The Hungry Nomad - Food, Travel, Lifestyle

Hermé pas Hermes (Paris, France)

March 17, 2011 No Comments

72 Rue Bonaparte/185 rue Vaugirard, Paris

In the mood for chocolate, macaroons, bonbons? Why not stop at Pierre Hermé? Not to be confused with Hermes with an ‘S’ better know as every fashionista’s mecca for luxury handbags and belts.

It is this confusion that led us to Pierre Hermé. My friend and I were in a desperate search for the the Hermes store in Paris…however due to the pronunciation we were led to Pierre Hermé. Not that I was complaining. I’d way rather indulge in expensive chocolate than a leather belt. This discovery however, was not easy on the pockets as what Hermes represents in fashion, Pierre Hermé represents in delicious mouth-watering sweets. The shop is pretty small, smart, simple yet chic where you will be welcomed by a sweet/chocolate connoisseurs (although it is Paris- so lower your customer service expectations) who will teach you about each selection and help you with your picks. Although I love macaroons- at Pierre Hermé I often tend to go for the chocolate truffles and other sweets. Be advised that this is not the cheapest spot in Paris to fill your belly with chocolate delights… but I do promise that the experience will be well worth it.

Gourmand, Sweets, Vancouver

Cafe Crepe (Vancouver, Canada)

March 13, 2011 1 Comment

Need a quick crepe fix in the morning, mid-day or late night? Cafe crepe is your answer. It has several locations in downtown Vancouver and serves sweet and savoury crepes along with French baguette sandwiches crepes and other French food on the go. I like to go there once in a while when I miss Paris to have a crepe and immerse myself in the french aura of the cafe (plus eavesdrop on the francophone waiters and cooks). My favorites include the jambon, fromage and mushrooms; chicken and mayo; dark chocolate and strawberries and the plain Nutella crepes. (See Menu)

Cafe Crepe is located at: 1032 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC/ 874 AND 796 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC

Netherlands, Sweets, Travel

Stroopwafels (The Hague, The Netherlands)

March 12, 2011 2 Comments

Living in a country with an amazing reputation when it comes to their cuisine, it’s easy to forget the trusty food from back home which has served me so well for years. However, leaving for my home country shortly, I can’t wait to get my hands on a hot stroopwafel. Don’t confuse these caramel waffles with their Belgian cousins, but they are equally delicious. Caramel waffles are even popular internationally, and I’ve noticed them in several countries at a certain large coffee chain. When in the Netherlands, my advice for the best stroopwafel experience is to keep an eye out for a waffle stand out on the streets and treat yourself to a warm, soft but crunchy, crumbling waffle. Alternatively, when you happen to stumble into a package of waffles somewhere, quickly rush home and put your waffle in the microwave for 5 seconds and you come very close to that lovely fresh waffle experience.

Gourmand, Japanese, Vancouver

Guu is Guuuuud (Vancouver, Canada)

March 9, 2011 3 Comments

There once was a time when Guu with Garlic was my all time favorite restaurant in Vancouver. To the point that my best friend and I spent most Friday and Saturday night dinners there. But that was in 2004.

Having just recently returned to Vancouver I was looking forward to going back to Guu. With all my high expectations in place I went back over the weekend and although it was not in any way horrible it just was not the same. Back in the day Guu was amazing and was less known than it is now. As a rule of thumb I always trust a restaurant whose majority clientele are of the same origin as the food. The local Japanese community used to flock to this restaurant…! As you may have noted by now I do consider myself Japanese on the inside (given my love for all things Japanese) and thus also flocked here every weekend.

But on to the actual restaurant: The menu has changed completely and there is not as much selection as there was before. And of course with the popularity has come smaller portions. The tuna tataki and beef sashimi were once my all time favorite but have now lost all flavor. They used to be infused with delicious sauces which are now served on the side (and again the portions are noticeably smaller).

However, for those going to Guu for the first time they will not be disappointed as they won’t realize what Guu was then and what it is now. Through word of mouth I heard that it has new management…which makes sense since Guu now has 5 locations in Vancouver including Guu Garden that I have yet to try.
If you do happen to be in the mood for Japanese I still recommend making a trip to Guu. My favorites still remain the same: kimchi udon noodles, beef udon noodles, beef sashimi, agadeshi tofu, beef tongue, and calamari.

I am now on the hunt for the new jewel of the Vancouver Japanese Izakaya world. Any suggestions?

As soon as you enter this small and crowded restaurant every host, server and cook is yelling at you in Japanese… I assume they are welcoming you to their restaurant. The food is Japanese Izakaya and I think the photos will do all the explaining.

