South Beauty, Beijing, China

South Beauty, Beijing, China
Friday 22 April, 2005

We met Tianbiao (TB) in Russia. He was hilarious and once we learnt he lived and worked in Beijing - arrangements were made to catch up as this was our next stop. Almost a week later I was calling him from our Beijing hotel to arrange a catch up - bizarre.

TB works at the University and proudly showed us around the campus - it is a mix of old (chinese gardens, a lake, temples) and new (bland, grey concrete buildings). After an hour or two he informed us that we would be his guests at a local restaurant. I was thrilled as I knew this would be an experience.

South Beauty is a strange place, walking into a massive high rise complex, we were greeted by lines of excited, happy staff (kind of reminded me of the GO's at Club Med). We walked through the restaurant, over a perspex bridge and past walls covered in artificial grass - I know.....

Anyway, the food was unbelievable. I didn't order a thing, TB took care of everything asking if we liked hot food - yes, bring it on! Starting with mushrooms and bok choy we progressed to chilli chicken. This dish is fantastic - imagine a large baking dish filled with medium sized whole chillis. Before jumping to the conclusion that it is nothing but chilli - as I did - you discover small chicken pieces - think KFC popcorn chicken. It is fabulous, hot and addictive. This was closely followed by another chilli dish - thick chilli soup with beef strips - my mouth was on fire - in a good way. To finish we enjoyed a very unique tofu dish that is prepared at the table and hardens in the bowl - took some time to get use to but was very nice.

1 Red Square, Red Square, Moscow

1 Red Square, Moscow
Saturday 16 April, 2005

Walking through Red Square in Moscow for the first time is unbelievable. The imposing walls of the Kremlin and Lenins' tomb are on one side, GUM shopping centre on the other side (yes, that's right an exclusive shopping mecca), the Disney like St Basils Church bordering one end and the vibrant red State Historical Museum at the other end. It's hard to know where to look or even where to start. Whilst appearing mildly unreal, it strangelygly beautiful.

I certainly didn't expect that one of the brestaurantsants in Moscow would be located in the State Historical Museum, but then again, Russia is a country of contrasts and after spending two weeks travelling from St Petersburg to Moscow, nothing would surprise me anymore. And, Sydney drivers, please note - we do not have traffic issues here - just try navigating the roads/ drivers in Moscow. I'm not joking, it is insane. In a hurry? Try the sidewalk. Not enough space to reverse park? Drive front in and leave the car hanging out into the road. Believe me, anything goes..but I digress.

1 Red Square impressed me from the moment we approached the State Himuseumal Musuem. Upon entering, we were welcomed with traditional Russian folklore music and a gorgeous young waiter that insisted on speaking english to us, rather than allow us to fumble our way with Russian (a very big thank you). Once seated, we were handed wonderful menus in english). A lavish red cover that when opened revealed an introduction to the restaurant, a sincere quote about the joys of eating and a story behind each dish listed. At close to 50 pages it took some time to navigate, however beautifully presented and the stories were so intriguing that we were happy to spend the better part of 20 minutes engrossed. Tales of Tsars and inclusions coronation menu delighted the tastebuds and I could not wait for the food to arrive.

The chef, A. (Alexander) N. Filin, has created an extensive menu of authentic aristocratic cuisine and determined to savour something traditional, I chose pelmenis and blinys for entrees and the Pushkin beefsteak for main. What a feast. Pelmenis are dumplings with meat fillings. I tried beef, pork and duck fillings topped with sour cream. Absolutely delicious, extremely light dumplings that melt in your mouth. Blinys are thin wheat pancakes served with a variety of toppings - caviar, salmon, honey and sour cream & dill. They were warm and so light to eat. I would highly recommend the sour cream. The Pushkin beefsteak was cooked to order and as the menu explains A. S. Pushkin wrote to his wife stating that he invited his friends in St Petersburg to a dinner of Russian botvinja (summer fish soup) and English beefsteaks.

The atmosphere at 1 Red Square was engaging with a mix of locals and tourists, the buzz of Russian and English being spoken, the satisfied satisifed guests savouring every mouthful and the delightful sounds of the live folklore music. The music was not overbearing in any way but lovely & soft in the background. However it still attracted a worthy applause after each song. The staff and service are to be applauded. My experience in Russia over the two weeks was that customer service had not yet found its way into this part of the world (tough remark I know but in many ways an understatement). The prices, whilst considered high in Russia were very reasonable with our Australian dollar. This was by far the best meal I enjoyed in Russia.

http://www.redsquare.ru/english/

Pengelley's, Knightsbridge, London

Pengelley's, Knightsbridge, London
Friday 7 April, 2005

This place is hard to find. No signage & quite a bland looking facade but once you step inside you are welcomed with open arms by the wonderful reception staff. Check in your coats & take an elevator ride to the bar.

