take home with me but I am already planning my next trip back there with my mama, so she too can have a little taste of France in Edinburgh.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After the mini Apple Pies, I had neglected the 2 Bramley apples that were still sitting in my fruit and veg drawer in my fridge. Luckily for me, bramley apples keep very well in the fridge!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I had a block of puff pastry and I was thinking of maybe some sort of apple tart and then I remembered a photo I had seen on Pinterest where someone had made some puff pastry and apple roses. So let's make something pretty!</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I did this just to test it out and luckily it didn't turn out too bad the first time around. I don't have a proper recipe for this so I apologise but every apple differs in size and flavour - my advice, freestyle and have some fun!</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Some handy tips:</span><br>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">No need to peel the apple, otherwise you won't get the desired effect.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Make sure the apples are not overcooked! You want them to be bendable but not cooked through because they will cook again in the oven.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I made the mistake of making the roll too big so ended up with the middle slightly raw - shorten the strips!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I used more sugar because of the tartness of Bramleys - if you are using eating apples use a lot less sugar.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The cinnamon is to personal taste. I dislike it quite a lot (although I am growing to like it with apples, in tiny amounts!) but my good friend loves it and would probably have put twice the amount of ground cinnamon.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you worry that the roses with fall apart during baking, bake them in a muffin tin or in muffin cases.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To make them look more pro, brush with warmed apricot jam. </span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There may be updates to this in the future.</span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>APPLE ROSES</u></b></span><br>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>MY METHOD:</b></span><br>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Slice bramley apples thinly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Toss them in a juice of 1 lemon, cover with hot water and add 3 tablespoons of golden caster sugar. Simmer for a couple of minutes and then drain.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnL1jPrbF-A-z0rXJOVeIi5dzvjfc59kL-tQnA1KSN5T3afTalfxtKizzbQa-5TqBUJoKcBkYk_0VH-c-dOFEz3ZHjVS_ztx1Dmix1UIVYFL95yeJmdcTXLgQHat_7OkDUiv4ELCgNpUMX/s1600/P1020874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnL1jPrbF-A-z0rXJOVeIi5dzvjfc59kL-tQnA1KSN5T3afTalfxtKizzbQa-5TqBUJoKcBkYk_0VH-c-dOFEz3ZHjVS_ztx1Dmix1UIVYFL95yeJmdcTXLgQHat_7OkDUiv4ELCgNpUMX/s1600/P1020874.JPG" height="300" width="400"></a></span><br>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Lay them out on kitchen paper to dry out for about 15 minutes.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">While the apples are drying, roll out the puff pastry quite thinly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sprinkle a few tablespoons of golden caster sugar (mixed with ground cinnamon if you like), evenly over the rolled out pastry.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Lay the apple slices in a row, on the edge of the pastry, overlapping each other.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Using a pizza slice, cut the pastry along where the apples have been laid, so you get a strip.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Roll the strip so it looks like a fruit roll-up and press the outer flap firmly in to place, or stick it on with a little water. Make sure the roll is quite tight otherwise it will fall apart during baking.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUHDUw0BU8Es-0qxOgfbYiekaaseygcu0qlnrICXsC_-a0Ds7LwVcXEMW9W0qyxGBFpzC3vfHUxDKkPJSiieLqm-uSuRsC-ZLHODKG7tgAgUD-6wV8kG9E8kD5K1GOHXCOWd375MUrR_X/s1600/P1020892.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUHDUw0BU8Es-0qxOgfbYiekaaseygcu0qlnrICXsC_-a0Ds7LwVcXEMW9W0qyxGBFpzC3vfHUxDKkPJSiieLqm-uSuRsC-ZLHODKG7tgAgUD-6wV8kG9E8kD5K1GOHXCOWd375MUrR_X/s1600/P1020892.JPG" height="300" width="400"></a></span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bake for 25 - 30 mins in a preheated oven (180ºC).</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MOZrLHgA3rrzOLY0oj2Gb9ebs1Abf7l36repTKip0xrYEpatIY7NKckuIdpuTJOoxwRHDmAOhkVs4sAhbj5fnrqi_0AGZmpGvJXGWk-DQ9GCYG75suuxhtgI58uZDnpVEtdFdWmMMqRp/s1600/IMG_20140923_235330.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9MOZrLHgA3rrzOLY0oj2Gb9ebs1Abf7l36repTKip0xrYEpatIY7NKckuIdpuTJOoxwRHDmAOhkVs4sAhbj5fnrqi_0AGZmpGvJXGWk-DQ9GCYG75suuxhtgI58uZDnpVEtdFdWmMMqRp/s1600/IMG_20140923_235330.jpg" height="400" width="400"></span></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-52654319108034334372014-09-12T07:11:00.001-07:002014-09-14T08:07:17.890-07:00Mini Bramley Apple "Pies"<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My parents are all about Organic fruit and veg, for me it's just a label. They say Organic, but how do we know it's actually organic?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes, I am being cynical, only because we have spent many years consuming vegetables that have not been given that label and then all of a sudden they label the ones with less (not completely free of) pesticides as "organic" and charge a lot more for them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, the parents decided to pay their good friend a visit at their stately home that has beautiful gardens and home grown produce. The two little monsters went with them too and it was great seeing them experience picking their own fruit and veg - by the looks of it, they had a ball!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They had picked many things like: blackberries, marrows, plums, broad beans and bramley apples.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaU5Mxh33mTqX_9KOrd5R_FsB_76XfRg8y6C_ObPa1J3sC_H_0FiRIaD3mJ5FEPBTQ4BlkMAXGJcyCNU5jVl4GX70msCH_sC0ariL75upbe7ZEypCfVn5RM4IGKPI7An59XAAxVz_d6McH/s1600/20140909_221302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaU5Mxh33mTqX_9KOrd5R_FsB_76XfRg8y6C_ObPa1J3sC_H_0FiRIaD3mJ5FEPBTQ4BlkMAXGJcyCNU5jVl4GX70msCH_sC0ariL75upbe7ZEypCfVn5RM4IGKPI7An59XAAxVz_d6McH/s1600/20140909_221302.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bramley apples are very popular for using in pies, tarts, making apple sauce etc. Just not eaten </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">though - they are pretty sour!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm going to be honest here - I don't like apple pie. In fact, I don't like much (if any) cooked fruit so deciding on how to use over a kilo of these apples was a challenge and a half. I have been trawling the trusty internet for ideas and I finally decided I would try making different things with it. First up: mini apple "pies".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Most apple pie recipes don't cook the apples first but me being me, I feared the apples wouldn't cook enough so looked for a recipe that required the fruit to be cooked prior to baking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I also have a confession. I used shop bought pastry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes yes yes, totally sinful but guess what, I don't have the luxury of time to make pastry from scratch. I would if I had more time - which will happen soon, so there may be a post on pastry testing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After making these mini apple "pies" there were obvious tweaks that I will probably do next time but they weren't too bad for a first attempt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There will be apple sauce left over, so use them for more apple pies or even try making an apple danish or something.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Notes for next batch:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Chop the apples in to smaller pieces and maybe use brown sugar rather than caster sugar.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Add a little lemon juice to the apples.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sprinkle a little sugar on the pies before baking, or dust with icing sugar after baking.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Chill pastry for longer - I was very tight on time so rushed it slightly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Make sure the cutter I use for the top half of the pies is one size bigger than the base of the pies, to allow more filling to fit in.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Add a knob of butter to the apples after cooking to mellow out the acidity.</span></li>
</ol>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So this was what I did:-</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #72f091; padding: 10px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Mini Apple Pies</u></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="background-color: #72f091; padding: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">About 1KG of Bramley apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #72f091; padding: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">80g golden caster sugar</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #72f091; padding: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1tsp of ground cinnamon</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #72f091; padding: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A pack of shortcrust pastry</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #72f091; padding: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Egg, for glazing.</span></div>
<div style="background-color: #72f091; padding: 10px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Method:</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: #72f091; padding: 10px;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Put the Apples, caster sugar and cinnamon in to a large pot. Add a couple of tablespoons for water.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwMz98E8nqGY23bK2Z1_Tysknx-nVoy56GALjoBbO1MPmUY5AnHnYHlHrCh1QkhSKf-CFfEvmobPl0z1OqXI8IInoucy17lR9ebTpR9v-xzAAgJfKcC1QIUMZ7PTy8w6_M_FARAD0xmZL/s1600/20140909_224158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjwMz98E8nqGY23bK2Z1_Tysknx-nVoy56GALjoBbO1MPmUY5AnHnYHlHrCh1QkhSKf-CFfEvmobPl0z1OqXI8IInoucy17lR9ebTpR9v-xzAAgJfKcC1QIUMZ7PTy8w6_M_FARAD0xmZL/s1600/20140909_224158.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cover and cook on a low heat for 10 mins.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stir and replace the lid to cook for a further 8 minutes on the low heat.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">It will be ready when all the apples are very soft but careful not to make a pulp.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_ofGwRUF1ujQcwZPURM-1NR81VJWJ7JCnTEcY8u0NullPFeDvMg-Ia4Hle1ODuzRL20I3L8c_Tp1hsv0JrJzDRcfHxlwwMAq8l000aZAHl2E5Cr55xvtN8NgT__Wbyoj0zkvxerwRCt6/s1600/20140909_232109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7_ofGwRUF1ujQcwZPURM-1NR81VJWJ7JCnTEcY8u0NullPFeDvMg-Ia4Hle1ODuzRL20I3L8c_Tp1hsv0JrJzDRcfHxlwwMAq8l000aZAHl2E5Cr55xvtN8NgT__Wbyoj0zkvxerwRCt6/s1600/20140909_232109.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once it has cooked, take it off the heat and cool completely.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Roll out the pastry.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Using a large cookie cutter cut discs out of the pastry.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WvddTXfb3Ox7UvS1gjJDdcVCYtJSmnnvA4J6CG3r89a_SeCBMrMNPj7tboYCZ1CSMewxF-DNenBsFxsCnFSDmm8LycskhCYlo07aQPZHAuPTC9oC3D1rB2-xRGrykhyWR00o6x3JaWuv/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2WvddTXfb3Ox7UvS1gjJDdcVCYtJSmnnvA4J6CG3r89a_SeCBMrMNPj7tboYCZ1CSMewxF-DNenBsFxsCnFSDmm8LycskhCYlo07aQPZHAuPTC9oC3D1rB2-xRGrykhyWR00o6x3JaWuv/s1600/DSC_0002.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Using a small decorative cutter, stamp out the centre of half the discs.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spoon teaspoonfuls of the apple sauce in the centre of the base discs.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEHfLRZvia5_ySACpwCP3Cx7YHspMNNeqtRi-ruKLd5xgFc89tzTiLBMLMR2tlyKYEeONvQ6Z56DlCx72sb5W4kJ_3MjFV8ot42sGz6qe1SNtQme0czHfJDpXIsB0dpr1YakZgPNt0V_6/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikEHfLRZvia5_ySACpwCP3Cx7YHspMNNeqtRi-ruKLd5xgFc89tzTiLBMLMR2tlyKYEeONvQ6Z56DlCx72sb5W4kJ_3MjFV8ot42sGz6qe1SNtQme0czHfJDpXIsB0dpr1YakZgPNt0V_6/s1600/DSC_0007.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Brush a little water on rim of the underside of the pie tops, place on top of the apple filled base.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Press gently to seal and use a fork to further press it in place.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45sc5GPXMKfzefuzhlKjTMxwJdw_pxaLaBY__H9sYtmhpbHHyZWmWhjZLyjvlothR4mEuNkNIb_39wPMlxXbagJ0NBjUh3QmpvGXoR_txHmZldG9AIGVv584-C_XURLVIUg8O9tMISxVF/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj45sc5GPXMKfzefuzhlKjTMxwJdw_pxaLaBY__H9sYtmhpbHHyZWmWhjZLyjvlothR4mEuNkNIb_39wPMlxXbagJ0NBjUh3QmpvGXoR_txHmZldG9AIGVv584-C_XURLVIUg8O9tMISxVF/s1600/DSC_0009.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Put the pies in the fridge for at least 30 mins.</span></li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 180ºC</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Brush the pies tops with egg and bake for about 25 mins.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMAWisD52MG8gm27zt65jVpRGV5018pHxgNaD00ffv8h5uguTzB-5h6WPQkZFZw0GYbVXB2CUb9q_Cpjkc8uagPxieacitUU_aGLZLynuBe-uBzmAlVPo8t7Y5gbI1LKS9SiTZMqOfx-1/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGMAWisD52MG8gm27zt65jVpRGV5018pHxgNaD00ffv8h5uguTzB-5h6WPQkZFZw0GYbVXB2CUb9q_Cpjkc8uagPxieacitUU_aGLZLynuBe-uBzmAlVPo8t7Y5gbI1LKS9SiTZMqOfx-1/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">What was missing was some good creamy custard! Yum.</span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-66913317077141831732014-09-04T15:37:00.000-07:002014-09-15T10:30:56.230-07:00Opus One (Radisson Blu Edwardian, Manchester) - a little bit of luxury!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After my very average meal at <a href="http://yumyumyu.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/mr-laus-dim-sum-bar.html" target="_blank">Mr. Lau's </a>the previous evening, I was very much looking forward to Afternoon Tea at Opus One in Manchester.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My friends, Wing and Sybil, had booked this place because we all love a good afternoon tea. When they told me it would be posh, I immediately went online to check it out in order to prepare for what I would be expecting. Posh looking indeed!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Date of visit: 01/09/2014</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I had been standing outside of the grand looking <a href="http://www.radissonblu-edwardian.com/manchester-hotel-gb-m2-5gp/gbmanche/hotel/dining/opus" target="_blank">Opus One</a> for about 15-20mins (I don't feel comfortable entering posh places on my own) when I received a message from Sybil to turn around - turns out she was already inside and spent a good 5-10mins trying to knock on the window behind me to get my attention! If Opus One had not intended for their glass to be sound proof, well they're in luck. Even when inside, I couldn't hear any of the external traffic noise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When we originally entered Opus One, what blew me away was the beautiful decor - clean smooth lines, dark glossy furniture with a hint of red coming from the chandeliers and walls, and large chess pieces dotted about. All this along with the high ceilings certainly made me feel like I was in some grand theatre. We walked through the luxurious restaurant and in to the side room that has full length windows looking out on to Peter Street. We sat on the beautiful boutique sofas that were extremely comfy! Already a great start.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I'm not sure about you but Afternoon Teas can get a little too sweet for me and I end up not finishing all the cakes in one sitting. This is where Opus One stood out from the other Afternoon Teas I have had. They give you the option of: <a href="http://www.radissonblu-edwardian.com/rad/edw/manchester/FTH%20Afternoon%20Teas,%20Aug%202014.pdf" target="_blank">Traditional Afternoon tea, Celebration Afternoon Tea and Gentlemen's Afternoon Tea</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We went for 2 Gentlemen's and 1 traditional as all 3 of us enjoy just that little bit more savoury than sweet.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Gentlemen's Afternoon Tea consisted of:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mini hot yorkshire pudding with beef and gravy in the middle.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Warm pork pie</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mini Fish and Chips</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Rustic Sandwiches</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Scones with clotted cream and jam</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They also have a lovely selection of teas to go with your afternoon tea - we opted for Assam, Ceylon and English Breakfast.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The tea arrived first and in all honesty, I was slightly underwhelmed by the teapots they were served in; very average metal teapots I would expect during breakfast in an average hotel. I know I know, but crockery style does play a part in what should be a luxury treat. It's like buying a car that has beautiful trims, leather seats, leather steering wheel, built in sat nav, cruise control, the whole shebang; only to see that there are no alloy wheels. Just hubcaps.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The waitress then comes in with the goods and at that moment, the average teapots were forgotten about. Everything looked so pretty and most importantly, scrumptious!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The rustic sandwiches had two layers to them which just added to what was already a pretty damn good sandwich.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mini Pork Pies - Now I'm not normally a fan of pork pies, mainly because the ones I have had in the past were just cold, fatty, over salty meat surrounded by tasteless pastry (the thought of it makes me want to hurl) but this one was pretty damn tasty. The pie was warm and the pastry crumbled when you take the initial bite, then it melts in the mouth so beautifully. It is most likely not any healthier than your average pork pie (in fact, I'm pretty sure the pastry was made using lard) but damn, it was good!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yorkshire Pudding - I wish I had eaten this first because by the time I got to the yorkshire, it had become cold. Even when it was cold the flavours were really good so imagine it being nice and hot - that silky rich gravy with the slither of roast beef, in a nice crispy yorkshire pudding...drooling yet?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fish and Chips - slightly underwhelming with the fish and chips looking a little overdone, and the mushy peas made the fish batter slight soggy after a while, so tip: eat it after the yorkshire pudding.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After the lovely savoury options, I turned my attention to the sweet tower.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">From what I could see, there was fruit tart, chocolate fudge cake, bake well traybake and a prosecco jelly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I only managed to try the fruit tart and jelly from the sweet tower, then a scone. I wish I could have tried the rest but I was just so full from all the food - it doesn't look much but it's certainly filling, maybe it was the pork pie.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The fruit tart seemed like it had been left out a little too long as the pastry was slightly soggy, but the creme pat was smooth and creamy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I wasn't sure what the jelly was at first but I knew I wanted to try it - the prosecco jelly was quite refreshing and wasn't too sweet so it went down very easily.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The scones were beautifully light which surprised me as most scones i have had with afternoon teas have been quite dense. Topped with a dollop of clotted cream and jam (the best way to eat scones, in my opinion) makes this one of the best scones I have had this year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Now that I have returned to Scotland, I am currently seeking out a place that does savoury afternoon teas like Opus One does.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The whole experience felt quite luxurious and if I lived in Manchester, Opus One would no doubt be the place I would go to for a bit of Afternoon Tea with friends. The choice of sweet or savoury will please different palates for sure.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-47959714700801423012014-09-03T09:05:00.000-07:002014-09-03T09:08:50.782-07:00Mr. Lau's - Dim Sum Bar<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have visited friends that live in Manchester a couple of times now but this was a little different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My good friends Wing, Sybil and their baby son, Isaac are going to be leaving at the end of September. They will be moving to Singapore permanently.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have been very busy with work and due to that, I was only able to take 2 days off so I did a 24hour thing in Manchester just to catch them for a couple of hours to say goodbye.