Foodie_Penguin
-
Posts
136 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Store
Help Articles
Posts posted by Foodie_Penguin
-
-
I may be mistaken but organic standards in the UK (and probably Europe too) are different to the organic standards in the US. Consequently, the produce or food may taste different.
One noticeable difference is that organic produce in the US is quite a bit bigger than the same organic produce in the UK.
UK produce is SO superior to produce you find in the US. Americans grow a lot of their own produce in regions not especially suited for it, or otherwise, import it from Mexico. The UK, and the rest of Europe, seem to import from a far more varied number of countries... which in my opinion, results in far better products. In my fridge right now, i'd imagine that over 10 countries are represented in the produce bin....!
Wholefoods or "Whole Paycheck" as it's know by some in the US may have a greater variety of fresh fruit and veg but the US stores I visit (I live in the US) also sell conventional produce too. Where I live, the local supermarkets have cottoned onto the consumer's interest in healthier/organic/locally grown food and produce so I can also buy limited varieties of what Wholefoods sells more conveniently.
My local Wholefoods is a 20 mins drive from my home and if I go there, it's just for that because it's not near other businesses that I'd go to. Therefore, I tend to buy more organic produce from my local supermarkets than Wholefoods.
As for the country of origin for produce, much is from Mexico but a lot is from Canada (like British style cucumbers) and other South American nations. It does bother me that US organic strawberries are pretty much no different in size than conventional strawberries and flavorwise, they don't taste that much different.
Oh how I miss the annual family day trips to Tiptree to pick strawberries...
-
There is a MasterPark on Queensway, no further than 200m from the Royal China. Otherwise, if you're there at around 12.00ish, you can usually sneak a spot on Inverness Terrace - parallel to Queensway to the east.
It's more than likely we won't be driving. I know about the car park on Queensway. Last time my Mum went to RC on Queensway, that's where she parked.
-
Pearl Liang is 3 minutes walk from Paddington, and absolutely first class. No queing problems, and if anything better than Royal China.
Dragon Castle in the elephant would be the closest place to Waterloo. Reasonable quality, incongruous location, not as stellar as Royal China but it might do. There's also a mainline station at Elephant but I haven't the foggiest as to whether its on the Waterloo line (I'd suspect its mroe on the lines going into London Bridge).
Phoenix Palace, that old standby, is nr Baker Street tube although I suppose if you're in that area you might as well drive to Pearl Liang (although bit of a pain in the arse navigating the M40/flyover/flyunder to get to it) or the Royal China branch on Baker St (beware big queues). There's plenty of parking in that neck of the woods, particularly in the side roads off Baker St.
Actually come to think of it on Sundays you can probably park in the Queensway area - park on the main road which runs along the side of Hyde Park (though you may need to go a bit further down to find a space).
All in all if you're not fagged about driving (and queuing) for a bit I'd say Royal Chinas in Baker St or Canary Wharf (they're probably equidistant from Waterloo). If you worried about practicalities just schlep along to Dragon Castle.
J
Based on the fact that I'm visiting the UK and that getting to the restauant will not be convenient for my Mum, if the food is not as good as Royal China (I'm keeping this as the benchmark), I'd rather give Dragon Castle a miss.
Can you tell me more about Phoenix Place? They serve dim sum on weekend lunchtimes? Is it authentic? e.g. chicken feet and the food does not get wheeled around on carts.
-
The branch of Royal China near Canary wharf is superb, and there is a carpark underneath at Westferry Circus. I've never had any problems parking there at weekends, and it's one of my favourite London restaurants - especially on a sunny day when you can lunch outside and look at the river. I THINK there is a lift for disabled people to get up from the carpark to the riverside - if not there are stairs (not too many). But I imagine the restaurant can tell you about this if you call them.
Fuchsia
Thanks for that. I didn't even know there was a Royal China in Docklands. I used to live a stone's throw from the RC in St. John's Wood (is it even there any longer?). The food was good but not the same as the original RC on Queensway.
-
I may be mistaken but organic standards in the UK (and probably Europe too) are different to the organic standards in the US. Consequently, the produce or food may taste different.
One noticeable difference is that organic produce in the US is quite a bit bigger than the same organic produce in the UK.
-
I'm coming to London for a visit, arriving this Saturday, May 19th. I miss dim sum and I'd really like to go to Royal China on Queensway but my Mum has health issues and it's not safe for her to travel on the Tube.
Can eGulleters give suggestions of London Chinese restaurants that serve very good dim sum but are accessible by car (with a car park or ample parking nearby) or on close accessible on British Rail on stations that terminate in Waterloo?
I would like to pay Chinese dim sum prices so I'm not interested in going to the fancier restaurants or those that do fusion. I'm very old school when it comes to dim sum and yes, it must be authentic so chicken feet on the menu is a must.
I plan on going on either Sunday, May 20 or Sat May 26.
Thanks.
-
Hello everyone.