Tuna Tataki

Shark fin and Jelly fish

Calamari

Kimchi Udon

Beef Shashimi

Whole grilled squid

Octopus balls or Takoyaki

Yellow fin Sashimi (melts in your mouth)

Prawn tempura served with mayonnaise

Agadeshi Tofu

Guu with Garlic is located at: 1698 Robson Street, Vancouver,

Tel: (604) 685-8678

Athens, Greece

Clean Monday (Athens, Greece)

March 7, 2011 No Comments

Today it is Clean Monday in Greece. This day represents the start of the Orthodox Christian days of Lent before Easter. In Athens we celebrate this day by lovely picnics and flying kites at one of the green and beautiful hills surrounding the city: Philoppapou. The bakeries are traditionally open this day and sell on this day only Lagana, a delicious large flat bread sprinkled with sesame seeds. The bread is so popular, a huge line formed in front of our neighborhood bakery while the baker was handing out Mastic spirits (mind you, this was early morning) and small pieces of Lagana bread, hot out of the oven to the hungry crowd. Yum!

Gourmand, recipes

Spaghetti Al Limone (Amalfi Coast, Italy)

March 5, 2011 No Comments

On a distant trip to Naples and the surrounding Amalfi coastline of Sorrento and Positano, I once had a very simple dish which was so delicious that I can still taste it: Spaghetti Al Limone. For those of you who have Italy on your list of destinations. I highly recommend visiting the Amalfi coast. It is really breathtaking and hopelessly romantic. The Amalfi coast line is famous for its lemon and so it comes as no surprise that many dishes, drinks and deserts use lemon as one of their key ingredients. I have been searching for a good Spaghetti Al Limone recipe for quite some time. Most recently I discovered one on my top ten list of blogs. This recipe is taken directly from Smitten Kitchen’s wonderful blog. Let me know how it turns out.

Smitten Kitchen’s Recipe:

Spaghetti with Lemon and Olive Oil [Spaghetti al Limone]

This is one of those recipes that are almost better off without one — every ingredient can be adjusted to taste and the technique is just tossing everything about.

Ingredients:

1 pound spaghetti or linguine
Salt
3 lemons
2 tbsp lemon zest
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil , plus additional for serving
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup), plus additional for serving
Ground black pepper
Small handful fresh basil or arugula (what I used, deliciously, in a pinch) leaves, shredded

Directions:

Cook linguine or spaghetti in well-salted water to your al dente tastes in a large, wide-bottomed pot. (You’ll have fewer dishes to wash if you use this pot to assemble the dish as well.)

While pasta is cooking, zest lemons until you have a little shy of a tablespoon of zest. Juice lemons — you’ll have anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup lemon juice.

Drain pasta, reserving 1 1/2 cups of pasta cooking water. Dry out your pot, then boil the olive oil, cream, zest and 1 cup of the reserved pasta water together for two minutes over high heat. Return pasta to pot and stir until coated. Add the cheese and 1/4 cup lemon juice and toss, toss, toss everything together. Add more pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time, if you’d like your dish a little looser. Quickly taste a strand of pasta and see if you want to add the remaining lemon juice (we did). Stir in basil or arugula and season generously with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, drizzling individual portions with a bit of extra olive oil and sprinkling with extra Parmesan cheese

Istanbul, Sweets, Travel, Turkey

Sweet Tooth (Istanbul, Turkey)

February 27, 2011 No Comments

This week I leave you with little words but with all the more sugary and syrupy goodness hailing from Turkey. Kadayif, lokum (turkish delights), traditional candies, baklava… My favorites: coffee, mastic and bergamot flavored candies from this lovely historic store. Can you make out all their awards hanging there on the wall to the left?

Travel, Vancouver

A Winter Day at Granville Island Market (Vancouver, Canada)

February 24, 2011 4 Comments

Whenever back in Vancouver, the first place I like to visit is the Granville Island Market. It is actually my favorite way to spend a lazy Sunday. Located under the south side of the Granville Bridge, Granville Island market has everything you can ask for. From fresh produce at the Public market to art galleries, theatre, restaurants and my personal favorite: stationary shops…I promise you won’t leave empty handed.

I start my voyage by taking the water taxi across the inlet. It’s a great way to get there and pretty affordable. First stop is the public market: a never-ending row of colorful stalls, showcasing homemade products, fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, meat, Mediterranean products, teas, coffees and the list can keeps going.

Enjoying the view from Burrard Street Bridge

Directly adjacent to the Public Market is the stores and galleries including my favorite stationary shop, hat shop, and postcard shop. One of my favorites is Beadworks. Here you can make your own jewelry from a wide array of colorful beads.

Next are the flowers (located in the Public market). I absolutely LOVE flowers and am trying to make it a habit of having fresh flowers in my apartment at all times. What can I say flowers make me happy!