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Another good friend of mine, Bryan lives near Manchester so it only made sense to meet him and Dan while I was in the area. They were very kind to offer me a place to stay for the night too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I arrived on the Sunday afternoon at Manchester where I was met by Bryan and Dan. We decided to go to Mr. Lau's, in Warrington, for dinner as Dan had been there before and said it was quite nommy (yes, this is a word...ahem).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They claim to be a premier dim sum bar so naturally I was excited to going here and hopefully taste some pretty darn good dim sum, maybe with a modern twist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Date of Visit: 31/08/14</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As we arrived pretty early, the place was not really that busy but I did notice that they had one large party already in and were expecting another large party too. A waiter/barman greeted us and took us to the table closest to the open kitchen. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyHbBLEKmKzmhFUDp_XZuweQ45hBda4MQ4MlgRjLXXwXYhMIAqmJlt5bUKdJrqjVq8sN7hIq-bzwOfGPXH5NJ7YwRg0uz0X9OO_VrH18F8xIyPirreZK_PifPrl3W6NvEsIPLYxV5NZ8O/s1600/20140831_170521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnyHbBLEKmKzmhFUDp_XZuweQ45hBda4MQ4MlgRjLXXwXYhMIAqmJlt5bUKdJrqjVq8sN7hIq-bzwOfGPXH5NJ7YwRg0uz0X9OO_VrH18F8xIyPirreZK_PifPrl3W6NvEsIPLYxV5NZ8O/s1600/20140831_170521.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The open kitchen. This is how dark our table was. Please excuse person in the corner there!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He came back later to take our drink orders and we didn't see him for a while after that. We never got handed any a la carte menus so we automatically assumed it was just the dim sum menu, which was already on our tables, that we had to order from. We waited for a good while after ticking the boxes and it seemed like we had been forgotten about until the bar man finally came with our drinks. It looked like he was by himself at the bar so I could understand why our drinks took time but the other waiters in our area didn't even look at our table until we asked the bar man if there was a way to order food. Even he seemed surprised that we had not had our orders taken yet. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We were given a little bucket of prawn crackers to nibble on as we waited some more.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Once the order was put through there was still a bit of a wait for the food - hardly surprising as the kitchen was starting to get very busy as the restaurant was filling up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Our order was:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Salt and pepper cashew nuts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Vietnamese prawn crackers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Salt and pepper chicken wings</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Salt and pepper tofu</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ap gau (Duck Dumplings)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wor tip (pan fried meat dumplings)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ap goon (Duck spring rolls)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Char Sui buns (chinese roast pork buns)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Custard buns</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Char Sui Cheung fun</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Har gau (Prawn Dumplings)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Prawn toast</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In my experience with dim sum, it has always been a pretty quick affair - yum cha (directly translated as "drink tea" because people would usually have several dim sum dishes to accompany their tea) is such a popular thing during peak times that the food usually comes out pretty fast due to the copious amount of preparation the chef(s) will have done. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I spoke to the owner of a chinese restaurant not that long ago and he has one dim sum chef, hired from Hong Kong specifically to do the dim sum in his restaurant. The chef starts at 6am every morning to start on his mise en place, ready for doors opening at 12pm. Dim sum sessions finish at around 4pm but the dim sum chef doesn't go home until 6-7pm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As soon as we gave the order to the waitress, she came to tell us the Vietnamese crackers were complimentary and that we were already given them so we should order something else. The crackers in front of us were NOT Vietnamese crackers, I know because I use Vietnamese crackers in my own restaurant. Bryan said nothing and just ordered something else and when we looked over to see a different kind of prawn crackers being dished out, we knew that those were the Vietnamese crackers. The waitress must have got them mixed up but at this point we just wanted ur food so badly that there was no point in getting angry at some prawn crackers. Although the question I had was: If the Vietnamese crackers were already complimentary then why have them on the dim sum order then?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We got most of our dim sum after a little wait and was then told that there were no custard buns left! Yes, I was really gutted because if I'm honest, their dim sum menu was pretty limited - considering that they claim to be a dim sum bar. I'm guessing the limited menu saves confusing people who have never had dim sum before but the whole point of having dim sum when I was in HK was because there was so much choice that there would bound to be something for everyone.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnEXm1VRigcOBfJ3lGIJVbbD93UJneD8br6uPIn4sRX9z1PT_RbfPczowZ8tF7n6muG5yJL5ztDPDDxWBU2HmXPsKFnckMekLg9rbBjFy1SuqogMrXTAmXCLvpzJUfoDy49Txxq80mSRz/s1600/2014-09-01+11.30.47.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBnEXm1VRigcOBfJ3lGIJVbbD93UJneD8br6uPIn4sRX9z1PT_RbfPczowZ8tF7n6muG5yJL5ztDPDDxWBU2HmXPsKFnckMekLg9rbBjFy1SuqogMrXTAmXCLvpzJUfoDy49Txxq80mSRz/s1600/2014-09-01+11.30.47.png" height="321" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Had to put on the flash and edit this photo, it was after I had seen this that I realised what the food actually looked like.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I settled for the beef balls and reminded the waiter that there was still the ap gau to still come.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We ate as we waited on the other dishes and I must admit, I was not that impressed. I am not expecting dim sum to be exactly like the ones in HK but I expect them to be somewhat similar or have their own twist on it.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4X4u_i1LmkdgEIQSVkdAgEAOReA16vK21fBdCEFtBfzZR4bO3QlfzEHK0FYDHwjHjSLYD1ldDOPdHnvLBfCEBEYcy5LPhSlgvrtw8ZnD-vCK28UaQMVmx6YBwzNBZR-NpjiYwpG7bDWYI/s1600/20140831_174019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4X4u_i1LmkdgEIQSVkdAgEAOReA16vK21fBdCEFtBfzZR4bO3QlfzEHK0FYDHwjHjSLYD1ldDOPdHnvLBfCEBEYcy5LPhSlgvrtw8ZnD-vCK28UaQMVmx6YBwzNBZR-NpjiYwpG7bDWYI/s1600/20140831_174019.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What it actually looked like in front of us.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cheung Fun is normally one of my favourites but the actual Cheung fun itself at Mr. Lau's had a very soft texture, whereas the ones I'm used to, have more of a little bounce. The char sui in my Cheung fun was very fatty, not sure if it was meant to be like that. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoNVozwxZysZaZtMBsSeEZbxUJ2szBRboQKBNuAgX2cw2imzuphTzvn5uyLQnoeBQEy6WzE8AIrxSxJPfkcVZQ96pZNb4s8r0MkqYNH1wmUIax-ZSFk7DFqJUWh0qES3d-YC_SfAOfihm/s1600/2014-09-01+19.30.41.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoNVozwxZysZaZtMBsSeEZbxUJ2szBRboQKBNuAgX2cw2imzuphTzvn5uyLQnoeBQEy6WzE8AIrxSxJPfkcVZQ96pZNb4s8r0MkqYNH1wmUIax-ZSFk7DFqJUWh0qES3d-YC_SfAOfihm/s1600/2014-09-01+19.30.41.png" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cheung Fun</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Har gow had a bit of a tough pastry (it most likely came out of the steamer first while it waited on the other dishes and had hardened a little when it came in contact with the air) and there wasn't the nice little parcel shapes that I am used to having, however the taste was pretty spot on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All the salt and pepper dishes were well seasoned, especially the cashews. I could see myself eating a whole bowl of that in front of a telly!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Beef balls came, still no ap gau. I did notice that the friendly waiter had asked the kitchen several times about the ap gau so it wasn't like they weren't trying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bryan tried the beef balls first and said to me it tasted of nothing, which I thought, "no way".</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">But he was right. It tasted of nothing. I couldn't even taste the beef! There were 4 in that steamer and after me and Bryan had one each, we left the rest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The ap goon was okay but I was struggling to find any ap in that goon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wor tip had good flavours but I couldn't help but think they had over fried the dumplings as they were crispy all the way around but I will credit them for not making the pastry chewy as that is what tends to happen to wor tip when they are over fried.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was slightly worried that we had ordered too much food (those of you who go to yum cha, don't tell me you haven't over ordered before) but some of their portions were not very big so it was actually enough for us. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">By the time we finished our dishes, the ap gau was still no where to be seen. We asked the waitress to cancel that dish as we had waited too long and were no longer wanting it. The manager informed us that it was ready so we had it packed for us to take away. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We had the feeling that we were constantly being neglected compared to other tables. We noticed during our meal that as soon as the table next to us were sat down, they were handed proper menus as well as the dim sum menu. Why didn't we get a la carte menus? It probably wasn't intentional but it doesn't make them look good when they give all - but one table - menus!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The manager did do something as a goodwill gesture because she knew we weren't impressed, which was very kind of her because we hadn't even put in a complaint. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When we did get served, the waiters were all polite and friendly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They have a very extensive cocktail menu - this baffled me as to why more effort seemed to have gone in to the cocktail menu than the Dim Sum menu. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I ordered a virgin cocktail - Mango Twist - which was beautifully done so I could imagine this place being good for nights out.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fK0mblTO_hDTdXBf6FxlkC1nU2HxUskJzDHw9lyCAJ31FtxJ6b50o2wyASTxe6hsb3BAkKi6AUWTXUSlJ5OC7N9HPPBEztkjNNiThioig4dPpJ8cwzSMvt6awfauALHQ4rC1QYiYJt85/s1600/2014-09-01+19.33.48.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-fK0mblTO_hDTdXBf6FxlkC1nU2HxUskJzDHw9lyCAJ31FtxJ6b50o2wyASTxe6hsb3BAkKi6AUWTXUSlJ5OC7N9HPPBEztkjNNiThioig4dPpJ8cwzSMvt6awfauALHQ4rC1QYiYJt85/s1600/2014-09-01+19.33.48.png" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mango Twist</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Overall, it isn't a bad place but it was an unfortunate visit for myself and friends. The lighting is very dim where we sat (as the photos will show) so it was difficult to see much of the food that was put in front of us. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwNrP0mATQY24k1oKqfxJeH_MYXeaSYsC37UAJK6xWOIuPfpySpL27h5l5u_dFqLKlfk5QvFnvPtc_GNirRsD7gYfJqdYrAHN0Bh8oKYoPafOzq8pVvMNGSg2nqibkIdJrV1R7uvIOqsn/s1600/20140831_170544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwNrP0mATQY24k1oKqfxJeH_MYXeaSYsC37UAJK6xWOIuPfpySpL27h5l5u_dFqLKlfk5QvFnvPtc_GNirRsD7gYfJqdYrAHN0Bh8oKYoPafOzq8pVvMNGSg2nqibkIdJrV1R7uvIOqsn/s1600/20140831_170544.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Nice decor, LOVE the large lampshades. The lighting in there would make it a great cocktail bar venue.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I would probably want to venture in to China Town in Manchester the next time I am there - just so I could compare. My advice for those who want to pay Mr. Lau a visit: If you are not handed a main menu, ask for one! I checked out some of their photos and menu on their website afterwards and it would have been nice to have the option of ordering something from the main menu as some of it sounded/looked pretty good. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Shame.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-31844283016529895132014-08-27T05:12:00.000-07:002014-08-27T05:15:03.218-07:00Koyama - Fresh ingredients at this little mountain.<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">August has seen Edinburgh buzzing with people from all over the world; attending the Foodies Festival, The Book Festival and of course, The Fringe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">August is also a very busy month for me so it has been hard to fit The Fringe in with my schedule but I did it! Right at the end but I don't mind because the act that I really wanted to go and see were doing their last Fringe show on the day I planned on going. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I decided to get my sister-in-law to join me as she had never been to see a show at The Fringe in all the years she has been in Scotland. Since she is a food lover too we decided to go and try out a Japanese restaurant near the venue after the show.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.koyama.co.uk/" target="_blank">Koyama</a> - in Japanese, means "little mountain" and is also the name of the restaurant we visited.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The restaurant is situated near the University, Museum and Greyfriar's so I can see why it would attract students and tourists. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Not a big restaurant but they have done their best in providing as much seats in quite a small space, without people feeling like a tin of sardines when sat next to other tables. Very impressed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Date Visited: 25th August 2014</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When we arrived, there were not that many diners in and they had tables put together for what looked like a couple of larger parties later on. All the booth seats had been taken so we were given a small stand alone table at the back of the restaurant. We were given menus right away and our orders were taken as soon as we were ready to order. From what I could see, there were only 2 waiters working that evening and both of them were very polite and always had a smile when serving us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We ordered the following: Age-dashi Tofu, BBQ Pork Ramen, Dragon Roll and for dessert, Green Tea Ice Cream Mochi.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Age-dashi tofu:</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When is came, the portion looked very small and I could instantly see that the coating they had put on the tofu had started to come away. However, flavours were good and the minced daikon with sliced spring onions added a good textural element to the dish. The tofu wasn't as silky as the ones I have had before but it wasn't the worst I have tried.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><strike>BBQ Pork </strike> Chicken Katsu Ramen:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes, we ordered BBQ Pork but after the waiter went away to pass the docket to the kitchen, he came right back to let us know that they had ran out. He had brought a menu over for us to choose something else, which was very thoughtful, but we already decided that the chicken katsu would be our 2nd option. The chicken was over done so it ended up being a bit hard and the panko hadn't quite covered all of the chicken. The sweet sauce and mayo drizzled on top was pretty good and was what saved the chicken from tasting like cardboard. The ramen had the good "bouncy" texture we look for in noodles and the soup base had that lovely silky smoothness, with a slight sweetness that reminded us of soup stock made by simmering pork bones in the stock for hours to create that beautiful richness. They may have been a tad heavy on the sesame oil but that's okay with me as I LOVE sesame oil, others may find that with the sesame oil, their initial taste of the ramen reminds them of east asian instant noodles we make at home. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We had ordered this to share but I may not have made it clear enough to the waiter so had to ask for a couple of empty rice bowls for us, which the waiter was more than happy to get for us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>Dragon Roll:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Crispy tempura king prawns and finely sliced cucumber, wrapped in seaweed, surrounded with perfectly cooked rice, topped with freshly sliced ripe avocado and topped with crab roe. YUM! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My only gripe was that the pieces were very big. I don't have a huge mouth but even someone with a big gob would have had difficulty eating it. Initally I tried dividing it in to two with my chopsticks but failed miserably because the seaweed inside became very tough to tear after coming in contact with the moisture in the rest of the sushi roll. I then used my fingers to tear it apart and ended up with squashed rice all over my fingers. With my 2nd piece I tried to take a bite out of it but the same issue with the seaweed happened again and I was sitting there trying to look graceful with sushi hanging out of my mouth while I tried gnawing that seaweed apart - this time I got squashed rice on my face rather than on my fingers and I pray no one saw me eating that as I know it wasn't a pretty sight! So in the end I ate my remaining pieces by dissecting them in to their individual components and then pairing them how I liked. Each component was done well and if the roll pieces were slightly smaller then it would have been such a great taste sensation in the mouth.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZZUMFQUXCRg8LIUGw8XXLddnYvLWaDxGsvqg-sOmAoS7e82GgLJKbhKGFs56TuCh4VI0uA1mpCzh4j5FuQGiO0-aYX3vyKfw9TCbU2U1R0H9fwZgiyxDwqdIjmdx031-S87yayKOqG0E/s1600/P1020818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvZZUMFQUXCRg8LIUGw8XXLddnYvLWaDxGsvqg-sOmAoS7e82GgLJKbhKGFs56TuCh4VI0uA1mpCzh4j5FuQGiO0-aYX3vyKfw9TCbU2U1R0H9fwZgiyxDwqdIjmdx031-S87yayKOqG0E/s1600/P1020818.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full House!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">During the course of our meal, the restaurant started to get very busy and at one point was completely full, with customers leaving because they didn't want to wait. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We were just finishing our main course when we asked for a top up of our tea, the waiter went away with our pot, came back to clear our plates away and then asked us if we would like the bill! We looked at him with a slight awkwardness - told him we hadn't even got the pot of tea back yet and we wanted dessert. He was very apologetic. It was probably a genuine mistake and not intentionally trying to rush us out of there. I hope.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All was definitely forgiven when we got our pot of tea back and dessert.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZn1_SWGcwDkbAa4YDOjKdftW6nTslo2ISBKXfNDh5lTs8ZkyQm5gwQFuSyMXZNkGn3UkPqUTXLcxc4wqHeo6yOqc6E4mDlF5J6zzvPWZZIO-ddMBjFe0s1QkDeMX9WVgi4DRNpjj_4peW/s1600/P1020808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZn1_SWGcwDkbAa4YDOjKdftW6nTslo2ISBKXfNDh5lTs8ZkyQm5gwQFuSyMXZNkGn3UkPqUTXLcxc4wqHeo6yOqc6E4mDlF5J6zzvPWZZIO-ddMBjFe0s1QkDeMX9WVgi4DRNpjj_4peW/s1600/P1020808.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful crockery from Japan</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The dessert! Now this, for us, was the star of the whole meal. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The last time I had ice cream mochi was in Hong Kong back in 2009. I remember it was a taro flavoured ice cream mochi that we bought in the supermarket and it was just amazing! Ice cream encased in a beautiful mochi skin, not too sweet and so refreshing...mm....</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Anyway, the green tea ice cream mochis were split in half and on each half, it was topped with azuki beans. I am not a fan of azuki beans most of the time because some places prepare them too sweet for my tastes but not this time. The mochi needed the sweetness of the azuki to counteract the slight bitterness of green tea so for me, this was perfect! I have to admit though, it is a little pricey for just 2 ice cream mochis but for me this was worth it because it is not every day you get to have ice cream mochi!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNy7f4CjaxDwp5nRIzoEwo6nwrRPllYR21Gh9DfLMFxL0ZQu4s6YsGvhDUTsH5DcMB7q_7kJKZYFmJnTCgv7n_gQgvwmxU_r4_6wSyWqNsOc2-XCpRlnMfFVPtfhMfzzeRHwLajLWlLrZm/s1600/P1020821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNy7f4CjaxDwp5nRIzoEwo6nwrRPllYR21Gh9DfLMFxL0ZQu4s6YsGvhDUTsH5DcMB7q_7kJKZYFmJnTCgv7n_gQgvwmxU_r4_6wSyWqNsOc2-XCpRlnMfFVPtfhMfzzeRHwLajLWlLrZm/s1600/P1020821.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mochi Mochi Mochi! Oh yummy mochi!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Would I return? Yes - purely for the green tea ice cream mochi. Only kidding. Kind of. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The ingredients they use are fresh, can't deny that so it would be nice to try out their other dishes the next time I go and hopefully will have a positive update on this post in future.