french flair at felix.

Felix
2 Ash Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Tel: +61 (02) 9240 3000
Website: http://www.merivale.com/#/felix/felix

So I just found out that Leo DiCaprio visited Felix last week just like I did. (He's in town to film a new movie called The Great Gatsby and has been spotted dining out at some of Sydney's fine eating spots) Well, I don't have a story to tell about DiCaprio because we weren't there at the same time and I didn't get to see him in person (not yet at least). What I did get, was one great tasting sandwich!

Reuben Sandwich with a Dill Pickle

a look back - Ben Shewry, WGS 2010

Finally, a break from London. I still have tons to write about Europe and I'll get there. Eventually.

So I've always wanted to write about this dinner I had at Singapore's World Gourmet Summit last year. It was nothing short of spectacular and virtually everyone whom I've spoken to about fine dining at some point had already heard me go on and on about how excellent it was. As usual, this fell into my backlog. That's besides the point anyway since I'm here now writing about it.

london eats: harwood arms

The Harwood Arms
27 Walham Grove
London SW6 1QR
Tel: +44 (0)20 7386 1847
Website: http://www.harwoodarms.com/index.htm

When R & I were planning the trip, we made sure that we had a variety of places that we could dine at. We knew that we couldn't leave London without trying the food at a British pub. So The Harwood Arms came into the radar and onto our itinerary. The Harwood Arms is the only pub in London to have landed themselves a Michelin Star and is co-owned by Brett Graham of The Ledbury fame (see my entry on The Ledbury here). Located in the Fulham area, it is nestled among residential housing, out of the usual touristy areas and doesn't look like a Michelin Star recipient from the outside if I'm being honest. Step inside and it is abuzz with chatter and a great amount of warmth. Have a taste of the food and then you'd realise why it is most deserving of an accolade. If pub grub was as good as this back home, I'd have pub grub any day of the week!

london eats: restaurant gordon ramsay

Restaurant Gordon Ramsay
68 Royal Hospital Road
London SW3 4HP
Tel: +44 (0)20 7352 4441
Website: http://www.gordonramsay.com/royalhospitalroad/

A month or two before R & I set off for our trip, we started watching Ramsay's Best Restaurant in hopes to find a couple of restaurants which we could dine at when we were there. The restaurants on the show were divided into different cuisines and the winners in each cuisine category had to battle against each other. There were a few that caught our eyes and we did try the winner of the Spanish category, Fino in the end but the rest were out of London and hence, out of the itinerary.

Visiting a Ramsay restaurant wasn't part of the plan in the beginning. It was only whilst watching the show and seeing the contestants cook and serve in Ramsay's flagship 3 Michelin Star restaurant did I realise that I HAD to get the "Ramsay experience" that he's always been so proud of. Hence, a few adjustments to the itinerary later, we got ourselves a table for lunch!

turning a year older.

I have much to be thankful for in the past year. I've managed to take some time off, recharge, earned myself another degree (almost there!), made new friends and took on a brand new life in another country. As my birthday was approaching, many asked how I was feeling about turning a year older. Some of my friends were devastated when they turned that so-called 'fearful' age and some embraced it. I believe I fall in the latter category. It's true that I'm now older and nobody likes growing older, but along with age comes many changes and good things that I failed to appreciate when I was younger.

And then there are some things that never change no matter how old you are. There's that bowl of mee sua that I get every year on my birthday cooked by Mom on most years, and by the Sister this year and the last. There are also the friends who have grown up with me that will always be there in time of need no matter how many miles separate us and would send me surprise balloons that make me feel special and loved.

The past year has been filled with ups and downs but a new year marks a new beginning. Having another candle on the birthday cake is just the beginning of a new chapter in life and guess what, I'm so damn looking forward to it!

Strawberry Watermelon Cake with Rose Cream from Black Star Pastry

london eats: dishoom

Dishoom
12 Upper St Martin's Lane
London, WC2H 9FB
Tel: +44 (0)20 7420 9320
Website: http://dishoom.com/

You can't pass up on Indian cuisine when you're in London. 2 things come up when you mention Asian food in London; Roast Duck & Indian. Dishoom was great for a late night dinner after watching Matthew Fox rock the theatre stage for 'In the Forest, Dark and Deep' (he was gorgeous!). It was chilly and windy outside and a hearty Indian meal was perfect to warm us up. Lamb biryani, curry chicken, garlic naan and a delicious raita (yoghurt with cucumber and mint) made the perfect dinner combination.

 I feel like Indian all over again.