Perhaps
this year, I’ll try and stay on top of my favorite meals as they happen.
Just
like 2017, 2018 was a year that both hubby and I worked a lot in London, but we always find enough time
to take several trips and enjoy some special meals together.
Beef – It’s What’s for Dinner
We
kicked off 2018 with a fancy steak dinner in London with a good friend who was moving to Jakarta, Indonesia, for
work. Hawksmoor is London’s prime
location for a steak dinner and consistently ranks as one of the city’s best
restaurants. Who needs a better reason to finally go here!
You
pay for what you get as Hawksmoor is an award-winning British steakhouse that
serves British grass-fed, dry-aged beef and sustainably-sourced seafood from
Brixham. The company works with small farms around the UK that raise cattle to
its “specific set of guidelines around the quality of the animal’s life.”
We
started off with roast scallops cooked with white port and garlic as well as roasted
bone marrow with onions. Yum! I don’t recall what cut of steak we ordered, but
it was delicious and weighed nearly a kilo. Steaks are priced per 100 grams. If
you don’t want to spend a lot of money, I would recommend booking a table for
Hawksmoor’s Sunday roast special.
Talking about Tacos
In
February, we travelled back to the US to visit family and friends. I added on a
few extra days, so I could hang out in NYC
with friends. I treated myself to a fancy 3-course lunch at
Empellón,
an upscale Mexican restaurant started by Chef Alex Stupak. For my $38 lunch
(about £30), I chose the sticky rice tamal with red chile duck starter, chicken
tacos with goat’s milk yogurt for my main and the sweetly spiced Mexican
chocolate ice cream sandwich for dessert. While the meal was tasty, and I had
some good people watching from the bar, I honestly wished that I had just found
a street taco truck instead.
In
March, we took a day trip to Canterbury,
a cathedral city in southeast England (Kent)
originally built by the Romans, lined with cobbled streets and centuries-old
timber-framed houses. After a day of splendid sightseeing and taking hundreds
of photos, we returned to The Goods Shed,
an all-day restaurant overlooking a daily market, with its own bakery and an
open kitchen. Ingredients are sourced from the in-house market, which was quite
busy earlier in the day when we popped in. Though I didn’t take many foodie
photos, I would happily return again just to eat the roasted local chicken
cooked in wine with mushrooms and crispy lardons that I ordered.
Remember
when we did our DIY tour of the Champagne region of France? Well, our group of friends stayed one night in Paris, and we ate a delicious dinner
together at Les Enfants Perdus, a
highly rated restaurant near the Gare de l’Est station. With a Michelin-starred
chef in the kitchen, the menu is sure to delight with such French classics as
foie gras, tuna tartare, steak tartare and sole meunière.
Seafood Sharing Plates in Chelsea
In
April, we dined at Chicama in London
with fellow American expats whom we hadn’t seen for a year and both have Latin
American heritage. This Peruvian hotspot is known for its South American
seafood sharing plates, so we enjoyed several tasty nibbles such as charred
octopus, ceviche and some tapioca puffs. Surprisingly, this restaurant also had
some of the most interesting desserts that I’ve had in a while – a deconstructed
pavlova of sorts and a decadent, modern-looking chocolate pudding.
Seaside Sunsets and Birthday Treats
For
my birthday in May, we picked the last-minute destination of Jersey Island, one of the English
Channel Islands. Although I had little time to plan this trip, I think that
Jersey ranks as one of our top (surprising) travel destinations for 2018. We
kicked off our night with sunset drinks at the aptly-named Atlantic Hotel’s Ocean Restaurant, which overlooks the Atlantic
Ocean on the western side of the island. We opted for the 3-course menu for £65
so we could sample the desserts. Unfortunately, I was too busy enjoying the
night that I didn’t take any notes on the food, but at least I took photos.
Also, I recall that everything was delicious and plated wonderfully.
Seafood Bliss in Cornwall
During
the summer, I was rather busy with work except for a weekend trip to Brittany, France, and a 4-day weekend to Cornwall at the end of August. Cornwall
is another foodie destination, and we had two memorable meals there.
On
our first night, I had booked us dinner at St.Enodoc Hotel, which features a lovely terrace overlooking the Camel Estuary.
However, of course, it was raining the night we went. The menu showcases some
of Cornwall's finest local produce, and seafood is the star here as it is at
most restaurants in the Cornwall area. The restaurant was run by 2008 MasterChef UK
winner James Nathan (and formerly run by top chef Nathan Outlaw), but not sure
who is at the helm now.
At
Rick Stein’s flagship aptly called the Seafood Restaurant, we had a 3-course lunch for £41 – a reservation I booked a
month in advance. I should mention that we even saw Chef Stein walking around
the dining room. What a delight!
For
my lunch, I had moules marinière in a
creamy garlic and parsley broth followed by a roasted fillet of Cornish hake
with wilted spinach in a beurre blanc
(sauce). Perhaps having two dishes with cream sauces was a bit much, so I just
had a strawberry sorbet for dessert. But all very good!
Country Dining in New Forest
For
hubby’s birthday in October, we took our bikes on the train and headed out to
New Forest for the weekend. We stayed at one of the spa hotels called Careys
Manor Hotel, which once was a royal hunting lodge. For dinner one night, we
dined inside at the Cambium Restaurant,
which is run by Chef Alistair Craig. The whole menu focuses on local ingredients
from the forest area, which featured hearty autumnal flavors during our visit.
Definitely recommended!
Wonder
what delicious meals 2019 will hold for us!