</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-73527731580587268322014-08-21T07:24:00.000-07:002014-08-21T07:24:13.834-07:00Italian Grill - Delizioso!<div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I already have a favourite Italian restaurant in Dundee - Don Michele, Perth Road. The thing is, whenever I visit Dundee now, I rarely venture up that way and I mostly meet people in the centre. I was told of the <a href="http://italiangrill.net/index.html" target="_blank">Italian Grill</a> that had opened its doors in June and from what I can gather it has had some very positive reviews.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Italian Grill belongs to the same people who own Henry's Coffee House and The Meathouse. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes, I have tried them both - in fact, I really enjoyed Henry's up until I discovered The Burgh Coffee House. The Meathouse does amazingly good burgers (they did when I was last there anyway), so it was a no-brainer when I had to decide on a place to lunch with mother, who is a bit of a fussy eater.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The restaurant occupies what was the the Dundee Box Office and is right next to Henry's Coffee House on the City Square. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The last time I ventured in to the Square, it was a bit of grey space, dotted with a couple of benches that look like they had been nicked from a local park. There were 2 fountains and gum everywhere. I remember visiting the Square as a little girl and there were loads of pigeons there waiting for people to feed them. Now, it is a much cleaner, brighter area and they have even put some greenery to liven up the place. The fountains have been cleaned out and it seems like a much more pleasant place to have a spot of lunch or a coffee, whatever tickles your fancy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Italian Grill boast of having a Josper Grill and wood stone oven, now I don't know about you but when I hear that a restaurant has that kind of equipment, I naturally want to go there just to try out their pizza or steak!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The restaurant is quite spacious, with a contemporary feel. The full length windows allow for a great view of the square and allows plenty of light in to the restaurant. Very European and fast becoming a popular feature to many new restaurants in the UK. Having plenty of natural light in a restaurant makes it feel a lot less claustraphobic and hopefully in turn will create happier customers.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The waitress showed us to a lovely table that had a view of the open kitchen with its wood stone oven, although it wasn't next to a window, we still had a very nice view of the Square. She handed us the menus and told us she would be back with bread and water. That never came. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Now I would like to just point out that I couldn't care less if I got bread at the start of a meal as it can ruin your appetite before you even start but when a waiter tells me they will bring it over before taking our drinks, I kind of expect it to actually happen. Otherwise I would feel like we have been left out of the experience while others that came in after us enjoyed it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Another waitress took our drinks order and only after that did we get the bread. The bread looks just like their pizza base, but cut in to strips - crisp with a slight chew. They provided an olive oil and balsamic dip for the bread; now I love that combo for dipping bread, but in my opinion when it's difficult for the bread to pick up any balsamic the result is just an oily bit of bread, but that is just purely personal taste.</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qB7t3rUwRxs/U_TJ9clWQoI/AAAAAAAAFVc/E33_nMhwSnI/s1600/20140818_140935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qB7t3rUwRxs/U_TJ9clWQoI/AAAAAAAAFVc/E33_nMhwSnI/s1600/20140818_140935.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They provide a simple lunch menu but I was in the mood for something from the a la carte menu with a bit more variety.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Myself and mum decided to share our starter and main because she is a very light eater. We decided to go for a Fritto Misto to start and a Spinach, Rocket and Ricotta cheese pizza for our main. M went for Carrot and Coriander soup to start and the Chicken Marsala Florentine for main.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Fritto Misto has 2 sizes, one for individuals and one for sharing; I asked the waitress if the larger sharing platter was quite big and she said it would be better for the 2 of us because the smaller one is really designed for 1 person. Worried that the smaller one would be too small, we went with the bigger one. Big mistake!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The portion was big enough for 4 people to share as a starter!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The seafood was very fresh and there was a good selection of squid, king prawns, whitebait and baby octopus served with a very creamy aioli. The salad in the centre was seasoned really well, with a nice sweetness coming from the cabbage and onions - I probably would have eaten it all if there wasn't so much seafood to chow through. The plating is slightly on the rough side, which I think was what they wanted to go for but I think it would have looked slightly more appealing if it was plated better and not just chucked on. The crispy coating on the seafood was again seasoned really well and complimented the dish as a whole but I couldn't help but notice that the coating wasn't completely crisp and in fact was slightly soggy in places. It was also quite greasy so my guess is that the oil may not have been hot enough when frying the fritto misto so the batter couldn't crisp up properly and left quite a bit of grease on the plate. Not denying it though, the seafood was nice, just a shame about the frying process.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">M's Carrot and Coriander soup was sweet and had a nice kick to it. He told me it was one of the best carrot soups he has had in a restaurant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We didn't have to wait long for main courses to arrive after our starters and as the large pizza was put down, mother did notice the crust was quite well fired. In past experiences with well fired crusts, the thin pizzas were usually overdone and quite hard but as I went to put the cutter down in to the crust, it gave way nicely and cut very well. Although it was slightly darker in colour than the other pizzas I had seen being served around me, it was still a very good pizza. Fresh green spinach and rocket was piled on the top along with parmesan shavings, briefly hiding the ricotta and mozzarella cheese that had been placed very evenly on the beautifully thin base. Mother liked having the ricotta as it wasn't heavy and since she had picked the parmesan shavings off hers and on to my slices, she wasn't overloaded with cheese. The flavour of the Parmesan provides a salty element to the pizza hence adding depth, otherwise the pizza may have been slightly bland.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thanks to the humungous starter, I only managed to eat a few slices while mother managed 2. Yes, 2 slices!</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Needless to say, I asked the waitress to box up the rest for me to take home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">M's Chicken Marsala looked very tasty and I was very impressed that they even cooked it with the skin left on the chicken in order to keep the meat moist. It came with a very tasty garlic mash that M thoroughly enjoyed but he couldn't finish his chicken as he found it a bit too salty. He hadn't told me this until we got home because he is annoying that way so I was unable to notify the waitress when she had asked if the meal was okay.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DkXtWB6x-G7KMrR64RAG0oZB-OWOepJLHZSgMhTAT2mUCHpLoUUjEu-l2s6wFa50Kg604ZUqcFbhYKD2MuUH520qlzjXzjv-Bvuze0bPNdPnJyigEjlka_yssHgA9qXA4UmeJTjzOpwd/s1600/20140818_145643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6DkXtWB6x-G7KMrR64RAG0oZB-OWOepJLHZSgMhTAT2mUCHpLoUUjEu-l2s6wFa50Kg604ZUqcFbhYKD2MuUH520qlzjXzjv-Bvuze0bPNdPnJyigEjlka_yssHgA9qXA4UmeJTjzOpwd/s1600/20140818_145643.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">None of us were able to have desserts this time around but I will definitely make sure I have room to try it out on my next visit. It shouldn't be too long a wait for that as my brother would like to give this place a try with his kids very soon.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yes, the food I had at Italian Grill could do with some minor improvements but all in all, it was a decent meal in a lovely central location and it is definitely a place people should consider trying out instead of going to other sub par eateries in the centre (not dropping names but most people who work and live in dundee will know which ones I mean). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Italian Grill obviously care about the food they serve and the staff are all friendly and very polite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They have had such a success with Henry's and The Meathouse that I have very high hopes for the future of Italian Grill - I wish the team all the very best with their beautiful restaurant. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I had put this off for so long and had even deleted it because I felt that this was not the platform to express my battle with the food demons. Also because I feel so drained from being in that zone, that typing it actually exhausted me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Depression.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">A word that many pretend not to hear or a word that many think is used to describe someone who is weak.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fighting every day to find something positive in your life is not weak.</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack is my favourite film that stars Robin Williams.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Robin Williams battled with depression for a long time but even when he was probably at his lowest, he didn't show this to the world. Instead he was making sure everyone else was happy, was laughing and smiling. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">He was addicted to alcohol and drugs at certain points in his life. Could this have been his way of dealing with his depression? His way of numbing the pain and keeping up with the fight?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We might never know.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Everyone has their opinions and views on this issue with his death but no one will ever know how he was feeling. Not even those who have been through it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For those who have been naming him a coward, words can not describe how stupid and naive you are.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We all deal with depression in different ways and we all have something we turn to: Alcohol, Exercise, Drugs, Music, Family, Books, Self-harm, Sex...the list goes on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mine, is food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I love good food but when I go through my lows I turn to junk. Lots of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mum said that I had loved food since I was a baby and that to stop me crying, all they had to do was give me food. Yup, my unhealthy relationship with food started VERY early.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Growing up, mum always commented on how fat I was getting and how I needed to lose weight but I think she felt bad for saying those things because the very next day she would be buying or cooking my favourite foods for me. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I don't blame mum. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">She was working 6 days a week and instead of her getting us ready for school in the mornings, we got ourselves ready on our own from as early as I can remember - can you imagine the 7 year old me working a gas grill to make toast?! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The only time she spent with us was on her day off because by the time we got home, her and dad were at work and by the time they got home, we were in bed.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My parents started me on dieting at about 10 years old. The only problem was, no one was there to support me or help me through it. It didn't help that I was working at the take-away, helping myself to a chip here or there and stuffing my face while no one was looking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">That became a norm for me - eating when someone's back is turned and then still eat full meals in front of them. Sometimes I ate so much I felt sick. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_oL5AjApVAjanw84Q7HhOTTH4Es8gjFcR627uPm77i0s6Hqe1gFw510kStl6bkBXTdmqqICEg4DEIsP2j300stEUTk3ZpOERox1G0uYnoDlmaSqp3LOxUZDVTEtbNj42uZWA1516kMt7/s1600/1928264_55815535874_6218767_n.jpg" height="226" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With my family on holiday in Florida</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE_oL5AjApVAjanw84Q7HhOTTH4Es8gjFcR627uPm77i0s6Hqe1gFw510kStl6bkBXTdmqqICEg4DEIsP2j300stEUTk3ZpOERox1G0uYnoDlmaSqp3LOxUZDVTEtbNj42uZWA1516kMt7/s1600/1928264_55815535874_6218767_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If I wasn't at the take-away I was mostly at home doing house work on my own while my brother helped out at the take-away. I wasn't allowed to play with the neighbourhood kids so I stayed in and ate whatever I could find. Food kept me company when I had nothing to do. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At around this time, I was also forced to attend a private school.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I loved the school I was originally attending - Everyone was a friend. I was the only chinese girl in the school but I was never bullied there, in fact I was friends with almost every pupil I knew in that place. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was made to take an entrance exam, which I wasn't very sure why, I just went along with the crowd. Maybe being oblivious to it all was what made me do extremely well and in turn got me accepted in to that school - it wasn't until after the exam I realised what it was for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was dreading the last day at my old school. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I remember crying. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I remember feeling angry. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So angry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The parents kept saying it was for my own good, blah blah blah. For a child, this means nothing. They don't know what is supposed to be good for them!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My new school was my hell. Teachers couldn't care less what the kids were feeling. None of them had the time for you. I spent many of my early days in that school trying to make excuses to go to the nurse's office (where I always got a fucking Tum Tum). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My grades started to slip.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The classes were divided up so the clever ones stayed in one class and the not so clever people were in another. They started me off in the 2nd top class but by the end of my 1st year there I was in the bottom class. In my old school I was in the top group for almost everything (bar english).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The pupils had their own groups of friends and this was the first time I was confronted with the "In" crowd, the bullies, the "geeks", the "loners" and whatever bloody groups you can think of. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I had changed friends so many times in that place and eventually I ended up with a group that made me laugh, made me realise that there were good people in that hell hole. But by then it was too late, my binge eating was already happening and there was no sign of stopping. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Did I get bullied? Yes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I didn't want to admit that I was a victim of bullying and I still don't but it's a fact that I must face. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was my time at this school that got me snacking on chocolate bars and crisps constantly. Before school, after school, on the bus, on the way home from the bus stop, in my bedroom - any time I was on my own. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Learning dance moves and dancing in the middle of my living room helped prevent my body reaching morbidly obese levels but I was still fat.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdOWIAQP-ruq3MyrHs7NKyNAfUxlt9ycsub5PPFbE4IIXijrC0ztk7O_x7JjBg-3moYuspWG22sqopL2E78DGN6l87izc2NR6EsW9Q-I-R7lUee_b5X1AWZbGie-9WF5Eing7F7T3NF6Z/s1600/524052_10150661564380875_1431685466_n.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My comforter.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibdOWIAQP-ruq3MyrHs7NKyNAfUxlt9ycsub5PPFbE4IIXijrC0ztk7O_x7JjBg-3moYuspWG22sqopL2E78DGN6l87izc2NR6EsW9Q-I-R7lUee_b5X1AWZbGie-9WF5Eing7F7T3NF6Z/s1600/524052_10150661564380875_1431685466_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At home I was asked to record football for dad but when I forgot, I got hell. Dad never hit me, but he would shout down the phone, yell and go berserk. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It didn't scare me but it did upset me that he was giving me grief for not remembering to record a football game when he forgets my birthdays. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mum would shout at me in the mornings if she woke up in a bad mood. Anything would set her off. It got so bad at one point that every saturday morning I woke up, sat in front of the telly and braced myself for the wrath that was coming my way (I only found out later on in life that mum was battling with her own demons). I was brought up to never talk back to my elders so I always kept my mouth shut.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">After each incident, food was my comforter. I ended up hiding food in my bedroom and stashed wrappers under the bed. If my mum found them she just thought I was greedy. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The chinese community would always call me the chubby girl. My cousin even asked me, "Why are you so fat?" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Did it hurt?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Of course it did but rather than lose the weight or tell them where to go, I ate more. Food blocked the bad memories. Temporarily.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM75LJWnJCySwdewxjk9sjjN8HhB95IASv3mt0WQOOinuVr41ma9LDFcB4nqIgb7hdOvAXtKBNtRwqN_NgeqmacqAonQqp3E2SFlC53dmtHTh5s7a9o9blvIYEOBBeniOtd_1Zhxtftqcc/s1600/29741_387766000874_4354652_n.jpg" height="211" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">17 years old - Someone who smiles does not necessarily mean they're happy.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM75LJWnJCySwdewxjk9sjjN8HhB95IASv3mt0WQOOinuVr41ma9LDFcB4nqIgb7hdOvAXtKBNtRwqN_NgeqmacqAonQqp3E2SFlC53dmtHTh5s7a9o9blvIYEOBBeniOtd_1Zhxtftqcc/s1600/29741_387766000874_4354652_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When I finished repeating my second year of Uni I decided to drop out. After so many years of doing everything I could to please everyone, I broke. I wasn't happy, and at this stage I was starting to self harm. I was prescribed anti-depressants by my doctor but it only made me feel worse so I stopped.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I couldn't bear the thought of failing my 3rd year then getting hell from my parents for failing again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Naturally, my parents went nuts. Dad especially. I was crying and trying to explain to them my "problem" but they didn't understand and they refused to acknowledge that I suffered from depression. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Can you imagine that feeling? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When the people you are supposed to lean on in times of trouble, when the people who are supposed to give you a simple hug...just laughs at you when you finally tell them that you have depression. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What would you do?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I left home. It was that or I killed myself. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I left a note. I posted my keys through the letter box. I packed the essentials and left in the early hours of the morning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I spent 2 years living in Bristol with my then boyfriend. The relationship was terrible, he was abusive emotionally and made me feel like he was the only person I was allowed to talk to. He got insanely jealous of any guys I became friends with in work. Towards the end, it got physical. A push here, a shove there...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I spent most of my time at work where I ate constantly. I was never hungry because of the large amount of bread and cheese I was consuming on a daily basis - but my stomach never felt full either. I remembering devouring half a loaf of bread during one lunch break!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I got in to debt because I wasn't managing my money properly - pretty hard when the other half wasn't working much and had put everything in my name. I couldn't tell the family as I didn't want to seem like a failure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was in such a state that I couldn't bear it much longer. One afternoon, I swallowed a pack of painkillers...about 20. Instantly though, I knew I couldn't go through with it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What about the people in work who depend on you to be on time for your shift? