Foodie in France

Bonjour mes chers!

France is famed for its food, and although I am a skeptic (I mean how can you beat Malaysian food?!), I was truly excited about delving into their patisseries!

Here are some food reviews of the dishes I've had the pleasure of trying.

My first introduction to duck liver. Pate is made of 50% foie gras and though the raspberry reduction and black pepper bits were flavorful I felt the pate was too overpowering for me.

 Food markets are the best places to get local produce! Cheap, huge and juicy strawberries here!

This meal was the gastronomic highlight of this trip! First of all, foie gras- though I do have ethical concerns, and deliberately chose not to order it, I tried some of Darick's (because I'm in France for God's sake!) and it is melt-in-your-mouth delicious! Now I understand the French craze for it, it truly lives up to its reputation. The other local specialty in the Dordogne area is duck and hazelnut so I had both. Its great to see the pride they take in their local produce and regional specialties.

 This is a typical breakfast for me in France. Orange juice and croissant or chocolate pastries. The croissants there are divine. You eat it on its own, no extra flavors needed. Buttery and soft with a delicate crunch.

 Sadaharu Aoki, not just a pattisiere extrodinaire but an artist too. One of the powerhouses of french pastries, his selection looks modern and sleek (can only comment on the looks as was unable to try one, too full!). I mean wasabi macaron, only Sadaharu Aoki can pull that one off!

 Laduree is another pastry powerhouse, perhaps the most internationally famous. Delicious sweets spread and great french toast too.

The ubiquitous french crepe, it's sold on many street corners in France. Loaded with nutella, or cream, or fresh fruits- a perfect and sinful snack!

 I love how vast and varying France is, there are many regional specialties and the pretzel is one of them. This is popular in the Alsace region, culturally they are similar to the Germans. A simple salted pretzel is usually 1 euro but they have fancy ones loaded with different toppngs like cheese, spinach, meats etc. They also have sweet pretzel that is basically a fancy doughnut.

Tarte flambee is an Alsatian specialty. Its similar to a pizza but the crust is extremely thin and its quickly cooked in high heat so it becomes crispy. The sauce is a cream type sauce. The classic tarte flambee has onions and bacon but I opted for a vegetarian one of mushrooms and tomatoes. This was huge. I struggled to finish half. 

 Salted caramel gelato, this was deliriously delicious. Enough said.

 Ah Pierre Herme, the Rolls Royce of pastries. I wasn't impressed by the chocolate pastry above, it was too bitter and rich for my liking and I thought the salted caramel wasn't prominent enough. It's dark chocolate outer shell shadowed the other flavors. However the litchi rose croissant was an interesting delight, but I do prefer my croissants unsweetened. His macarons are top class though!

Oh the lines for these famous falafels! For only a few euros you get this massive handful of flavors! So tasty!

So what is my final conclusion? Have I been converted? I must admit the French food went above and beyond my expectations. The flavors are subtle, unlike the robust flavors we are used to in Asia, but well thought through. The french take pride in freshness and balance. Not only is it delicious, it is an experience, one to be savoured and appreciated. The food is fantastic, delicately and ingeniously balancing a palette of flavors. Trop bon!

Kyoto, Japan

I just returned from a trip to Japan and it was wondrous. Japan is the most first world country I've ever been to; from its efficiency, to its connectivity, the cleanliness of the country and ubiquitous application of technology, Japan ensures it is all top notch. Yet she is simultaneously steep in culture and tradition. The people are full of respect and kindness, the architecture teeming with history and the food a gastronomical delight, Japan envelops even the most touristy tourist in its embrace.

Japan is an experience, and one that shouldn't be missed.

Kyoto Day 1
The trip started with a 6 hour flight on AirAsiaX and frankly speaking I was apprehensive. I love AirAsia but I've never been on such a long flight in a budget airline before. Was I going to be comfortable? All my worries proved to be nothing, it was a wonderful flight and the RM15 meal was delicious (albeit on the small side). The flight schedule is less than ideal though, we arrived at 10+pm local time and after immigration and baggage claim we were out around 11pm. The busses had stopped running by then and we were rushing to catch last trains (without enough time to study the route!). There were multiple train switches to get to our hotel in Osaka, and at each checkpoint, the worker at the station would just let us through without charge so we can rush to make each subsequent last train. We literally paid nothing for our train ride from Kansai to Osaka (which should be near RM100pp)! A testament to the kindness of the locals, all so willing to help.

Kyoto Day 2
The next day was our first glimpse of Osaka when we headed out in search of breakfast. I bought this sugar crusted yam bread that was absolutely delicious, airy and soft with the perfect amount of sweetness. Yumm that delicious pastry...

Not wanting to spend time in Osaka,we took the subway then an express train to Kyoto. Osaka and Kyoto are not too far apart, the train ride took approx 35mins.

Royal Palace and Silver Pagoda, Phnom Penh

The Royal Palace is a striking structure near the waterfront with its classic Khmer roofs and ornate gilding. It is the official residence of King Sihamoni therefore most of the palace is out of bounds to visitors.

 

The throne hall was inaugurated in 1919 by King Sisowath. It is used for coronations and ceremonies such as the presentation of credentials by diplomats. Unfortunately no photos are allowed inside of the beautiful decorations and furnishings. Many of the items once displayed here were destroyed by the Khmer Rouge.

The Throne Hall is topped by a 59m high tower inspired by the Bayon at Angkor.

Manarola, Italy

Cinque Terre is a collection of 5 small fishing villages on the Italian Riviera, each one so laid back and charming. The pace here is worlds apart from that of bustling Rome, making our time here three days of pure relaxation bliss. I can't stress enough how much we fell in love with Manarola; the sea, the people, the food, the relaxing atmosphere.

Day 16

Getting there: We took a train from Rome to Manarola via La Spezia. We contemplated a short stopover at Pisa to maximize our travel day train usage but there just wasn't enough time. To avoid paying the 10 euro pp, we opted for the slow train which was very slow, with many stops along the way. Next time I'd just pay the 10 euros, it doesn't seem worth saving with all the extra travel time.

Manarola was love at first sight! From the get go we were greeted by the lovely sea breeze and the smell of the ocean. The town is a very small one, there is only one road that runs through it and all the buildings are on either side. Our hotel was uphill so we walked (not far) up the steep slope until we saw De Paulin next to the fullest lemon tree I've ever seen!

De Paulin is such a lovely hotel and I highly recommend it! Mind you, it was the most expensive hotel on our entire trip at 75 euros per night. But the owner was so chatty and friendly, he even let us sample a homemade lemon syrup drink his wife made. I took a photo of the bathroom but unfortunately didn't take one of the spacious bedroom..

 Headed out to explore the little town and rocky cliffs.

 A rock outcrop. Geologists would have a field day here. Pun intended, heh.

 

There are a lot of dinner options, many with claims they were mentioned in Rick Steves, Lonely Planet etc. We chose one, where we had local grilled fish, lobster pasta and chocolate tiramisu (I'm no coffee fan, quite the contrary actually). 

Simple, light and fresh.

Outdoor diners.