The Count and I absolutely LOVE cheese, cured meats and other such delicacies. So much that we would both choose to have a meal consisting of bread and cheese over a nice meal any day. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that this particular section of the market always makes my mouth water.

The fresh produce market is also a delight. The fruits and vegetables are all stacked delicately and look more like works of art than fruit stands.

And then there are the fresh baked breads, bagels and pastries. I think by now you all have a good sense of how I feel about pastries. So need I say more? The pictures are pretty self-explanatory.

Off in a corner street at Granville Island is the Lobster Man. Here you can buy fresh seafood including lobsters, clams, oysters and crabs. Although, I personally can’t bare to eat crab and lobster after seeing them floating around alive in the water.

While at Granville Island you will become very well acquainted with the local seagull. Some Vancouverites hate seagulls but i absolutely adore them. When I hear seagulls in the morning and see them flying around it makes me realize I am home. Besides you will never see such beautiful creatures anywhere else in the world. Our seagulls are extremely big (perhaps its all the fresh fish they eat),very clean, extremely loud and not afraid to grab food directly from your hands.

I also never miss an opportunity to make new friends at Granville Island. This is my newest friend. Our friendship sparked over some food.

Chinese Food, Dim Sum, Vancouver

Wo ai ni- Bao Bei Chinese Brasserie (Vancouver, Canada)

February 21, 2011 1 Comment

Ok! So I finally got a chance to eat at Bao Bei last night. I’ve been there several times since its opening but every time the wait has been too long and we have ended up walking down the street to Phnom Phen restaurant (which deserves a post of its own).

The food was great. I guess you could say it is more of a tapas-type joint. Amongst my favourites were the the Mantou (steamed buns and braised beef shortrib), Sticky Rice Cake which consisted of stir fried julienned pork, salted mustard greens and mushrooms (however, for those of you who have had rice cake before you will note that this is actually more like rice noodles with delicious toppings…either way I am almost pretty sure you wont be disappointed), the Pearl Bok Choi (so yummy), squid served in a wonderful array of sauces and bok choi, and prawn and chives dumplings. The ‘whole bean’ black bean sauce on the Bok Choi and other dishes was delicious and really added the flavor to the dishes. For desert I had the Deep fried banana served with sorbet(I wasn’t particularly blown away). (See Menu)

Pork Buns

What adds on to the food is the great ambiance. Located it Chinatown on Keefer street, I assume this is a new hip joint in Van city (but don’t take my word for it since I’ve been away for much too long). The design is pretty cool: A delicate-looking row of white-painted knives fastened into the wall, antique trays crowding another vertical section, tall branches shooting out of dainty vases, an olde-tyme-looking bar, dim lighting and gorgeous wall paper lining the back wall of the restaurant.

The servers and owner were all nice and helpful (which is always a bonus these days). OH! I guess its worth mentioning that if you are not too fond of pork then you might want to stay away as many of the dishes have stir fried julienned pork sprinkled all over. I am sure critics will say that there is better chinese food out there and I wont disagree (after all we do live in vancouver) but if you are looking to add a little ambiance to your friday night meal then this place will definitely do.

Bao Bei is located at: 163 Keefer Street, Vancouver, BC, V6A 1X3 T. 604 688 0876

Athens, Greece, Travel

A Weekend Out (Athens, Greece)

February 20, 2011 No Comments

Athens is a city which has lots to offer: history, culture, arts, food. You name it, you’ll find it. And if there is one thing Athens is good at, it’s entertaining its visitors. Two places I’ll share with you today. Both a little outside the city centre, both equally enjoyable but each with its own distinct flavor. I apologize for the slightly dim pictures, I sometimes still struggle with my camera after dark..

The Railway Carriage Theatre ‘To Treno sto Rouf’ (The Train at Rouf) runs theatre and music shows in some beautifully renovated train wagons. The music wagon of today is the original restaurant wagon of the famous ‘Orient Express’ dating back to 1924. While enjoying a meal, a small band plays on around you in the intimate surroundings of the wagon. I haven’t experienced any concert like this before and I absolutely love the concept, especially for a romantic night out. If you’re in town, be sure to check out what shows are on.

Another nice stop for the weekend- but in size exactly the opposite- is the Kitchen Bar in the Kalamaki area. This spacious bar/restaurant offers coffee, drinks and American-style food. I am a big fan of the traditional Greek cafés and small taverns in the centre of Athens. But if you’re looking to escape the city bustle just for a bit, the Kitchen Bar offers you a view of the bay and an island-feel from their airy and pleasant restaurant. You’ll find a mixed crowd here, which makes for great people watching.