Cafe On Kohi, Kohimarama, Auckland

This place was amazing! I was so impressed.

We stubbled across Cafe on Kohi whilst on a design trip to New Zealand. The Cafe/Restaurant is located in Mission Bay.

We were there for Brunch and the large variety of food on offer was only bettered by the excellent quality of ingredients and impeccable service.

I had the Eggs Benedict, with spinach and grilled portobello mushrooms.

If you are ever in Auckland it is a must!

Not a bad view too!

Ice Cream Tasting

Ice Cream Tasting at a client meeting in New Zealand, it's a tough job sometimes.

Don't worry it's not hazardous, we had just come off the building site we were designing.

Pasta Brava, Tanjong Pagar

I had heard mixed reviews about Pasta Brava, Craig Street, Tanjong Pagar.

It didn't get off to a great start as I was reminded of the dress code as I sat down. I was wearing shorts (strange that in 34 degree heat!) they are not allowed in Pasta Brava, so take note. They did kindly make an exception.

Thankfully they did, because we had a great meal, I thought the food was excellent.

Classic Italain Food, with not a Pizza in sight.

I went quite classic with my choices apart from the main. I chose the home made large Tagliatelle pasta, with King Prawn and Scallops, in a Saffron cream sauce.

Indian post dinner mouth fresheners

Whilst on my travels I have noticed at the end of many Indian meals a selection of what looks like 'salt, herbs and spices' is brought to the table. I have frequently discarded it, until I was out with a Indian client the other day and he explained what it was. They are a selection of very fragrant, fresh flavored nibbles, that you take a hand full of at the end of the meal to freshen your mouth to prevent that stale taste you often get after Indian food, leaving you with fresh breath.

ITC Gardenia, Bangalore, Indian Restaurant

Whilst staying at the ITC Gardenia, Bangalore, India. We visited their India Restaurant. We had a selection of their curries, which were all excellent, followed by Shahi Tuhra.

Shaha Tuhrais made by pouring delicately reduced milk over crisp home made bread sweetened in saffron syrup, garnished with silver leaf and pistachio. So it's like a India bread and butter pudding. It was very sickly, but I had to eat it all!

Finished with a plate of fresh fruit.

Indian Breakfast 2 - Masala Dosa

My new favorite breakfast when visiting India, Masala Dosa. It's a pancake made from rice batter and black lentils, served with different pickles and curry sauce. This particular one had some potato mix in the middle.

Chinese Tea Pouring Performance

At my recent visit to Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant I drank White Tea and this is how is was served...

Holding a kettle in one hand, a waiter can pour boiling water into a teacup 50 centimeters away without spilling any on the table. There is a teapot that originates from Chengdu teahouses, usually made of brass and having an absurdly long spout, servers use these teapots to refresh customers' teacups without interrupting conversations. it also adds great theatre to a usually mundane task.

Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant, Parkroyal Hotel

On Friday, (slightly hungover!) I was kindly taken out for a fantastic Chinese meal. We had a extensive selection of dishes, such as Vegetable and Fish soup, Hot plate Chili Beef, Noodles and Fish Curry.

A highlight was trying Abalone. Abalone is a large mollusk, much like an Oyster. They are an expensive delicacy and they served a lot in traditional Chinese Restaurants, so I have always been intrigued to try them.
The Chinese colleague I was sat next to whispered to me, "I don't really like them, they are like chewing on rubber bands", he wasn't wrong! I did enjoy it though. They taste similar to Scallops, but with that rubbery texture so nicely described by my colleague.

(pictured with the Broccoli if you want to see what it looked like)

The Duck course had a slight twist from what I am used to. The Duck wasn't crispy, but delicately cooked to a pink finish, an it was served with steamed buns instead of pancakes.


Here is a bit of bumph from the Parkroyal Website regarding the Resturant.
Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant originated in Beijing, China. Its serves authentic Si Chuan dishes and was patronised by top government officials. Master chefs prepare an exquisite menu of authentic Si Chuan, Cantonese and Hunan cuisine, served in a sophisticated, elegant ambience ideal for even the grandest celebration.