The bar is a great space, very funky with lounges, pillows with an expensive look/ feel. The staff are attentive and it's a great place to sit back and enjoy a sparkling wine. It screams wealth and all the patrons look like they are in on a massive secret that the rest of London is unaware of. The bar puts you in great frame of mind for the restaurant.

Up the elevator again to the restaurant. Request a booth for the experience and prepare for a feast. The theme is asian fusion and we enjoyed vegetarian dumplings, beef rendang, tempura prawns and crispy chicken with chilli - all were very good. The let down was the salt & pepper squid - it was terrible in comparison to the other dishes.

The food isn't outstanding but it's good and the chef, Ian Pengelley, is being touted as the next big thing. It's all about the experience - I'd go back for a drink in the bar.

Nahm, The Holkin, London

Nahm, The Holkin, London
Wednesday 6 April, 2005

As the only thai restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star I just had to check this out. What's more for those who were fans of David Thompson's Sydney fare - this is his London venture.

Nahm is located within The Holkin - a very swish boutique hotel located on a largely residential street near Hyde Park Corner tube. It is quite understated and the staff are very eager to welcome you. It is a small-ish restaurant however there is a private room located at one end. The interior of the restaurant is a little off putting in yellow and dim lighting - not thai themed in anyway but more in line with The Holkin.

It was almost empty the night we dined there but this didn't take away from the experience - the food was beautiful, the service very attentive and knowledgeable. After discussing almost the entire menu with the staff - the menu is a little confusing to follow - we decided on coconut cupcakes and red crab curry. It was sensational and I could eat an entire plate of the coconut cupcakes myself...For main we enjoyed the monkfish curry - the servings are a little on the small size, so we also ordered a grilled chicken and chilli dish. Absolutely delicious.

However, overall I was a little disappointed - it's really good but I was expecting so much more.

The Providores, Marylebone, London

The Providores, Marylebone High St, London
Tuesday 5 April, 2005

I had been recommended this place for breakfast by several London friends and my sister, who lives there. So, off I walked from Oxford St over to Marylebone St - great window shopping.

I have only eaten downstairs in the very casual space with low and high tables but I liked it. The staff were very laid back and take their time serving you - but for breakfast I had time to kill, so I read a whole paper before my food arrived.

The menu is full of Australian and New Zealand items and they offer vegemite soldiers - perfect for a homesick Aussie. The coffee is really good and I managed to enjoy three cups before leaving to explore the rest of Marylebone High St.

I haven't heard great things about the dinner experience but it's perfect for breakfast.

http://www.theprovidores.co.uk/

Le Fumoir, Paris

Le Fumoir, Paris
Sunday 3 April, 2005

This place is a real find in one of the most unexpected locations. Opposite the Louvre on Rue Adival du Coligny you will find a beautiful parisian brasserie. The surrounding area is quite touristy and pricy because of the Louve but this place is a MUST.

On Sunday book in for brunch (it is also a very hip bar so try it one night if you can't do Sunday brunch - it is on the World's Best Bars list). Bookings for brunch are essential and please specify (you will thank me later) that you would like to be seated in the library, yes, the library.

Entering Le Fumoir it feels as though you are being taken back in time. The staff are impeccably dressed and the dining space is far larger than it seems. The library is located at the rear of the premises so following your host through the restaurant you can take in all the parisians (there are next to no tourists here)enjoying their Sunday.

The library is very cosy but it is so gorgeous with floor to ceiling bookshelves and a range of french and english books. At Sunday brunch they offer a special for 25 Euros - juice, coffee, jams & bread, eggs benedict and pancakes and you get all of it!

It is a perfect place to kick back and enjoy a long brunch, read the paper or the books and take in the very chic locals.

Le Trois Restaurant, Marais District, Paris

Le Trois Restaurant, Marais District, Paris
Friday 1 April, 2005

I have visited Paris many times but this trip was the most memorable. We stayed in the fashionable Marais district at the Hotel Bourg Tibourg - highly recommended if you like intimate, Moulin Rouge style boutique hotels:

http://www.hotelbourgtibourg.com/

The surrounding streets are a treasure trove of gorgeous boutiques, tea rooms, perfumaries and cafes/ restaurants. It is a wonderful area to get lost in the back streets. We stumbled across a little restaurant, Le Trois, on a Friday night without a booking. Walking through the courtyard to the restaurant, we were greeted like old friends and although they were packed, they fussed over us until we were comfortable and had a drink in hand. It is very authentic french food and I loved the fact there was no menu in english. They sought out an english speaking staff member to walk us through the menu and offer suggestions for first timers.

I enjoyed the rabbit terrine followed by roast duck in a rich sauce. It wasn't so much the food that made an impact but the atmosphere inside this fabulous place. There's something strange about sitting in a restaurant not being able to understand a single word around you - it makes you focus in on body language - and the french are very expressive.

The staff were fabulous, the locals obviously return to this place frequently as everyone seems to be on a first name basis and it's packed, so next time I'll make a booking.