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What about your family in Scotland?</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">STOP! WAKE UP!</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-KPlBWTykSdp13sBSC2qnjN9PQsjrKd_aP6Ni3MYZVU7P_XQFiJQnsju8FNbup6mqvlfLWgoTMjKda875XtKGvPL5rlHFgix1eZc7kZ_FFZ-j73yJA1ufrTPOsNR5GRCq3txWTMtomQ3/s1600/1800438_10151952655205875_1070567375_n.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is light in the darkness but not all of us can see it.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-KPlBWTykSdp13sBSC2qnjN9PQsjrKd_aP6Ni3MYZVU7P_XQFiJQnsju8FNbup6mqvlfLWgoTMjKda875XtKGvPL5rlHFgix1eZc7kZ_FFZ-j73yJA1ufrTPOsNR5GRCq3txWTMtomQ3/s1600/1800438_10151952655205875_1070567375_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My relationship with my family are much better since returning from Bristol. They have realised that I had a limit to how much I could be pushed. It doesn't mean it has all been fantastic - we still have our arguments but what family is perfect? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have seen a counsellor/mental health nurse before about my issues. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Did it help? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It helped to talk but when she mentioned doing certain things to help lift my mood - that's where I got stuck. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's hard to convince someone who is working in a restaurant 6 days a week and 11 hour days (and very depressed) to get up early and do exercises. Yes, I am probably making excuses for myself but unless you have been there, you will never know how it feels to try and get out of bed every morning, feeling like there is a constant pressure all over your body.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I told her I had used an app on my phone to track my calorie intake for a while and had lost 2 stones in a month. She was shocked and said that it was very drastic. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">However, for me, I felt like I had control. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I then lost the control because I ended up seeking food as a reward and comforter after going through another rough spell. That's why I was there. She told me not to use that app as it wasn't being realistic with weight management.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At the next session, she told me of an app that I could use to control and keep track of the foods I was consuming and that I should give it a go. It was the app I told her about!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I never went back after that session.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am still battling through it and maybe I will see a doctor again one day but right now I have so much going on I don't have the time to stop. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLFbBPBgfDXVc_PxSZNQ5OdhO-r3rgz8KdSAOzgR4jKA2K2SoYnsWXcZKc8TG-oe7T6a1I838WQzmoVXchOCO16-XrFLr-aiPiJwtxFHqdyUCAGXG1eiNb5aNBWPjuIgPoEWNVlUXsYYpx/s1600/60285_10151079236330875_2023498967_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Why do I get depressed? I don't know why.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Maybe it's because I feel trapped. Maybe it's because whenever I see the News, there is always bad news. Maybe it's because there are too many evil people in the world. Maybe it's because wars are going on constantly around the world. Maybe maybe maybe!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Not everyone will know why and asking them will not give you the answers when they themselves are asking that same question every minute of the day.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Do I still wish I wasn't alive? Yes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Do I still have thoughts of killing myself? I can't. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My nieces mean so much to me that I could never leave my family to tell them that their Aunt hated herself and the world so much that she had to commit suicide in order to be free.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ctyitm9uEmJ3BkrYsFKRW0KPHj9IdThUKWwxJE_SULbhNkRLNQ7wMT9LQkPW0OUVWAup27goz46PHAbEK5ePN63Dgsl11QXcB4mlg3vCzcLXyKwYrepih9M5gpOPjPBe5tZQuEbBX8yo/s1600/10509766_10152251714145875_9002880082319196356_n.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These two little monsters mean so much to me.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Ctyitm9uEmJ3BkrYsFKRW0KPHj9IdThUKWwxJE_SULbhNkRLNQ7wMT9LQkPW0OUVWAup27goz46PHAbEK5ePN63Dgsl11QXcB4mlg3vCzcLXyKwYrepih9M5gpOPjPBe5tZQuEbBX8yo/s1600/10509766_10152251714145875_9002880082319196356_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I know the foods I <i>should</i> be eating and the foods to avoid. I know what I <i>should</i> be doing to stop myself from feeling low. I know things that can help relieve stresses. I know all that! Does it mean I put it in to practice? No. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Why? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Because when a person wakes up in the morning feeling gutted that they are still alive, it is very hard to get that person to do those things that are supposed to "brighten" them up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Telling them to snap out of it doesn't help. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When someone asks me if I'm okay, I feel exhausted just saying, "yeah, doing alright."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am trying my best to have a better relationship with food and I feel Blogging has helped slightly. This blog has helped me to see things in a more positive light and is something I look forward to. I still do the odd bingeing when I feel crap but it is nowhere near as bad as it was. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When I found out Robin Williams had died, something inside me took a big hit. Knowing he had given up his battle with depression made me feel genuinely sad. Anyone losing their fight with that darkness inside them gets me going to that dark place too. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrxM6s5xBsEQGkkSMB9kgGUcRPfc0sdujkyBgqdNQpZQpWMukJvBrxTULp6oJIKH6tP9UcJXYfEF45h2AIHLYMseav0tfrjv-RnVeGNDwjaogHKkL5W0x8tLIdxvWs8l8FjJMc6vVAWtG/s1600/302212_10151084565255875_155338114_n.jpg" height="320" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exactly how I feel most of the time.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrxM6s5xBsEQGkkSMB9kgGUcRPfc0sdujkyBgqdNQpZQpWMukJvBrxTULp6oJIKH6tP9UcJXYfEF45h2AIHLYMseav0tfrjv-RnVeGNDwjaogHKkL5W0x8tLIdxvWs8l8FjJMc6vVAWtG/s1600/302212_10151084565255875_155338114_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Do we want to feel this way? Hell no! Why on earth would anyone <i>want</i> to feel this way?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The next time you see someone who is not as svelte as you, don't instantly jump to the conclusion that they are a lazy, greedy bum. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The next time you see someone who may not be as cheery as you, don't just assume that they are rude. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The next time you see someone with cut scars on their arms, don't think that they are just an attention seeking emo.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Everyone has their own story and until you have felt what they have felt and been through what they have been through, you will never truly understand how they are feeling. So NEVER say, "I know how you feel."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Believe me. You do not know how they feel.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Be supportive when you can. You don't need to do anything big, sometimes just sitting next to them is enough. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Be ready to listen - because you never know, you may save someone's life by just lending an ear.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To those of you who have suffered from depression before, you know what it is like and hopefully you will be able to educate those who are maybe not so sympathetic towards sufferers. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To those of you who are still fighting, I can't say it will get better because that would be false hope but please know that you are not alone in this. Take comfort in knowing that there are people out there who will listen and try to help, if you let them. Be strong.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This post will be the toughest one I publish as I have not spoken much about my past issues to my family and friends. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Thank you to anyone who has taken their time out to read this. It means a lot to me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I would also like to take the opportunity to thank those who have been there for me during the difficult times.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I will leave you with my favourite quotes from "Jack":</span><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001070/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Lawrence Woodruff</a>: You were a shooting star amongst ordinary stars. Have you ever seen a shooting star, Jack?</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Jack</a>: No.</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001070/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Lawrence Woodruff</a>: It's wonderful. It passes quickly, but while it's here it just lights up the whole sky - it's the most beautiful thing you'd ever want to see. So beautiful that the other stars stop and watch. You almost never see one.</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Jack</a>: Why not?</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001070/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Lawrence Woodruff</a>: Beacuse they're very rare. Quite rare. But I saw one. I did.</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000245/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Jack</a>: I just want to be a regular star.</b></div>
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<b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001070/?ref_=tt_trv_qu" style="color: #70579d; text-decoration: none;">Lawrence Woodruff</a>: Jack, you'll never be regular. You're spectacular.</b></div>
<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #fcfae7; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Please, don't worry so much. Because in the end, none of us have very long on this Earth. Life is fleeting. And if you're ever distressed, cast your eyes to the summer sky when the stars are strung across the velvety night. And when a shooting star streaks through the blackness, turning night into day... make a wish and think of me. Make your life spectacular.</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Note: Every individual suffering from depression are different and all the views I have on the subject are my own opinions. They certainly don't reflect on how every person with depression feels. Everyone has a story. This is a snippet of mine.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-79496323401964847052014-08-13T16:27:00.000-07:002014-08-14T00:27:10.989-07:00Liebster Nomination!<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Having only been blogging for a couple of months, to be nominated for a Liebster Award is very exciting stuff indeed!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">When my good friend Genna, over at <a href="http://www.bletheringboys.com/" target="_blank"><b>Blethering Boys</b></a>, first nominated me for this, I really wasn't sure what it was all about but after some reading and some searching I realised that it is an awesome thing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Genna was the one who encouraged me to start a blog and was the one who taught me how to get started in the first place so for that, I can't thank her enough.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5NUexS809t1p3dBc1CC00Iql3Yd2VWGOw4OuByHxxclPOsoE_xstW4v7JoebkTgB6Fr733gBHisjVyviyA7kHrHaYy2F_bfmKMJDsSGWvJ960Cs6zPd4qZ185-xxupbbHZqyYlOA7GN0/s1600/liebster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5NUexS809t1p3dBc1CC00Iql3Yd2VWGOw4OuByHxxclPOsoE_xstW4v7JoebkTgB6Fr733gBHisjVyviyA7kHrHaYy2F_bfmKMJDsSGWvJ960Cs6zPd4qZ185-xxupbbHZqyYlOA7GN0/s1600/liebster.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So what is the Liebster Award?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's a gift from fellow bloggers to small blogs (like mine) that have less than 200 followers. It was created to recognise and/or discover new bloggers and welcome them to the blogosphere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Starting my blog has given me something to look forward to and keeps me from hating my job so much so to know that there are people even liking anything I am blogging about is a great boost to my confidence.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The rules for accepting this award are</span></div>
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<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">List 11 random facts about myself</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated me</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Nominate 11 blogs who have less than 200 followers and let them know they have been nominated</span></li>
<li style="margin: 0px 0px 0.25em; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #cc0000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Post 11 questions for these new nominees to answer (if they choose to accept the award - it's completely optional)</span></li>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So here goes...</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>11 random facts about me:</b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was born in a small fishing town called Arbroath in Scotland.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I dropped out of uni and ran away from home, ended up in Bristol for 2 years and had one of the best jobs ever. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A huge My Neighbour Totoro fan. Been watching it since I was a kid and still love it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Held 4 part-time jobs while in 2nd year of uni. I failed that year, by one god damn module!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I work 6 days a week, 10-11hrs a day.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Almost all my clothes are black.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The movie P.S. I Love Y</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">ou, makes me cry every time.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love photographs - so many memories with a click of a button.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I dream to one day, have a beautiful house/cottage by a lake or the seaside.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I HATE people who throw their rubbish on the ground rather than using a bin.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have my own crystal ball and Tarot Cards.</span></li>
</ol>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvCLgsp5tnA-33DjeitHRFPkJlAw4NE3IhBnmE7IH8tZR7ZlMALvhNFHbHtQBmx2bFFMyayNveaoySxhDfomQ8x4BiWJMs4yDuAPXK9cVVJ_aKM5iiaMzXWPZ5qd6xtzsjdqlsizZsLh4/s1600/IMG_20140304_224638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUvCLgsp5tnA-33DjeitHRFPkJlAw4NE3IhBnmE7IH8tZR7ZlMALvhNFHbHtQBmx2bFFMyayNveaoySxhDfomQ8x4BiWJMs4yDuAPXK9cVVJ_aKM5iiaMzXWPZ5qd6xtzsjdqlsizZsLh4/s1600/IMG_20140304_224638.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The answers to the questions Blethering Boys asked me:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">1. What is your favourite smell in the whole world and why?</span></div>
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The smell of a Hong Kong bakery - such an amazing mixture of smells that range from sweet to savoury. It reminds me of when I was very young and was taken to a Hong Kong bakery where they had the prettiest cakes I had ever seen. </div>
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<span style="color: blue;">2. Do you have any filthy habits?</span></div>
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What do you mean by filthy? ha ha! I would say not cleaning my car enough is a bit of a filthy habit.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">3. What is the one thing you need to do before you can go to sleep at night?</span></div>
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Turn my phone to silent.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">4. What has your biggest blogging success been so far?</span></div>
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Being nominated for this award!</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">5. What's your favourite book?</span></div>
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Lovely Bones</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">6. What is the main goal you have with your blog?</span></div>
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To share my experiences with testing recipes and trying out restaurants.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">7. Best day of your life?</span></div>
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The day I spent a whole afternoon in the hotel pool with a boy while our parents were scuba diving at sea. We talked, we swam, he taught me how to bomb dive the pool. Simple childhood times were the best.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">8. Anyone you want to big up or link to? I'm a huge fan of <a href="http://papercloudsapparel.com/" style="color: #888888; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Paper Clouds Apparel</a>, so i'mma using this to shout out! </span></div>
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<a href="http://thebakerydunbar.co.uk/" target="_blank"><b>The Bakery Dunbar</b></a> - community bakery with great pastries and bread!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_h_1uE6_iH99IGFi1MbA6k9SOdG8uWy79aSV_jjx9Xo2LEa0PIl4JktWZQH9C0iRC7qzIOWWIGGgvVnix0uuT9Qg7LviqUVFqqH-PPJ2mdvK8ymoKX0YtTZnri7uGbvx8RXeGmZ1AwBXj/s1600/20140204_200350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_h_1uE6_iH99IGFi1MbA6k9SOdG8uWy79aSV_jjx9Xo2LEa0PIl4JktWZQH9C0iRC7qzIOWWIGGgvVnix0uuT9Qg7LviqUVFqqH-PPJ2mdvK8ymoKX0YtTZnri7uGbvx8RXeGmZ1AwBXj/s1600/20140204_200350.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">9. Do you always iron your clothes or are you free and easy with the creases?</span></div>
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Depends on what the clothes are for.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">10. Dogs or Cats?</span></div>
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Dogs! Every time.</div>
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<span style="color: blue;">11. Random secret from your teenage years?</span></div>
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I was a huge <a href="http://www.hanson.net/site/sections/1" target="_blank">Hanson</a> fan! There. I said it.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>The Bloggers I would like to nominate are:</b></span></div>
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1. Rachela @<a href="http://www.purelifebeautiful.com/" target="_blank"> <span style="color: black;">Pure Life Beautiful</span></a></div>
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2. Corinna @ <a href="http://thegermanwanderer.com/about_me/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">The German Wanderer</span></a></div>
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3. Jaiza @ <a href="http://iamthunderchick.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Thunderchick</span></a></div>
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4. Dhara @ <a href="http://dharaskitchen.blogspot.in/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Dhara's Kitchen</span></a></div>
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5. Stephni @<a href="http://hellostephni.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"> <span style="color: black;">Hello Stephni</span></a></div>
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6. Kizi @ <a href="http://bouffista.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Bouffista</span></a></div>
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7. Tapashi @ <a href="http://tastedishes.blogspot.in/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Food Lovers Zone</span></a></div>
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8. Niamh @ <a href="http://thegamebird.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">The Game Bird Food Chronicles</span></a></div>
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9. <a href="http://theshyfoodie.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"> </a>Winse @ <a href="http://winsesweewok.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Winse's Wee Wok</span></a></div>
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10. Magee @ <a href="http://mageeskitchenworld.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Magee's Kitchen</span></a></div>
