旅程中最幸福一刻

旅程中感覺最幸福的一刻,不是拍到漂亮的夜景,也不是買到限量版商品,而是…

晚上十時,從北海道坐了九個小時火車的我,終於在東京站附近的飯店放下了行李。然後,我覺得有點餓,想吃咖哩飯。

披上外套,我到街上去。雖然東京沒有北海道的冷,但我還是有覺得一點寒意。

在飯店附近的商業大廈群走了一圈,我卻找不到任何咖哩店的蹤影。往北邊日本橋的方向走去,當我見到街上兩邊林立的卡啦OK,我就知道找對地方了:有夜店的地方,都會有松屋快餐店。果然,走了兩個街口,便找到一家松屋。

 

松屋基本上是我到日本旅遊最常吃的餐廳。這箇中原因包括點餐簡單(只需從機器買票),價錢廉宜,服務快捷…但最重要的是,我很喜歡松屋カレー的味道。 XD

圖片來源: http://www.matsuyafoods.co.jp/menu/curry/cry_original_gyuu.html

當我跟朋友說我愛吃日式咖哩,很多人的反應是:日式咖哩?甜咖哩嗎?

日式咖哩不一定是甜的。在日本,很多食肆都有賣咖哩,但每家店的味道都不相同。松屋的咖哩偏鹹,也帶點辣味。除了偶爾會找到幾片碎牛肉之外,咖哩本身沒有其他配料。

 

踏入松屋後,我沒有多想便買了咖哩+牛肉蓋飯的票,價錢為530円(但因消費稅提高了的關係,現已漲價至560円)。沒有幾分鐘,店員便把飯和味噌湯端了過來。

滿足地吃著飯的時候,我想,在旅途中吃東西不一定要吃名貴稀有的,只要在餓了或是純粹想吃東西的時候能吃到自己最愛食物,就是幸福的事了。

Dandelion and Burdock

兩年多前寫過的一篇《汽水》,提及過一種用蒲公英造的汽水,叫Dandelion and Burdock。說真的,當時的我是為了配合故事的情節而去找一種源自英國的飲料,並沒有嘗過甚至見過這汽水。

昨天我在一家有賣英國汽水的餐廳,赫然見到Dandelion and Burdock在餐牌上。作為一個有承擔的作者(?),我二話不說就點了。

我所點的飲料的顏色跟我想像的青綠色有點不同。

至於味道如何?

放到嘴邊的時候,鼻子會聞到一陣有點像櫻桃的甜香味。但喝進口裡的時候卻沒有想像中的甜。喝過一口後,會有一點點苦澀的餘味。

那麼,好喝嗎?

算不上不好喝,只是我下次見到的時候大概也不會再點了吧。XD

Dandelion and Burdock

朋友看過《汽水》之後問我,真的有蒲公英造的汽水嗎?

作為一個有承擔的作者(?),當然是有做資料搜集的。

Dandelion and Burdock (蒲公英和牛蒡)是源自英國的傳統飲品。古法的材料中確實是有發酵了的蒲公英和牛蒡的根。但現在大部分在超市找到的 dandelion and burdock 汽水都是用一般汽水的成份,並不含有蒲公英和牛蒡。

Dandelion and burdock – Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dandelion_and_burdock

在這網站有賣(據稱)是天然的 Danelion and Burdock

http://tinyurl.com/589xmk

這網誌發表了在家自己調的方法:

http://tinyurl.com/429tos

Dine Out Vancouver 2006 – My Review

I wanted to write this entry for a couple days already, but have yet to do so because of the you-know-what reason. I originally expected to go to only one restaurant for Dine Out Vancouver (Feenie’s that is), but ended up going to three places through two weekends. Anyway, here is a brief review:

1. Feenie’s

I booked the table on the morning of January 3rd, and it may be a good decision. The place was pretty busy and we had to wait for 15 minutes (or more?) to get the table. The table arrangement is kind of tight, which gave some kind of “Hong Kong-style restaurant” feel. I guess that is because of the dine out. Otherwise the ambiance and service is decent.

What I had:
Appetizer: Red and golden beet salad with pistachios, orange segments and horseradish dressing
Entree: Chick pea fritters with a ragout of mushrooms and baby vegetables mushroom froth
Dessert: Chocolate cherry bread pudding with kirsch chantilly cream

It was good that we had three people in total, so that we all ordered different dishes and tried each of them out. I kind of liked the taste of the beet salad. Don’t remember much about the entree, except that it was pretty good. :p The bread puddling is so-so. Overall, the menu is original and it’s refreshing to have something other than your typical West Coast style food.

2. Aqua Riva

Parking wasn’t hard to find (for a Saturday evening in Downtown), but expensive as expected. Kind of confused as to where the place was because its address is 200 Granville, but the entrance is actually at the 200 block of Howe. The view was pretty nice since the building is built right out to the water.

What I had:
Appetizer: BABY FIELD GREEN SALAD with apple & mint goat cheese croustade and balsamic herb viniagrette
Entree: Some mushroom dish that wasn’t advertised on the online menu
Dessert: APPLE AND RAISIN BREAD PUDDING with rum caramel sauce

Kind of disappointed with the salad, and I should’ve got the hot pot instead. Apart from the big mushrooms (which I forgot the name), the entree also features some potato cake. I chose the apple bread pudding because I don’t like mint and didn’t want the mint chocolate cheesecake. Overall so-so (in line with popular opinion?), and can be filed under “yet another West Coast style restaurant with a view.”

3. Nu

Nu is a French restaurant below the Granville Bridge in the southern part of Yale Town. The building is two stories, with Stone Grill on the upper floor and Nu on the lower floor. The style of the seats somehow reminds me of some clubhouse lounge. The view is okay (didn’t get window seat).

What I had:
Appetizer: Roasted Cepes Mushroom Soup bacon, thyme, croutons
Entree: Prawn Ravioli black olive, peppers, leeks, cream
Dessert: Vanilla Creme Brulee (unadvertised on web site)

The bacon and croutons for the soup are pretty well done. The prawn ravioli dish leaned towards the small side, but the prawn is fresh and tastes “sweet.” The creme brulee is very good, but it can be because I liked creme brulee in the first place, haha. Overall pretty good.

So, in terms of food, I would rank Feenie’s > Nu > Aqua Riva.

I am just not very good at writing restaurant reviews (to me, taste is a binary value, it either tastes good or tastes bad…). Therefore, this is more like a “record to self” kind of thing. :p