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11. Lucy @ <a href="http://lululovesfoodandotherthings.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Lulu Loves Food & Other Things</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>My Questions for the Nominees:</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">1. What got you Blogging in the first place?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">2. What is your favourite TV show?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">3. Who is your biggest celebrity crush?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">4. If you could be granted ONE wish, what would it be?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">5. What has been the proudest moment of your life?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">6. How do you like your eggs?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">7. Flora or Fauna?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">8. What is your all time favourite food?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">9. What would be your ideal holiday destination?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">10. Do you like to watch movies at the cinema or wait until it is out on DVD?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">11. Who/What inspires you?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #674ea7;">Nominees who accept the award - please put a link to your post in the comments box below.</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-13529321872100109902014-08-07T10:40:00.000-07:002014-08-07T11:43:34.132-07:00Ashiana - Birthday Meal<span style="font-size: large;">There are quite a lot of Indian/Asian restaurants/takeaways in Scotland. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">A LOT. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This doesn't mean they are all good though. In fact, I would say 8 out of 10 Indian takeaways I have tried have been pretty rubbish (a few pieces of overcooked meat floating around in brightly coloured and bland sauce is not my thing) so this is why I would prefer dining at an Indian restaurant rather than get a takeout. Most takeouts are never that good once it has been put in to a plastic box anyway.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The Indian restaurants I have visited in Dundee have never given me a horrible experience but they have never excited me or made me feel the need to go back so when one of my besties wanted to go to a recently opened, Asian restaurant for his birthday meal I was already thinking that it will just be another one of your average, run of the mill, Indian restaurant. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Firstly, I would like to state that <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Ashiana.Dundee?fref=ts" target="_blank">Ashiana</a> is not an Indian restaurant, they are an Asian fusion restaurant. From what I gather when reading their menu, is that they specialise in Indian and Bangladeshi Cuisine. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If the first thought that comes to your head is, "Isn't that just the same thing?" That's like someone saying Scotland and England are the same or America and Canada are the same. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">They are not the same. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Bangladesh have their own flag, they established independence from Pakistan in 1971. Bangladeshi food is more centred towards fish curries and they use more coconut milk and root vegetables in their dishes. Indian curries tend to have more spices.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK8WA5_oJi-CHzsCfMh3FHzNuY_VWoj-vQKRAN_K_cnJHVPEKTNu7CGB9ouipcvoGnDSVRJUgjQHx8QA5sI1GCCmoLaJ-BQah6BZWkCRH-n6uxJteUE5KcMwEiIT9Q5xmZ5e9FScMun9I/s1600/India_Asia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWK8WA5_oJi-CHzsCfMh3FHzNuY_VWoj-vQKRAN_K_cnJHVPEKTNu7CGB9ouipcvoGnDSVRJUgjQHx8QA5sI1GCCmoLaJ-BQah6BZWkCRH-n6uxJteUE5KcMwEiIT9Q5xmZ5e9FScMun9I/s1600/India_Asia.jpg" height="400" width="397" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little map for those who may not be sure where Bangladesh is.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As we walked up to the entrance a gentleman, who looked very much like the owner of the place, greeted us very quietly and politely, he led us through a very well lit entrance hall that had a very pretty crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling and LED spotlights dotted around the place.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The music was instrumental soundtracks from old movies which wouldn't have been too bad if each one hadn't sounded like some heartbreaking lovesick song. It reminded me of my grandfather's first ever restaurant in Arbroath back in the 80's where the music in every Chinese restaurant was instrumental love ballads and every table had a small vase of carnations. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeKyaJcQxsAZmVGQ6Cm0ER6mo-oOhkbp56oZn_MSvVO5XJ4rhhCyrvJxOnrY-dGKS_SdQepeNd9khd3IXBcCMinhpATd4BCyXAc7GUcjb0I5nZlx9OJWlU2rdG7byh66S-HH_S-OommpU/s1600/P1020760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoeKyaJcQxsAZmVGQ6Cm0ER6mo-oOhkbp56oZn_MSvVO5XJ4rhhCyrvJxOnrY-dGKS_SdQepeNd9khd3IXBcCMinhpATd4BCyXAc7GUcjb0I5nZlx9OJWlU2rdG7byh66S-HH_S-OommpU/s1600/P1020760.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our table view</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The building that is now occupied by Ashiana (and the newly opened Japanese restaurant in the basement) had belonged to the University of Dundee for many years and so the building itself is quite old with stairs that are not suitable for wheelchair users. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlFNiahgyJfaRIqdmXxAQXoILQv9t24xReLH9Ve0rlZToUa7mZcegQxfe2NP1nvQKd_G3xP5vR8FlnUHpwfes187KOS9r1PiDBrZ22kQ__kTX_vH_Tu0_nmCwV7icj4dhJvUq9VFPFO8Y/s1600/P1020764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlFNiahgyJfaRIqdmXxAQXoILQv9t24xReLH9Ve0rlZToUa7mZcegQxfe2NP1nvQKd_G3xP5vR8FlnUHpwfes187KOS9r1PiDBrZ22kQ__kTX_vH_Tu0_nmCwV7icj4dhJvUq9VFPFO8Y/s1600/P1020764.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is just to show how clean the tables were.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The restaurant area itself is quite spacious and there is plenty of natural light that comes through the large windows. The decor is very modern, but the beautiful (and very comfortable) wooden chairs and the lovely table runners, certainly add an element of traditional sophistication to the place. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">If you are vertically challenged, like me, it may take a a few minutes for you to get comfortably seated as the chairs have quite a lot of padding in it - not a bad thing mind, but it did mean my feet couldn't touch the ground when I sat properly on the chair!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You can stop laughing now!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We were given 3 menus: Food Menu, Chef's Special Menu and Drinks Menu.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpu_nBTmr7foXyxqjLiUcJTO9yur-IuPPesLwYiZfvnmHQ3AkNCzcaQRsQ0p2ZWU3c6jSY-jOkqmQyRqSASBKoOIRM-WPJPvMjqe-plT3XsffnbN1zc-85Sj8S8FJD_draXCWFfO5FHS_9/s1600/P1020763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpu_nBTmr7foXyxqjLiUcJTO9yur-IuPPesLwYiZfvnmHQ3AkNCzcaQRsQ0p2ZWU3c6jSY-jOkqmQyRqSASBKoOIRM-WPJPvMjqe-plT3XsffnbN1zc-85Sj8S8FJD_draXCWFfO5FHS_9/s1600/P1020763.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little sneak peek of the Chef's Special Menu.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Food menu is extensive - so extensive we had to ask the waitress to give us a few more minutes to look through the menu. The ordinary menu along with the Chef's special menu may confuse many people who have never dined in an Asian restaurant before. Saying that though, the staff there are very friendly and I am sure they would be happy to help you with anything you are unfamiliar with.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Drinks menu is also extensive and what surprised me the most is the wide variety of wines they have on offer. I don't drink alcohol much but I know people who do and have always heard them say that most restaurants are very boring with their wine list so I am sure they would be very happy with Ashiana's list.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The restaurant was very clean and staff were dressed smart but not pretentious looking. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Vegetarians will be delighted to know that Ashiana have a very good selection of meat free dishes to offer you, with different spice levels to suit all palates. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYns0NK5bE75E2-y4v5AKupfjStEgrb2RMKKAh9ioAt4P9KHsm258OA7UoSWdlGTuG0-qDeEBNEWUK_j55VPCXbr01KCDCu3rZpRgvgXw1sHc3yq6I6vuV5RhN63adDOsRqREaUHTPbDA/s1600/P1020772.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYns0NK5bE75E2-y4v5AKupfjStEgrb2RMKKAh9ioAt4P9KHsm258OA7UoSWdlGTuG0-qDeEBNEWUK_j55VPCXbr01KCDCu3rZpRgvgXw1sHc3yq6I6vuV5RhN63adDOsRqREaUHTPbDA/s1600/P1020772.JPG" height="506" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vegetable Ala Bomb</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you are not vegetarian, then you will want to try one of their fish dishes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">No, I never had a fish dish, this is because I had a huge craving for king prawns but looking back I really should have went for a fish curry. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We ordered poppadoms as an appetiser; the poppadoms came with an onion chutney and mango chutney. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I usually give the onion chutney a miss and just have the mango, but when this came</span><span style="font-size: large;"> the onions were much finer than the usual onion chutneys I have come across in the past so decided to give this a go. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">No regrets! I was blown away by how little of the raw onions I could actually taste but instead had a burst of sweet/sharp relish with hints of fresh coriander mixed in. Just thinking about it now has got my mouth watering...mm...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-VDsvTOjmgO_qHmAShooqAMMb4JYdlse-4EQBy6kJHPDV5SoeQZMQVPJTotD540bLGGtGB017KdVV4h5cPwm6QNl-NJavfzMPud1Tuv_J7_rkiPk1V6ZKW96MohSq-sjpPV8mtKCE1df/s1600/P1020765.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj-VDsvTOjmgO_qHmAShooqAMMb4JYdlse-4EQBy6kJHPDV5SoeQZMQVPJTotD540bLGGtGB017KdVV4h5cPwm6QNl-NJavfzMPud1Tuv_J7_rkiPk1V6ZKW96MohSq-sjpPV8mtKCE1df/s1600/P1020765.JPG" height="552" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crispy and bubbly, yum!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For starters we ordered: Lamb Tikka, Chicken Pakora, Mixed Pakora, and Beguni (aubergine bhaji).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">My lamb tikka was well cooked, although it was ever so slightly overdone, there was still a good amount of flavour and the sauce they had as an accompaniment had a </span><span style="font-size: large;">slight tang with a hint of spice which </span><span style="font-size: large;">went well with every starter. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMslqZ0IeZ_43FB1-agoHDGSPf0nmSYKc8Ke8A7FyXf-525XDZd8iKcovlrWdpVxiSMIdGBonIXwTRPHOAyU_wF5z5PQzNy3PxwuJpHKOWY_8khpNH6x8sACpIw8o0RRAFhqRjayMptM-_/s1600/P1020766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMslqZ0IeZ_43FB1-agoHDGSPf0nmSYKc8Ke8A7FyXf-525XDZd8iKcovlrWdpVxiSMIdGBonIXwTRPHOAyU_wF5z5PQzNy3PxwuJpHKOWY_8khpNH6x8sACpIw8o0RRAFhqRjayMptM-_/s1600/P1020766.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lamb Tikka Starter - I love coriander!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Beguni were slices of aubergine coated in a seasoned batter and deep fried. Aubergine can sometimes turn out to be a sloppy mess if overdone but the chef cooked the Beguni perfectly so that the aubergines were soft but still had a slight firmness to them and held their shapes. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bkxZHsFyGdr5QAmDsAskxUyBbyU9RAZ1B1M9HCMFUU0KhioA20AdpDiiJbHxu0-I-fD1GaFN_AVyePz_SRqzuEOFU1ZdRvbraUs-TIw11_esgvWS9bWfhHX-o2Mmf8RTOFBjundha9Gm/s1600/P1020767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bkxZHsFyGdr5QAmDsAskxUyBbyU9RAZ1B1M9HCMFUU0KhioA20AdpDiiJbHxu0-I-fD1GaFN_AVyePz_SRqzuEOFU1ZdRvbraUs-TIw11_esgvWS9bWfhHX-o2Mmf8RTOFBjundha9Gm/s1600/P1020767.JPG" height="400" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beguni - I personally think they could have done without the carrot stick.</td></tr>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had one little niggle with the garnish on the plates though. The carrot stick that was placed along with the salads. If they were just using the carrot as a garnish, then maybe slicing little flowers would look slightly prettier than a carrot stick that looks like it's been kept in a zip-lock bag for snack-time.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Main courses: Vegetable Ala Bomb, King Prawn Biryani, Special Biryani and Chicken and Lamb Biryani, and a Railway Lamb Curry.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">All of us had enjoyed our main course just as much as we had enjoyed the starters. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Beautiful presentation (although the salads on the side could do with looking a bit more elegant). </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The spices used in the Biryani was what made this dish so tasty and the light heat was enough to get that sensation but not enough to burn my tongue off. They didn't skimp on the prawns either but I did find the prawns a tad over cooked and the fried onions on top of the rice had me slightly sceptical at first but they really completed the dish by adding a different texture and a slight sweetness to the dish.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVvWiGTtgxYyaapUqdsH4OO1Sxgw20yIgVUrPxQsK_htG-N6di77PV3dq9sygu6gIw3oohBRhGmwjAzh1LeNw6sjYNSw1RFJ5QskDzFusdmyRuqJVhMzyW9C1NRxwt6th6dinFF6VBBuH/s1600/P1020771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYVvWiGTtgxYyaapUqdsH4OO1Sxgw20yIgVUrPxQsK_htG-N6di77PV3dq9sygu6gIw3oohBRhGmwjAzh1LeNw6sjYNSw1RFJ5QskDzFusdmyRuqJVhMzyW9C1NRxwt6th6dinFF6VBBuH/s1600/P1020771.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My King Prawn Biryani.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They provided a vegetable curry to accompany the Biryani - now this is where Ashiana shone for me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Most vegetable curries I have had in the past have mostly been bits of vegetables (usually boiled to death) swimming in curry sauce, if I was lucky there would be some pureed lentils too. Ashiana's veg curry was packed full of vegetables and there was just enough lentils and sauce to keep it moist. Great flavours and great for picking up with the Naan bread.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of Naan bread, we ordered two garlic and one cheese - I was going to just order one garlic and one cheese, but then someone asked,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"mm...will that really be enough?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't need much convincing when it comes to Naan, so another one it is then!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When the bread came we were given plain instead of garlic. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">When we notified the waitress of the mistake, she was very apologetic and let us keep the plain Naan while she went to put in an order for the garlic Naan. We ended up with a Naan each! Needless to say, we never managed to finish all the breads but Heather, the slimmest one out of us all, took her unfinished veg bombe and the rest of the Naans home with her to enjoy the day after.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Better that than see perfectly good food go to waste.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I don't remember seeing a dessert menu but we didn't really need it due to the huge birthday cake that Heather had made.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That was some chocolaty goodness!</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvp_ptFu1dGiNEcFv9oTZOglM0zHGIC6CUBUn7nJ9BBN1lVxOW2DpYL053WABfGdOGwgY-94St3UqrmOrKV9tpI7SLIZtnIiuwyveU0eR2zIdPRNZN6uz3AdYHgNpvMZRT-I2CX0M_HBs/s1600/20140804_210150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRvp_ptFu1dGiNEcFv9oTZOglM0zHGIC6CUBUn7nJ9BBN1lVxOW2DpYL053WABfGdOGwgY-94St3UqrmOrKV9tpI7SLIZtnIiuwyveU0eR2zIdPRNZN6uz3AdYHgNpvMZRT-I2CX0M_HBs/s1600/20140804_210150.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The yummy cake.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The waitress and the owner were very attentive, making sure everything was okay throughout the evening. The restaurant was fairly quiet (unsurprising as it was a Monday night), with only 2 other tables there. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Everything had been alright but my one major criticism would be the journey to the toilets. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I know I know, the toilet issue again. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I asked the waitress where the toilets were and she led me to this door next to the main entrance. As we entered said door, she turned the lights on to this very dark corridor with stairs leading up to the toilets. It is a little bit of a hike, but when you are in an old style building it's impossible to have everything on the same level. She took me all the way up the stairs and showed me to the toilets. The toilets were clean but because the corridor and stairs were very bare, it felt slightly eerie. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">At the bottom of the stairs, just before I went back through the doors to the well lit restaurant, there was a broken wooden door, some empty cardboard boxes and an abandoned vending machine. I understand that not everyone uses toilets in a restaurant, but those that do would probably not want the illusion of a perfectly lovely looking restaurant to be shattered by some abandoned furniture.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">All in all, I had a lovely meal with my lovely friends and apart from the little weird journey to and back from the ladies' room I wouldn't hesitate to return to try out the other different types of dishes they have to offer. Here's hoping the next time I go, the back stairs and corridor is cleared of the small clutter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Would I recommend Ashiana to visitors to Dundee? YES.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Their food is great, the staff are pleasant, the place is clean; what more could you ask for?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TRfZem-fCJJ6NtG38F7g3Dr28xvncDfyLLACPeWgn2kV2x97XaUsSwHXOuLbDdPtPTZ9mEweWdqirRe7Uu0mdOpdneaLjyKXwQcmq_EruxjPQkPDCHiZU2Culhpa9tWxEyoyP_3_JNEo/s1600/P1020761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TRfZem-fCJJ6NtG38F7g3Dr28xvncDfyLLACPeWgn2kV2x97XaUsSwHXOuLbDdPtPTZ9mEweWdqirRe7Uu0mdOpdneaLjyKXwQcmq_EruxjPQkPDCHiZU2Culhpa9tWxEyoyP_3_JNEo/s1600/P1020761.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-9449318127552187342014-07-30T07:42:00.000-07:002014-08-21T16:19:38.766-07:00Scones<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ah, the good old scone. Dolloped with clotted cream and some good old homemade <a href="http://yumyumyu.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/scottish-summer-strawberry-jam.html" target="_blank"><b>strawberry jam</b></a>. What a luxury.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have NEVER had a good scone from a supermarket or bakery. They may look good but I was always disappointed by the hard, chewy textures. Even when I made my first scone in Home Ec, it was a big fat fail. In my mind, scones are supposed to be soft and fluffy inside so that when you bite in to it, there is the textural differences between that and the crumble exterior (maybe not crumble, but it isn't hard or crispy!).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I had pretty much given up on scones, until I went to Poole in the summer of 2011.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Poole is a coastal town at the southern coast of England and I was there for a couple of months on business. During the last month I was there, M and I had come across this tearoom and decided to go in as it looked very mysterious and very different to the rest of the town centre. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzK8ofugHJrViOnFOh3gXDC44dgVfm1PzzI9g-Aa969DpV6qH45m7t0m6m130-ldAltd9DjqvhsLE9FanAUMry8el9fbSScHTopQSb3WARdmPU0rKyOLJ8rm1Xd6dgYfxLUovKOXX6GMS_/s1600/258019_10150229091505875_6843104_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzK8ofugHJrViOnFOh3gXDC44dgVfm1PzzI9g-Aa969DpV6qH45m7t0m6m130-ldAltd9DjqvhsLE9FanAUMry8el9fbSScHTopQSb3WARdmPU0rKyOLJ8rm1Xd6dgYfxLUovKOXX6GMS_/s1600/258019_10150229091505875_6843104_o.jpg" height="320" width="191" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As we entered the small archway, we walked through this very narrow old stone alley and in to, what looked like someone's kitchen. There was very limited seating but then you go across the small beautiful courtyard and in to this other room (which looked like a converted shed) that was much more comfortable and roomy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It was in this room that I tried the best scones I have ever tasted in my life. I had never tasted anything like it and to have it with clotted cream (that was a first for me too) and jam, was just heaven! I will never forget it and nor will I forget the lovely owner who took the time out to talk to me about her tearoom, how she sourced her teapots, even gave me the name of the company that supplied her teas to her and let me have a special blend of tea that I chose myself.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8iKBBS8a1VCcoIa0ZgH-y1vMKU4Gv3KBndMIkcLOE31VcoUWuhvNYpZ87kXvFKZiIx3K3KDg5hJy1KLFGtFiw5Ykvo3mXF6PObnD19nEC5bzgRjlLHZjLh9TsAp3iuCbD2lpFR3zJ06K/s1600/271320_10150229090940875_199157_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ8iKBBS8a1VCcoIa0ZgH-y1vMKU4Gv3KBndMIkcLOE31VcoUWuhvNYpZ87kXvFKZiIx3K3KDg5hJy1KLFGtFiw5Ykvo3mXF6PObnD19nEC5bzgRjlLHZjLh9TsAp3iuCbD2lpFR3zJ06K/s1600/271320_10150229090940875_199157_o.jpg" height="237" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">As soon as I returned to Scotland, I had this huge urge to look for a great scone recipe and perfect it. When I finally got the results I was after, I vowed I would never share my scone recipe.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Yeah, I caved.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This recipe is so easy to do and it will make you regret having ever bought those awful supermarket ones again.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Key pointers:</span><br />
<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Handle the dough as little as possible - working it too much will cause the gluten in the flour to start working, creating a tougher scone.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">It's okay to use a food processor to blend the flour and butter together - as long as you pulse it just enough to get to the "breadcrumb" stage then you will be fine. Saves you time and cramps in the fingers.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Don't be tempted in to adding more flour! The dough is meant to be quite damp/sticky so lightly flouring your fingers and counter should be sufficient. If you add more flour you will end up with tough, dry scones.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When you lift the cutter from the dough, don't twist to release - this will prevent the scone from rising properly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Make sure you egg wash doesn't run down the sides of the scones, this will prevent a good rise. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Preheat your baking sheet - the initial heat will start the cooking process as soon as the scones hit the sheet, which gives a more even bake and a better rise.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Don't worry about making "perfect" shaped scones - there is no such thing. Rustic looks pretty perfect to me and as long as they taste great, who cares what they look like!</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Good Luck! </span></div>
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<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u><b>Scones (makes approx 8)</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ingredients</b></span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">350g Self Raising Flour</span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">pinch of Salt</span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 tsp Baking Powder</span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">3 tbsp Caster Sugar</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">85g Cold Butter, cubed</span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">175ml Milk</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 tsp Vanilla Extract</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Squeeze of Lemon Juice</span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beaten Egg for glazing</span></div>
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<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Method</b></span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: #f2d59b; padding: 5px 8px 5px 8px;">
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 220ºC.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sift together the flour, salt and baking powder then stir in the sugar.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Place it in the food processor, along with the cold butter and pulse until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Put it all in a bowl afterwards.</span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Warm the milk in the microwave for approximately 30 secs. Ensure it is warm and not hot! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Add the lemon juice and vanilla.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Using a cutlery knife, combine the flour and milk until it just comes together. Try not to work it too much.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tip the dough on to your floured worktop and using your floured fingertips, fold the dough 2-3times just to smooth the dough out. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pat the dough in to a disc, about 4cm thick.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dip a 5cm cutter in to flour and plunge it in to the dough to cut out scones. Gently press the leftovers together and repeat the patting down and cutting until you have no dough left.</span></li>
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<li><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Brush the tops with the egg and then place them (carefully!) on the hot baking sheet.</span></li>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Best eaten warm with a dollop of clotted cream and some homemade jam! (check out my previous post for the jam recipe)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If you can't finish it, freeze them once they have cooled. Defrost before refreshing them in a preheated oven (160ºC) for a few minutes.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">ENJOY!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Farm has chickens, horses and a huge area for the children to run wild and play while parents can either join in or just laze about on the grass. I ended up taking Ella to run about and play on hay bales, climb up the "huge pillow" and go sliding down chutes and slides. She doesn't have very good balance so we like to keep a close eye on her, especially when in an area where there is a high volume of children running around, much faster than her. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Ella had a blast though and what really surprised me was that although there were loads of children running about, they were very careful around her and even waited patiently for her to climb up the hay bales slowly to get to the chute herself. I could not have been more proud of these kids and of Ella for doing it all by herself! There were times where I just wanted to call her name to reassure her that I was there, to go up there and give her a hand, but she needed to do this all on her own. And that she did. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To onlookers, it will seem like we make such a big deal about something that every 4 year old would know how to do without trying. Ella unfortunately has delays in her development so seeing her do these things for the 1st time, like climbing a bale of hay, slowly correcting her own balance on the uneven surface and then actually getting in to the chute without someone giving her a hand is something I will never ever forget. That moment of pure joy she had on her face when I met her at the bottom of that chute, will forever stay with me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Okay, now to wipe up the tears and talk about strawberries! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At Cairnie Fruit Farm they have Pick You Own: Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Gooseberries, Redcurrants and Black Currants. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">They provide boxes but I'm sure you could take your own (especially with Fife being zero wastage and all) and once you have picked them, you have them weighed, you then pay for them and then take them home with you to enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">We went strawberry picking quite late on in the day and so many of the good ones were already picked by the enthusiasts who were there when the place opened their doors. I was still able to get a good box of them and they were scrumptious! So juicy and sweet. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">There is something about Scottish strawberries that make them taste so much better than the ones imported in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My pick of raspberries was not as lucky but I still managed about 3/4 of a punnet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">All that cost me only £7.30. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Whether you live in Scotland or are just visiting; if you have an afternoon spare (given that there is no rain) then why not go pick some berries at a farm and enjoy the fruits of your labour.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you feel like foraging, you can but just be careful not to pick the wrong ones, and roadside ones are not advisable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I shared some of the strawberries with my mum, but there was still a kilo left over for me to eat and my fridge still had grapes and mangosteens that needed devouring!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Solution?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Jam!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Jamming, preserving, canning, conserving, whatever you want to call it. When done right, it is totally yum! Nothing beats a good jam piece.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have attempted (and failed) to make strawberry jam twice; 1st time, the jam was not set. 2nd time, jam turned in to candy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This was about 5 years ago and apart from chilli jam, I have not tried attempting it again but you know what they say, "3rd time lucky". Right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This time I was more prepared. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I am a proud owner of a jam funnel and sugar thermometer. Yes, I rely on science and I rely on funnels in order to not spill jam everywhere (when you have shaky hands like me, it's necessary) but I don't care. As long as it helps me achieve what I need to achieve then happy days!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was always told to make jam by adding strawberries to sugar on a 1:1 ratio. For me this would be exceptionally sweet so decided to see if there were other recipes that called for less sugar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I decided to try out James Martin's strawberry jam recipe, but without the butter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">What enticed me to this recipe was the use of Jam Sugar and lemon juice. Many recipes use one or the other but I have always been worried that the jam wouldn't set properly. I like my jam set quite well so that it doesn't run down your hands when you eat it on scones or on a piece. Let's face it, no one likes sticky fingers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The outcome of this was a nicely set jam but a couple of things I might do differently next time:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">1. Cut the strawberries in to smaller pieces. I am not a fan of big chunks of strawberries in my jam, especially when eating it with peanut butter. It just spoils the harmony of the sweet and savoury. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you have never tried a peanut butter and jam (or jelly to the US readers) sandwich, you are totally missing out!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I grew up with mum teaching me how to make peanut butter and jam sandwiches for my lunch box and it is still my favourite to put on to toast...mm...I think I will go make some now...</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wpcYjr_b71s/U9GO2SgxNaI/AAAAAAAAEqc/SNXMGozz0fo/s1600/20140723_112401.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wpcYjr_b71s/U9GO2SgxNaI/AAAAAAAAEqc/SNXMGozz0fo/s1600/20140723_112401.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Peanut Butter Jelly Time! Peanut Butter Jelly Time!....I wonder how many people will actually get this.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">2. Reduce the jam sugar and maybe add some pectin. This ended up being slightly too sweet for my taste so hopefully if I use pectin it may still set okay. There will be an update of the recipe if it succeeds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I have to admit, making this during one the hottest days of Scottish summer was not a wise choice - okay, 21ºC may not seem that hot to those living in the tropics but in Scotland, this is our heat wave! Seriously. No joke.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I was sweating so badly that M thought i had just washed my hair when he came down to the kitchen that morning. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The smell in the kitchen was intoxicating. I love the smell of cooking jam. Maybe it's because it reminds me of when mum made jam for us every summer and the house would just be filled with this beautiful aroma. I even helped mum stir the jam and watched her as she poured them in to the tall glass jars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I also remember being slightly disappointed that her jam was never set properly, unlike Nana's (a Scottish lady that had looked after me when I was very young). Now that I'm older, I realised that this was because she never hard boiled her jam properly and there was no jam sugar or lemon juice added to it. I don't blame her though because the jam still tasted damn good!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Special Materials you may find useful:</span></b><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wax discs</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sugar thermometer</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Jam funnel</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Large heavy based pan</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<u><b><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">STRAWBERRY JAM</span></b></u><br />
<span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><u><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">INGREDIENTS</span></u></b><br />
<span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">1KG Strawberries (hulled and large ones cut in half)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">700g Jam Sugar</span><br />
<span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Juice of 1 lemon</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZGgB55Zc20jPkk1PUGq5PtqNG8Dr1JvKL9lSR_leLV57TWkv0d5FBFJeEcPUunv2K0iog20jLXFSLC7jI-3DoEih0NvD1QCijP7D54V_2lrJthLGUVw8d2_r1R_0bRQC8V83q3hpiBb9/s1600/P1020660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9ZGgB55Zc20jPkk1PUGq5PtqNG8Dr1JvKL9lSR_leLV57TWkv0d5FBFJeEcPUunv2K0iog20jLXFSLC7jI-3DoEih0NvD1QCijP7D54V_2lrJthLGUVw8d2_r1R_0bRQC8V83q3hpiBb9/s1600/P1020660.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<u><b><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">METHOD</span></b></u><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The night before: Gently toss the sugar and strawberries together in a large bowl. </span><div style="font-size: x-large;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcjHp1Rqdq8GK9j0TxKosmXcpkwX1gkopq88nZLx2TGsGsa2dwDB4_QRcdFgK6G6R-dfXjXAAXm6GsamOExiZqsuEsusAhbbH0NQ3rqF0fQKXA9c24EbavEghuvkxezGa2iEXRGfUA1CK/s1600/P1020663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqcjHp1Rqdq8GK9j0TxKosmXcpkwX1gkopq88nZLx2TGsGsa2dwDB4_QRcdFgK6G6R-dfXjXAAXm6GsamOExiZqsuEsusAhbbH0NQ3rqF0fQKXA9c24EbavEghuvkxezGa2iEXRGfUA1CK/s1600/P1020663.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Let's macerate baby!</span></td></tr>
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</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cover and leave to macerate at room temperature overnight.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Next day, transfer all the contents from the bowl (making sure you scrape out all the sugar and juices ) to a large heavy pan and add the lemon juice.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cook the strawberries on a low heat until all the sugar is dissolved.</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEthRYGPCsCe53i1CZOLAzjOKdFm4jk5SmgIidn_-YXnD1LTJh9xxWbGLodqR_Ed6ulfGwBksVX5Rf9apl9DVEOz685MfLJ_NTihMg8XNvK11i1ROfefdXzes56MIupP5t5Uev7sLtMBhI/s1600/P1020681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEthRYGPCsCe53i1CZOLAzjOKdFm4jk5SmgIidn_-YXnD1LTJh9xxWbGLodqR_Ed6ulfGwBksVX5Rf9apl9DVEOz685MfLJ_NTihMg8XNvK11i1ROfefdXzes56MIupP5t5Uev7sLtMBhI/s1600/P1020681.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once all the sugar is dissolved, turn up the heat.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hard boil until the sugar thermometer reads 105ºC, then turn off the heat. I also did the saucer test right after turning off the heat just to reassure myself that it had set.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Skim off any scum that has come to the surface and leave to cool slightly for 15mins - stirring or swirling the pot every so often to avoid a skin forming. This ensures that the strawberries don't all float to the top when you put the jam in the jar.</span></li>
<li><span style="background-color: #f6cee3; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Transfer the jam to hot sterilised jars, place a wax disc on the surface of the jam and seal tightly. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Jam can be stored, unopened, in a dark cupboard for up to a year (so make sure you date you jars!) and once opened, store in the fridge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: blue;"><br /></span></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJWmAaqDIc50qcuviiK9YrioOMF4kzEHmPW3lp6iTBLFw1oo3z8DwRPAfkk4MQBrPnUm2cAAjotXbP9duR7QxGo61v9PCII4pOvXPLAQ47N4woulmEKcezEn6WeIMabK8OVFVTvgIM2BM/s1600/P1020688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdJWmAaqDIc50qcuviiK9YrioOMF4kzEHmPW3lp6iTBLFw1oo3z8DwRPAfkk4MQBrPnUm2cAAjotXbP9duR7QxGo61v9PCII4pOvXPLAQ47N4woulmEKcezEn6WeIMabK8OVFVTvgIM2BM/s1600/P1020688.JPG" height="400" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some ruby goodness going on in there.</td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The staff at my work have been my guinea pigs for most new recipes that I try out and this was no different. 2 of my colleagues, my sister-in-law and brother tried it today and said exactly the same as me about the sweetness and size of strawberry pieces but they loved the flavour of the strawberries and the colour is so vibrant when spread on bread.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My colleagues have decided to take a trip to Cairnie Farm next week to go berry picking now. Love that they are feeling so excited by this and hopefully they will be able to make their own jams too.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEgsmLey_XPb4pcRbJ7r7f6xlXBgkOlaCAXxkIeMNPks2SekdMXuRlfG-lx1b-iQXqGHZbCKzJI8GGWXkqQZiJZklbP616bXZAQI2GfMG83p8QsufB2j3UXm_nl5uNEl0b19ZOJQI0Puu/s1600/P1020647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEgsmLey_XPb4pcRbJ7r7f6xlXBgkOlaCAXxkIeMNPks2SekdMXuRlfG-lx1b-iQXqGHZbCKzJI8GGWXkqQZiJZklbP616bXZAQI2GfMG83p8QsufB2j3UXm_nl5uNEl0b19ZOJQI0Puu/s1600/P1020647.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Best strawberry ice cream I have ever had. None of that artificial pink rubbish.</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-12135032631528989282014-07-20T05:54:00.001-07:002014-09-14T16:57:10.072-07:00Wedding Cupcakes<span style="font-size: large;">I'm not married.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I have no desire to get married and have kids.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">But that doesn't mean I won't be happy for those who do get married.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">A friend of mine is getting married tomorrow and I feel very honoured to be baking cupcakes for her reception. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I am not much of a cupcake person and I don't do fancy icing work, so when she asked me to do the same style of cupcakes as the ones I had made for my niece's 100 days party for her wedding, I was relieved!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The cupcakes are chocolate and topped with piped white chocolate ganache roses. I will be decorating them with red hearts and a flag (which I bought off Ebay) to add some colour and a personal touch.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Fondant icing is not my kind of thing and buttercream icing can also be very sweet but chocolate ganache? Now that's my kind of cake covering. Chocolate has a smoothness in the mouth that most people can't resist and let's not forget the smell! I am not much of a sweets person but as I make sweet things a lot I can't not try it right? I have grown to love working with chocolate, it's just a shame my hands are too warm to work with it for long. To tackle this, I fill a flat based pan in the freezer with water in it and once frozen, I would use it to regularly cool my hands on it when piping ganache.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When the day came though, it was one disaster after another. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Cases were coming away from the cakes, the ganache had split when I went to whip it (thank god I had split it in to 2 batches!) and it was a VERY warm day in my mum's kitchen (where I had set up my baking studio for 2 days). Why the hell does this have to happen on such an important day?!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was on the verge of tears and could not think how the hell I was going to save the split ganache - Believe me, I tried saving it but it was a lost cause. So my mum, being the ever saviour, got in to her car and drove 10miles to the nearest supermarket to pick up more white chocolate and cream for me. Seriously, I wouldn't know what I would do without her at times. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">After that little mad run, I finally got the ganache perfect and was ready to continue piping - that was until the piping bag burst on me halfway through! Yup, my ganache was chilled too much so was a tad hard but I was in the mindset of, "let's get this s*** done". And I paid the price.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As I was piping the ganache, my 4 year old niece, Ella, decided she wanted to help. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Yes. </span><span style="font-size: large;">Help. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I will give her credit though, she was actually very patient and she cheered every time I finished one cupcake but then she tried to count how many cupcakes there were on the table. One perfectly piped cupcake was ruined after her little arm squashed it as she dropped her arm after counting! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Fear not, I had baked about an extra 10 "just in case".</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In the middle of what seemed like an endless list of disasters, I was expecting the delivery of my cupcakes boxes that was being delivered by courier on express. I had emailed the company I ordered them from to confirm that they were going to get to me on time because I never got a dispatch e-mail, like they said I would. They gave me a tracking number, which I clicked on and it stated I would get it between 3pm and 4pm. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">That's okay, I didn't need to get the cupcakes to Forfar until 7.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">3pm came. Nothing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That's okay, DPD are very good with their schedules. Normally.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">4pm came. Nothing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Let's check the tracker again...."Delivered"...."signed by Adamson E"....WHAT?!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Seriously. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">WHAT?!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I could feel the tears coming on but that switched to anger and I was ready to kill someone. So I called DPD to ask why someone under the name of Adamson E was allowed to sign for a package that was meant for me and the advisor on the other end asked me, "how did you learn of this package?"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What the hell do you mean, "how"?! I was supposed to have received it! The company I ordered from gave it to me!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm guessing he realised the crazy woman on the other end of his line was freaking out at this point so he was typing as fast as his fingers would allow and bless him, he was very calm.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">We finally got an answer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I was given the wrong tracking number. That package wasn't meant for me. So....where is my package????</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">"You're package is on its way and will be with you between 7 and 8pm."</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh thank goodness!!! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to laugh and cry down the phone to this complete stranger but I think he wanted to get hang up as quickly as possible, so I let him go.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Once I hung up, I returned to finish the cupcakes off and then sat there staring out of the window until dinner was ready. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The doorbell rang at about 7.40pm and I sprinted to the door. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Okay, I didn't sprint. But there was running. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-80395154430115416002014-07-14T13:32:00.000-07:002014-07-14T13:32:09.576-07:00Banana Chiffon<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My day off and what happens? It rains. Typical!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">So what do I do? Find a recipe and get testing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I haven't been doing a whole lot of baking lately so my cupboards were a bit low on staples but I spotted a bunch of very ripe bananas sitting on the kitchen bench that M had not eaten. Now, we all know what comes to mind when we see ripe bananas. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Normally I would just whip up some Muffins but I was in the mood for some Chiffon cake, so on the internet I go! I may have loads of baking books but most of the books don't have chiffon cake recipes so I rely on the trusty (ish) world wide web.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Chiffon Cake recipe was originally invented by a Californian man who eventually sold it to a corporate company. This type of recipe, along with all the adapted ones, is the base recipe for most east asian style cakes because it is light, moist and not overly sweet. Also, butter is expensive in those countries so a cake recipe that doesn't use butter is a sure fire win and let's not forget the cholesterol thing that people keep harping on about. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgie9sFUFv4N_lMv6W0Ka_2eBlEXzWzsZh2Oa6XWzE8oWrPnp0BjVZysxj1Pr6h7q03Qyg1TSoqP0xcVxkflPHegO1ezF4wwUUabugzqVi4z1OXKHtuO1n9cIjmmFq3huCJdUNiK9jnM0nf/s1600/P1020521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgie9sFUFv4N_lMv6W0Ka_2eBlEXzWzsZh2Oa6XWzE8oWrPnp0BjVZysxj1Pr6h7q03Qyg1TSoqP0xcVxkflPHegO1ezF4wwUUabugzqVi4z1OXKHtuO1n9cIjmmFq3huCJdUNiK9jnM0nf/s1600/P1020521.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Light spongey cakey goodness!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I found this particular recipe by <a href="http://kitchentigress.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/banana-chiffon-cake-video.html" target="_blank">Kitchen Tigress</a> and instantly took a liking to her blog page. The photos are clear and her instructions are concise and since she is based in Singapore, many of her bakes are right up my alley! Can't wait to try and bake her charcoal cake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">If you like the sound of baking Chiffon Cakes then invest in a good Chiffon Cake tube pan. It will be worth while, promise. Be sure NOT to buy a non-stick one because the chiffon relies on sticking to the side of the pan in order to keep its shape when out of the oven. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This recipe calls for specific weights of egg whites and egg yolks to be used which I love because no egg is the same, so the exact weight of eggs will ensure consistent results. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Any extra egg, just scramble it and stick it on a piece of toast. A quick and easy snack! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Cake Flour is not available to purchase in the UK but you can improvise and make your own:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Take one level cup of Plain flour, spoon out 2 level tablespoons of it and put it back. Replace the lost 2 tablespoons of flour with cornflour or corn starch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sift the flours 3-4 times to ensure the 2 flours have combined evenly and there you have it, cake flour!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Any extra you don't use, just pop it in to a jar and keep it for future recipes that call for cake flour.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I made a couple of obvious errors with this recipe which probably contributed to not getting the rise I was looking for but the Cake itself was still extremely soft and light, just what a chiffon should be. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>First mistake:</b> Not blending the banana in a processor or blender. It does tell readers to do this in the recipe but I was being lazy and thought, "just mash it like normal, it will be fine!" It was fine but if I had blended the banana more I think there wouldn't have been tiny banana bits in the sponge and it would have been more of a stable cake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b>2nd Mistake:</b> No bicarbonate of soda! This was one of the staples I ran out of after I used it for cleaning and forgot to replace it. I decided to just replace it with more baking powder even though I knew the result would be different. Bicarb gives rise to a mix when it comes in contact with moisture whereas Baking Powder rises during the baking process so I knew the rise would not be as effective.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Let's Bake!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>Banana Chiffon</u></b></span><br />
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<u><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">INGREDIENTS</span></b></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">(A)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">175g Peeled Banana (about 2-3 bananas)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">60g Egg Yolks</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">15g Caster Sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">40g Corn Oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">70g Cake Flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">1/4 tsp baking powder</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">a pinch of salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">(B)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">140g Egg Whites</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">a small pinch of Cream of Tartar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">50g Caster Sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Oven Temp: 160ºC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><u>METHOD</u></b></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Blend the bananas, egg yolks, sugar and oil - from list (A) - in a blender or food processor.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Sift the rest of the dry ingredients from (A) and using a balloon whisk, mix the banana mix and flour together until just combined.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCEsqg8NpwF-VYkpgQgZjWp_P1DsHgBkqS3Chfk319tO-Vi79SWHkfmiG5ixD3_ZWF0KlB0-DdRWHTk5liMQOxO7y43rUD8zYGDS7QmioOEqNCEQYsxt2qwWBtVz4qiPBXToHH1pT_LC0/s1600/P1020510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioCEsqg8NpwF-VYkpgQgZjWp_P1DsHgBkqS3Chfk319tO-Vi79SWHkfmiG5ixD3_ZWF0KlB0-DdRWHTk5liMQOxO7y43rUD8zYGDS7QmioOEqNCEQYsxt2qwWBtVz4qiPBXToHH1pT_LC0/s1600/P1020510.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Whisk egg white in a clean glass or metal bowl until frothy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPgli2lyiVBhgTQOPqDbTRePyhjRUDOyHIBeR1Fz78kwBDyWjWEiMj39JxiONPyQ33KoOApliy01qzyzXSCQjKAnNAMuiT8z3j2hOgN6nrcw25abEHBGFo2pjlhG_7No5EDUp0RDDReT_/s1600/P1020511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPgli2lyiVBhgTQOPqDbTRePyhjRUDOyHIBeR1Fz78kwBDyWjWEiMj39JxiONPyQ33KoOApliy01qzyzXSCQjKAnNAMuiT8z3j2hOgN6nrcw25abEHBGFo2pjlhG_7No5EDUp0RDDReT_/s1600/P1020511.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Add Tartar and whisk until the white start to thicken.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Gradually add the sugar, from (B), while still whisking.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Whisk on high until it reaches stiff peaks.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YPdxzRSghQMLBOQonM50CrxQCkw69cwZKbIn2UQmd7U_GJlQj-XHXUsCs80xxxrdb1b3d0Mk4XjkyBAQf5knUx-tTCqJxoisK2DkWDT3qUMUiP4pqkfwT0PUY6i7e0oRMI4KVL_MmJ_2/s1600/P1020514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3YPdxzRSghQMLBOQonM50CrxQCkw69cwZKbIn2UQmd7U_GJlQj-XHXUsCs80xxxrdb1b3d0Mk4XjkyBAQf5knUx-tTCqJxoisK2DkWDT3qUMUiP4pqkfwT0PUY6i7e0oRMI4KVL_MmJ_2/s1600/P1020514.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Fold the whites in to the banana mixture in 3 batches with a whisk - I have always used this method to fold whites in to cake mixture so trust me, it will be fine! When almost completely incorporated, use a spatula to fold the rest and scrape down the sides.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Gently pour the batter evenly in to the cake tin.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnv97ixb6GjxS2Lk0s5eIcQWcZILvQnBzAUFR6ZqO8WL5cehOojQA5cvfmUim-Kvuxnq1sh4a0g_yE1ES0VzglIxpXwtiWL7iQOASXQmphyqUTE0mJNnnaenA0wohlGNkonFrj24NA5E4/s1600/P1020515.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnv97ixb6GjxS2Lk0s5eIcQWcZILvQnBzAUFR6ZqO8WL5cehOojQA5cvfmUim-Kvuxnq1sh4a0g_yE1ES0VzglIxpXwtiWL7iQOASXQmphyqUTE0mJNnnaenA0wohlGNkonFrj24NA5E4/s1600/P1020515.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Lift the tin up slightly and drop it back on the worktop, a couple of times. This gets rid of any large air pockets</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bake for 1 hour and check on it. When done, the cake should not be jiggly or give way when you gently press it. If it isn't ready, put it back in the oven and check every 5 minutes until you're satisfied.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">When you take it out, invert the cake tin and balance it on something like a bottle.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcPAKC36pnRANnxF6BSshlg9cGr8z05aOLc_sRUPGQbCeyrkSnP9CL3L_5EILOff0pmWIZv_diiEpfSy79kb75OFxZ7sKRMLab7BKHupDVnvgqqrbFfVz_cjwL85K4CgXsYwOph2YksKm/s1600/P1020517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUcPAKC36pnRANnxF6BSshlg9cGr8z05aOLc_sRUPGQbCeyrkSnP9CL3L_5EILOff0pmWIZv_diiEpfSy79kb75OFxZ7sKRMLab7BKHupDVnvgqqrbFfVz_cjwL85K4CgXsYwOph2YksKm/s1600/P1020517.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Once cool, use a thin sharp knife to run between the cake and tin. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;">Ease it out and enjoy!!</span></li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLwW9EVJLez-CE1z28WjhyphenhyphenE59mulQP6RDkhWuuBMFD4t662yNvtmQBftsdNG2M5vp4vEvvDHsCXek_m-sg5QZmlbu8R-jCgfPHK0mY8cNmBkZN4HNhjoKV7zhAohvU-vVktdagkxZSfAh/s1600/P1020518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-large; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbLwW9EVJLez-CE1z28WjhyphenhyphenE59mulQP6RDkhWuuBMFD4t662yNvtmQBftsdNG2M5vp4vEvvDHsCXek_m-sg5QZmlbu8R-jCgfPHK0mY8cNmBkZN4HNhjoKV7zhAohvU-vVktdagkxZSfAh/s1600/P1020518.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Yes, I need to improve on the cutting.</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-49792597225146923232014-07-14T02:36:00.003-07:002014-07-14T02:36:26.972-07:00Whiski Rooms - As good as everyone makes it out to be?<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I have gotten in to the habit of looking online to see restaurant websites and reviews before visiting them just so I can have a scan of their menu and have some sort of expectation of the place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Website to the <a href="http://whiskirooms.co.uk/" target="_blank">Whiski Rooms</a> didn't wow me but the lunch <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_154033117"></span>menu<span id="goog_154033118"></span></a> looked decent with a good mix of meat and vegetarian dishes. The reviews (on TripAdvisor) seemed to make Whiski Rooms sound like an awesome place to have a nice meal, although I have learnt not to trust TripAdvisor too much as most of the time people reviewing on it are either there for a good moan or are there to promote their own businesses with bogus reviews. As this meal was for celebrating a good friend's birthday and it was his idea to pay the Whiski Rooms a visit, myself and M thought it would be a good opportunity to try somewhere new.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whiski Rooms - an apt name for a place that boasts on its own whisky bar and shop, specialising in Scottish craft beers and of course, the whisky. They even have a restaurant, which one assumes would showcase fantastic Scottish produce. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtwyqIZ8q3R0HfIdT3-3_kjf0ax9-0zh8MebcoGTr-dGgrRQa7mAeYlchJS3cyVRZvrB22MehG2sCOKfZizKVxHCEBWH5_DuK8AGfJzM-rhH2qYdh7FqMh8d8ipiHvx-odJgllPgDq1A_/s1600/P1020350.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtwyqIZ8q3R0HfIdT3-3_kjf0ax9-0zh8MebcoGTr-dGgrRQa7mAeYlchJS3cyVRZvrB22MehG2sCOKfZizKVxHCEBWH5_DuK8AGfJzM-rhH2qYdh7FqMh8d8ipiHvx-odJgllPgDq1A_/s1600/P1020350.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Date Visited: Monday 9th June 2014</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The day we went to Whiski Rooms it was bucketing it down and by the time we had walked from the castle down to the restaurant we were drenched and ready to tuck in to some good grub. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The place is not far from the castle but in a heavy downpour and with no umbrella, it seemed like it took us forever to get there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We were greeted by a polite and well dressed waiter who led us in to the restaurant side and as we were sat down, a very friendly waitress took over and handed us the menus. The restaurant side was well lit, tables and chairs seemed to be clean with the full length window that looked out on to the street, it gave the illusion the restaurant was much bigger in size than it actually was. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For drinks, the boys opted for craft beer and I had a non-alcoholic Mojito which was very flavourful, if a tad on the sweet side and they had added so much ice/garnish that there wasn't much liquid in the tall thin glass.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">We weren't sure if we wanted to spoil our mains by having a starter each so we ordered the Artisan bread served with extra virgin olive oil, olive tapenade and butter. When it came, it looked pretty good with the thick slices of bread, already lightly drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and laid nicely on the board with the accompaniments in small dishes on the side. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6So5vvD8YpTPqoUuA2SO7MN6JvO11ZGO70fOQHaq4P7S42GgsWtx7PLGJuta5URt6FGmxfONfuvJKx5VUDNrtM0HQwXEj7HJhlpbZEld0tNO5AN0PmVj54EuobD-70WLu-3tv-H_QEP2/s1600/P1020363.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM6So5vvD8YpTPqoUuA2SO7MN6JvO11ZGO70fOQHaq4P7S42GgsWtx7PLGJuta5URt6FGmxfONfuvJKx5VUDNrtM0HQwXEj7HJhlpbZEld0tNO5AN0PmVj54EuobD-70WLu-3tv-H_QEP2/s1600/P1020363.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">However, looks are deceiving. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The bread reminded me slightly of supermarket "artisan" breads because they felt a little on the stale side and the crust wasn't very crisp, more chewy.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Maybe it's supposed to be that way and that it just wasn't to my liking, but when I asked M later on in the evening he said that the bread was a bit of a let down. Phew! It wasn't just me then. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">They may as well have just served us sliced white bread and butter like they did in the old canteens/cafes - remember those? No?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I'm showing my age now, let's move on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Main Course - Things could only get better. Right?</u></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">My friend went for the haggis burger, M decided to go for the breaded and rolled haddock i.e. fish and chips, and then there was me being the ever indecisive one who couldn't decided if I wanted steak and ale pie or a classic burger. Steak and ale pie, most of the time, is a sure win but then I hadn't had a good burger in a very long time so burger it was. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I must admit, I am getting much quicker at this decision making malarkey - although I am sure the decision came quickly due to the fact that the waitress had already come over twice to check if we were ready to order.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">When the food came the portions seemed a decent size and it all looked quite nice but M wasn't chuffed with his haddock as he found it very small and in order for there not to be any tension I forced him to swap with me before he started tucking in to it. The haddock did look a tad on the small side but I always agree with quality over quantity and in this case, it was neither. Don't get me wrong, it looked appetising and I was very much looking forward to it after the swap but as soon as I went to cut in to the fish the breadcrumb coating fell apart and it was all a bit dry from having been overcooked. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rolling the haddock makes the haddock seem like a much meatier fish than it actually is but once you overcook it the meat tends to crumble. I have had better breaded haddock from a fish and chip shop if I'm honest. The tartare sauce was nice and chunky but the mushy peas were...well, just mushy peas. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkuEzzrJ5OLFB1zOIxkaSxvCjXbgo-Lwurq1d__crmvijB9_CUaPvY3wneFWkK7hCvdmJ0unIMOugA3L2WyxwDPFkZvNmQLbW4tfDldpaMs8ilA986nnlouHHtXu_9TAy3zEQVzxBe-Hy/s1600/P1020366.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpkuEzzrJ5OLFB1zOIxkaSxvCjXbgo-Lwurq1d__crmvijB9_CUaPvY3wneFWkK7hCvdmJ0unIMOugA3L2WyxwDPFkZvNmQLbW4tfDldpaMs8ilA986nnlouHHtXu_9TAy3zEQVzxBe-Hy/s1600/P1020366.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">M told me his burger bun was very dry and that his dish was very mediocre; now considering it is £9.95 for that dish I would be expecting it to be able to satisfy any burger craving. I don't expect anything fancy but a good burger needs a good bun and if you can't do that then I would rather it came with no bun at all. A good comparison would be to the <a href="http://meathouse.co.uk/" target="_blank">Meat House</a></span><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://meathouse.co.uk/" target="_blank"> </a>in Dundee where you can have a burger and triple cooked chips for £9. Their bun is a beautifully toasted brioche bun and the triple cooked chips are very fluffy inside. The fries in Whiski Rooms were your usual frozen skinny fries that have been put through the fryer and I'm sure the chips from the Meat House were frozen too but they were pretty damn good. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Now I know that they will probably have higher rates to pay (although rates in Dundee are atrocious now too ) but</span><span style="font-size: large;"> there are pubs in the same area that make better burgers than the one we had here in the Whiski Rooms. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes, you are probably thinking, "why order a burger in such a nice looking establishment who are clearly aiming to serve customers that are maybe of a higher standard?" Because if they were really looking to serve people with higher standards, they wouldn't make their menu look like a pimped up pub menu.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Now since this was for a birthday, we decided to go ahead with desserts to finish off the meal but nothing on their dessert menu screamed, "EAT ME!" so I settled for the lemon possett and the other 2 went for sticky toffee pudding. They were hoping to get some chocolate cake but no chocolate cake featured on the menu, not even a chocolate fondant or a chocolate souffle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Dessert</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">As the possett was put down in front of me, I noticed straight away that the shortbread on the side was very small, but it tasted very buttery and moreish. I then noticed that there was a finger dent in the top of the smooth possett from where the chef went to garnish it with a sprig of mint. If <i>I</i> could see this, surely the chef or waiter would have noticed it before it got to me or was it that they did notice it but didn't care? There was also a trail of gloopy stuff which I gathered was the mango and lime salsa. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">The possett tasted quite nice, a slight sharpness followed by a smooth mellow creaminess but there was a lot of it and not enough shortbread to give the dish enough texture so once the shortbread was finished I could only manage a little more of the dessert and then I had had enough. It was like eating an extremely thick lemony yogurt that coated the inside of my mouth each time I took a spoonful of it. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPffY7F1qRW5FR-HcX4kbJ0jzaDwKViEKj9TtNMM6bxpP0tx3QcdzKeZTYXpWXkDZ5HetsvP2S-Kl9KXKwf7NLxGGD3d3QybHD1rRdZt9qKpLfdoEbMOSNHv5o0WI7KLmyqjCtBuzFkoX/s1600/P1020368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHPffY7F1qRW5FR-HcX4kbJ0jzaDwKViEKj9TtNMM6bxpP0tx3QcdzKeZTYXpWXkDZ5HetsvP2S-Kl9KXKwf7NLxGGD3d3QybHD1rRdZt9qKpLfdoEbMOSNHv5o0WI7KLmyqjCtBuzFkoX/s1600/P1020368.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Possett with finger mark</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Shame as I hate wasting food. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The sticky toffee pudding had a slight chewy hardness to it, not from the toffee mind but from being in the microwave for too long. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It wasn't so much that it was heated in a microwave that bothered us but that they had probably not kept an eye on the pudding once it was in the microwave.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">We asked for a pot of tea to go with my dessert...yes nothing should go wrong with it and there was nothing wrong with the tea, but I did have a problem with my milk being served in a dusty metal jug.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Yes. A dusty jug!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Myself and M have worked/still work in the catering trade and the establishments we worked in have ranged from pub to buffet restaurant to 5 star hotel restaurant and never in any establishment would we dare to serve anything in dusty crockery. </span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">So why did we not send food back? Why did we not complain and pull them up on the dusty jug? Because this was our good friend's birthday and his choice of venue to have his birthday meal, I was not going to complain and make everything awkward for him or for us, so I bit the bullet and kept a mental note to not bother returning in the future.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not saying that all the reviews are lying but I certainly had a very different experience to most others at this tourist trap. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">They are probably very good for a drink and chat with friends on the other side of the premises but for food? No Thanks. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Note: I don't take any satisfaction in writing bad things about restaurants (because I know what it's like to run an eating establishment) but being honest is important and it wouldn't be fair to just post good reviews all the time. I went to Whiski rooms with the intention of writing positive things, this is why I took the food photos but it has taken me ages to write this post because I have been constantly going over my choice of words so as not to sound like such a horrible, crabby woman. </span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-78136942376634578632014-07-07T13:57:00.002-07:002014-07-08T06:57:23.566-07:00Fernie Castle - Afternoon Tea<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I love a good Afternoon Tea - note that I am using Afternoon Tea NOT High Tea. High Tea comes with a meal and usually takes place between 5pm and 6pm.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Finger sandwiches, little desserts and tea (or coffee) in a pretty place makes for a great afternoon treat to catch up with a friend. Thank you Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, for starting the trend.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I love Fernie Castle.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although I have never been there before, I have viewed their website on quite a few occasions (when I was looking for wedding venues) as I love the idea of their <a href="http://ferniecastle.co.uk/treehouse-2/" target="_blank">Treehouse Suite</a>. It just sounds like such a magical place where there will be fairies all around...and it's a castle! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQHstxgl1kVboLAVRTOcnT7RvNee5rckAOrl65osKz1iIJvKJ0y3d7EtAPxbiqVeJErCz7FzRl1Nody-iUQ_TobS5Gk3jlCB_Z0RkbfMumL8VDWW7tjJx3BGA3NympmgZ1LUYXoM8gGlB/s1600/P1020454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKQHstxgl1kVboLAVRTOcnT7RvNee5rckAOrl65osKz1iIJvKJ0y3d7EtAPxbiqVeJErCz7FzRl1Nody-iUQ_TobS5Gk3jlCB_Z0RkbfMumL8VDWW7tjJx3BGA3NympmgZ1LUYXoM8gGlB/s1600/P1020454.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So imagine my delight when my good friend Genna at <a href="http://www.bletheringboys.com/" target="_blank">Blethering Boys</a> and her family gifted me with an Itison voucher to have Afternoon Tea at Fernie Castle! The little girl inside me was squealing with joy and already looking for her tiara as I realised what I was being treated to.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Date Visited: 4th July 2014</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://ferniecastle.co.uk/" target="_blank">Fernie Castle</a> is situated just off the A92, between <a href="http://www.visitscotland.com/destinations-maps/dundee-angus/" target="_blank">Dundee</a> and <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Glenrothes/@56.1966975,-3.1811467,13z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x4886348b3933b257:0x8e278158a1ca52c7" target="_blank">Glenrothes</a>. As you turn off the main road and in to the small and somewhat bumpy lane leading up to the castle you are surrounded by large fir trees making you feel like you are being led away from the busy road and in to another world. As you reach the car park you see the beautiful castle and the very handsome stag statue in the near distance, there are also a couple of highland cows in the field behind the car park.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7hGVTdxPKfr9gdKQ9dYblHUis9iqd6o6NRXG_035vuVtGgZN2NIJ5_tr-ZkDYZV4kVaVkX3qeZiT3WigSUWHshs6qce1yVc29vymBF7GURM8s_j5MF-wUWzH1zJcQ1sI5gDRh5dDf6Dk/s1600/P1020468.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj7hGVTdxPKfr9gdKQ9dYblHUis9iqd6o6NRXG_035vuVtGgZN2NIJ5_tr-ZkDYZV4kVaVkX3qeZiT3WigSUWHshs6qce1yVc29vymBF7GURM8s_j5MF-wUWzH1zJcQ1sI5gDRh5dDf6Dk/s1600/P1020468.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We entered in to the reception and it felt eerily quiet as there was not a soul in sight so we waited until someone came through and greeted us. Thankfully we didn't have to wait long for that to happen and as they were still getting our table ready for us we sat on the gorgeous large sofa and flicked through their wedding albums that were laid out on the table at reception.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A lovely waitress led us in to the 2nd most elegant dining room I have ever been in (1st place belongs to Andrew Fairlie @ Gleneagles), with an elaborate Georgian chandelier hanging from the ceiling and pristine white table linen. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkbObqj8XebE8lI2ZXfeQIvZxEZeCszgd8Y7yOLYnLnA0C3FsrZ-DKptCL4BXk5sM5CG3M2Nzj4P3uH68h-P8jkcW2rETrOcarjIwB-budbla5SJC_LKMBVSKOM6lvQfzL_AgOVzsH_8h/s1600/20140704_151406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjkbObqj8XebE8lI2ZXfeQIvZxEZeCszgd8Y7yOLYnLnA0C3FsrZ-DKptCL4BXk5sM5CG3M2Nzj4P3uH68h-P8jkcW2rETrOcarjIwB-budbla5SJC_LKMBVSKOM6lvQfzL_AgOVzsH_8h/s1600/20140704_151406.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Carrot and Coriander soup, that was served with the 3 tiered afternoon tea, had a good sweetness to it and the coriander was not overpowering but Max, the friend I had asked to join me for the afternoon, added salt to her soup as did many others around me so it may be that the soup needed a touch more seasoning.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>The Tiered cake stand </u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On the Bottom tier: the finger sandwiches selection was egg, smoked salmon and brie with pickle/onion marmalade. Good flavours from the fillings but not sure about tasting more butter than egg in the egg sandwich. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Middle tier: Scones. There was a selection of fruit or plain scones with butter, fresh cream and jams on the side. The scones were nothing to rave about but at least they weren't rock hard and what was missing was just a dollop of rich, smooth, creamy clotted cream.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Top tier: Chocolate and pistachio macarons, red velvet cupcake, carrot cupcake, chocolate éclair, and pineapple and coconut tray-bake sponge (I think). All the cakes were not too bad, the éclair is usually one of my favourites but this one didn't have enough cream inside so it was quite dry and I'm not a fan of sprinkles either. A little strange that they used pink and blue kiddies looking cupcake cases to line some of their cakes, after all we were in a posh dining room in a castle! If they had used plain white cases or just one large doily to line the tier plate then I probably wouldn't have noticed it so much. The sprinkles on the cakes and éclairs had me thinking if they had just stuck a child in their kitchen and just said "go!"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q9tb3jWugTQWNemlHFuHxBv4-aIkw5uH9IIliBs-5ctrJreWD9eIhr4D7YwUKydtpXN3toN53uuJqsPEdMN-OlNX1jCCSf_1ztcAM99GD2pRiSnW7EuTrfQqIA5qZA4H5-JsHVmOb_Xl/s1600/P1020462.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3q9tb3jWugTQWNemlHFuHxBv4-aIkw5uH9IIliBs-5ctrJreWD9eIhr4D7YwUKydtpXN3toN53uuJqsPEdMN-OlNX1jCCSf_1ztcAM99GD2pRiSnW7EuTrfQqIA5qZA4H5-JsHVmOb_Xl/s1600/P1020462.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another thing that had us thinking they let a child loose in the castle was the toilets. Both myself and Max had one word to describe it. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Weird". It really was quite surreal.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As you leave the elegant dining room, you go down the grand corridor with old paintings on the walls and outside a window, to your left, is a lovely walled mini garden with a statue in it. You then go through the doors and is welcomed in to toilets that have been wallpapered with what looks like leftover paper from a little girl's bedroom. With heart shaped mirrors and a heart shaped shelf, the sink area has pebble effect splash-back (that didn't quite match the wallpaper) and a very old hand dryer that was probably installed in the early 90's. I didn't mind the old dryer as there was hand towels on the shelf which I think everyone opted for but the bin for the paper was so small it was overflowing. The toilets seem clean enough although I was surprised to see that there was no holder for the toilet roll. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know this may seem like I'm picking out tiny things but this is all based on my own experience of the place, for me the small things matter and are all part of that experience.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihD8sC5MgbvYhmkg8Mdk4_jLtcbrZqmLVE3WDHi_HTsTig-YMP-kxvr0kp77v1LqDURkXCAnzALEXe6ofmM3q7DV1xSSEYfP0dnuT5dwODdAiGaJjE2HQ_rmiNamyvQ7eUIOX0ogzvJlFV/s1600/P1020466.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihD8sC5MgbvYhmkg8Mdk4_jLtcbrZqmLVE3WDHi_HTsTig-YMP-kxvr0kp77v1LqDURkXCAnzALEXe6ofmM3q7DV1xSSEYfP0dnuT5dwODdAiGaJjE2HQ_rmiNamyvQ7eUIOX0ogzvJlFV/s1600/P1020466.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Overall the food tasted lovely, the ambiance in the dining room was very elegant, the staff were efficient and lovely to talk to, the castle grounds look just magical but it was slightly let down by the restroom that had more of a pub feel to it than a gorgeous hotel/castle. I still enjoyed my time there and had a nice catch up with a friend.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We were even given a cute gingerbread castle to take away with us which was a lovely souvenir and I think M will be more than happy to devour it!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeQiu3UAL05B8v4jydu0ZM0V-2JfC5CLsH2xPwCnVhplWFywot9fgQlsDYYmbBH-hwUgpbe7Mewjdrhg115goEED0Pda0Tz7BKvC9pkwUCUH2DWUskw22T_OwoG8w85yULxYl7LylNFHN/s1600/P1020472.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQeQiu3UAL05B8v4jydu0ZM0V-2JfC5CLsH2xPwCnVhplWFywot9fgQlsDYYmbBH-hwUgpbe7Mewjdrhg115goEED0Pda0Tz7BKvC9pkwUCUH2DWUskw22T_OwoG8w85yULxYl7LylNFHN/s1600/P1020472.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fingers crossed I might be able to book a night in the Treehouse suite some time but I think I may need to save up for a while as the price is a little out of my budget. </span></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12980998244985629546noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1080285457166629035.post-84967572671219396142014-07-01T12:19:00.000-07:002014-07-02T03:44:52.175-07:00Pomegranate - A True Delight!<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Date of visit: Monday 30th June</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br></span></span></div>The first time I tried Middle Eastern Cuisine was last year in Glasgow; myself and my good friends were feeling hungry and stumbled upon a little gem of a place called "Persia". After that meal, I vowed to eat more Middle Eastern food but never had the chance to, because well, Fife isn't exactly diverse in the world food side of things so it would mean having to travel through to Edinburgh or Glasgow.</span></span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I came across <a href="http://pomegranatesrestaurant.com/" target="_blank">Pomegranate</a> when I was looking for Middle Eastern restaurants in Edinburgh on-line and after asking fellow food lover, <a href="http://winsesweewok.com/" target="_blank">Winses Wee Wok</a> what she thought, I was set to go.</span></span><br>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We arrived at around 2pm that day and we were the only people in, but that didn't put me off, in fact I prefer it to be quiet so that there is less chance for them to screw up my order. The waiter gave us a choice to sit by the window or to sit in the back room, warning us that window seats can get very hot with the gorgeous sun shining in so needless to say we chose the back room as I 'm not a fan of eating and sweating at the same time.</span></span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We were sat in the middle of the back room with the side doors open so that we got a lovely breeze coming in throughout the whole meal, which I'm sure they would have closed if we had asked them to but on a day like that, hell no! If you have a huge dislike for a couple of flies coming in and out while you dine then you may want to ask for it closed.</span></span><br>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The restaurant is bright and clean, not very big so if you were to go on a weekend you might want to book.</span></span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">They have a good selection of non-alcoholic drinks and being a lover of Kopperberg I decided to try out the non-alcoholic version. Yes, it is just fizzy pear juice but it was a damn good fizzy pear juice. The waiter asked us if we had brought in our own alcohol for him to open for us, which was lovely of him to ask and good of the restaurant to not have a corkage fee, but I would never bring my own bottle in to a restaurant as I find that just a little bit rude.</span></span><br>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPRsFE-vbbBliN5qDYmXpMhB8uEZSS-QNsMPf5sqQ2tticNCSvIiaV6iXr-zdiec2Lt7ywCAcQQsTwUrls4ZTuBNaI_AHQyaa1UBycY_p3sbURw9GZPZspvHLH_olYY3kqopF_BeWP3ko/s1600/P1020418.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPRsFE-vbbBliN5qDYmXpMhB8uEZSS-QNsMPf5sqQ2tticNCSvIiaV6iXr-zdiec2Lt7ywCAcQQsTwUrls4ZTuBNaI_AHQyaa1UBycY_p3sbURw9GZPZspvHLH_olYY3kqopF_BeWP3ko/s1600/P1020418.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">On to the food.</span></span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The Menu has a lovely selection and a good mixture of vegetarian and meat dishes. Since we were not familiar with their dishes, we opted to go for Mezzes so that we could try lots of different dishes. They have a lunch deal of 3 Mezzes (1meat) with naan for £11 so we both had that, but Mr. M likes being greedy so he added an extra mezze to our order. We ordered the following:</span></span><br>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Kubba Halab </b></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Minced lamb mixed with sultanas and encased in crushed rice. The rice had a lovely golden yellow hue to it (most likely from the saffron) and when I cut it open, the aroma of the spices they used was just beautiful. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Baly Marishke</b></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Chicken wings - If you love chicken wings, order this because when you bite in to the crispy, char-grilled wing, you get this awesome chilli and lemon dance going on inside your mouth and it will have you wanting more. I was actually a bit gutted when I saw M reach over for the wings because for the past 7-8 years he had me believing that chicken wings were not good enough for him. He even had the audacity to eat 2 that day, the cheek!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Falafel</b></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The best falafel I have ever had! So fluffy and full of flavour which is a good change to what most falafels tend to be, which is normally dry and pretty tasteless. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Cigar shaped filo pastries filled with mozzarella, feta and parsley. I love cheese, not a fan of parsley but this worked. It was the first thing I tried on the table and after that first bite, I knew we were in for a good meal!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Halloumi</b></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Nothing to rave about as it is just fried Halloumi, but M ordered it and it accompanied the Tapenade nicely. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><u><b>Baba Ganoush</b></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Pureed Smokey aubergines with tahini, lemon juice, olive oil and garlic. I never liked Aubergines until a few months ago and now I love it. I ordered this to go with my naan and my oh my, it was good! I don't know how to describe it but I could taste every element in it but it all came together very nicely, giving a smooth dip with a slight tang.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">My least favourite of the dishes. I knew that that would be the case before it came because I have never been a huge lover of tomato dishes anyway but the flavour was intense and M loved it so it's still a good dish.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">If you have only ever had Naan bread from Indian restaurants then you will be in for a lovely suprise. This is a much lighter bread and more bubbly on the surface. Of all the naans I have had (which is a lot!) this type of naan is my favourite.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Look at that crisp bubbly goodness!</span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The 2 waiters were efficient, friendly (but not overly friendly), always smiled at us (not in the creepy way) and seemed to love the food they were serving which is nice to see. When they asked us if we wanted dessert it would have been a shame to say no as the dessert menu looks fantastic. I was so happy to see them have desserts with middle eastern twists as it would have been very anti-climatic to be finishing my meal with just vanilla ice cream! I had the Baklawa and M had the saffron and cardamom ice cream (plus half of my Baklawa). The Baklawa was very crispy on the outside and because it had been rolled after the layering process, this meant that the syrup soaked in to the central layers of filo to create this sweet chewy centre. I'm not sure if the nuts used were pistachios but it still had a good crunchy texture. Would I order it again? No. The dessert was just too sweet for me (although I expected this anyway). </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">M loved the Baklawa and had offered to swap but I could see how much he was enjoying his ice cream so declined his offer. I tried the ice cream and although I could not taste anything (because my mouth was still in sugar overdrive) M said it was very very good. Nothing was too overpowering and the ice cream was very smooth. Win! </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">The waitress was very honest with me when I asked her if the desserts were freshly made on premises, she told me no, but they are made to their specifications and delivered to them.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We also rounded off the meal with fresh mint tea and Arabic coffee. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Coffee lovers will enjoy the Arabic coffee as it has a slight smokiness but do watch out for the sediment at the bottom of the cup. I made the mistake of not stirring mine before drinking so I ended up with a lot of sediment and it felt like I was downing medicine my Chinese doctor used to give me.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Overall, the experience was both exciting and relaxing, thanks to the Pomegranate team. I can't wait to take my food loving friends here for grub the next time we meet in the capital. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">It is just across the road from the Playhouse so why go to the chains in the Omni centre when you can just nip across the road for some excellently prepared food that is different to most other places in the city? If you have never tried Middle Eastern food, please do as it will open your palate to a whole different world of tasty cuisine. Their food is not only colourful and aromatic but it can be very healthy too. Ask the waiters for recommendations if you are scared to order the wrong thing, I'm sure they wouldn't let you order something you didn't like because at the end of the day they want you to return. I know I definitely will.</span></span></div>
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