Stumbled onto this site while looking for a recipe for zucchini blossum fettacine (awesome pasta i had in some neighborhood cafe off the beaten path in rome a few years back). didn't find the recipe but found this very nice community of food lovers.
anyway, i moved into the triangle 2 years ago from california and have been slowly checking out the restaurant scene here. its been slow going secondary to time and money constraints :) but am slowly getting a feel for the area.
the culinary adventures are somewhat limited by the fact that my wife is vegetarian and that i'm mostly vegetarian (i'll eat meat but i prefer to eat vegetarian if the option is available).
so far, we've found Udupi Cafe in Cary has a very good indian vegetarian buffet. Foster's Market in Durham is a nice lunch place. Nana's was good if a bit pricey but with limited option for veggies. Lime and Basil in Chapel hill was a bit disappointing to my wife for vegetarian pho. there has to be a good vegetarian pho place around here...
haven't found good thai food yet. haven't even bothered to look for ethiopian cuisine (we've driven up to DC and found some good ethiopian food there but i'd be surprised to find any in a small market like the triangle).
i was attributing the dearth of vegetarian options around raleigh durham to it being the south but our recent trip to asheville dispelled that notion. wow. that city is incredible for vegetarian food for its size. laughing seed was some of the best vegetarian food i've had. great fresh produce at early girl eatery. and salsa's had very inventive mexican food which was very fresh and tasty. in my experience, asheville far outstrips the triangle in terms of vegetarian cuisine.
but i got to thinking.. how can a town with 10% of the population have more and better options? so i must be missing something. please tell me that there are many great restaurants that i've not heard of around the triangle that have good vegetarian choices.
thanks to all that reply.
If Morrisville isn't too far for you, I highly recommend The Tower (southern Indian vegetarian) or Neomonde (Lebanese). The latter has wonderful platters where you can choose three salads so you can opt for vegetarian options. Neomonde's falafel are delicious too.
Neither of the above is expensive (especially if you go to the Tower's buffet).
Saladelia on University Drive in Durham offers vegetarian dishes but I don't think they're that good value. Also, their falafel are horrible (like golf balls in toughness).
Foodie Penguin
-
Thanks for the warning. One of these days I'll get round to making it to the A&M Grill in Mebane.
Foodie Penguin
-
<<snip>>
In Mt.Pleasant, SC - go to the Wreck. You will be served a fabulous free bowl of boiled peanuts to nibble while you decide which fried seafood entree to order.
<<snip>>
Just some comments about the Wreck. I dined there last summer. I think it's overrated.
The boiled peanuts were OK but I bought (from a roadside stand) and ate better ones on the way back from Beaufort, SC to Charleston on that same visit to the area.
As for there famed she crab soup, it was disappointing. I had she crab soup twice in Charleston and the Wreck's version was the weaker of the two. It lacked body and depth. Maybe it had been watered down. Not much crab in there as I recall.
Foodie Penguin
-
Funnily enough, I bought cubed goat (on the bone) from the huge Chinese grocery store in Raleigh at the weekend. I've never cooked goat before (though I've eaten goat curry many a time).
It does require long and slow cooking but the curry I made (based on a Jamaican recipe) turned out very well, even though the cooking times was four-five times more than the recipe stated.
In the future, I will remember to remove the goat skin before cooking (it turns all rubbery).
Foodie Penguin
-
Moderator's Note: This discussion was split off from this discussion about the best restaurant in the Triangle (NC).
I've found the overall dining scene in the Triangle to leave a lot to be desired. I'm just a student at Duke but have probably spent more hours researching the restaurant scene here than actually doing my school work. That being said, I've had some good experiences in the Triangle, but, generally speaking, compared to NY/NJ I'm disappointed.
I've done significant research into the dining scene in the Triangle (particularly Durham and Chapel Hill) since I moved to the area.
It's taken some time to identify my favorite restaurants and some of them are more than 20 mins drive from where I live.
So far, I've found good Chinese, Indian (several), Japanese, Mexican, NC barbecue, vegetarian, Vietnamese and Italian.
Not all are cheap (as in places you can afford to eat at every week) but for me, good food is worth saving up for.
Foodie Penguin
-
In mid-April, I'll be going to Durham with my husband for his reunion weekend. While dinners and nights are spoken for, I'd like to spend the daytime checking out restaurants, markets, diners, shops. Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Definitely hit Foster's out on 15-501...great coffee, sandwiches and salads. They have brunch offerings, but their lunch is by far a better choice. I'm also a fan of the 501 Diner in Chapel Hill when I'm in the area (their french toast is YUM).
... and almost next door to Foster's is the truly remarkable Gulghupf bakery and cafe. You will not be disappointed about their breads and bakery products.
The State Farmers Market in Raleigh is worth a visit since you're from out of town. You'll see the local produce from around the area and elswhere in the state. If you're there at mealtime, the seafood restaurant there is great (though it can get very busy).
Foodie Penguin
-
Hello,
We may be moving to London in a few months (if so, it will be our 3rd international move in 2 years
). Which neighborhoods are the best for a serious cook? London is a big town. Where should I start the hunt for my next kitchen? I'm assuming I'll be carrying my groceries home several times a week, either walking or on the tube.
I now know how European women stay so thin--they only eat what they can carry home.
Thanks so much!
Maybe you want to consider neighborhoods with a good farmers market. I lived in South Hampstead and there was a farmers market near Swiss Cottage tube and also in the carpark of the huge Sainsburys near Finchley Rd tube (don't know if it's still there). The farmers markets were handy to have though they weren't open year round.
Foodie Penguin
-
Where is there a good asian supermarket in London (preferably in zone 1 or 2) ?
Specifically looking for a place with lots of SE Asian items.
I would have thought London's Chinatown would be the place to go (nearest tubes: Piccadilly Circus or Leicester Square). The foodstuffs and fresh produce on sale are predominantly Chinese but you can buy Japanese, Korean, Thai and other SE Asians products there.
Foodie Penguin
-
Just saw this thread and thought I'd contribute. I made a lamb curry at the weekend using Niman Ranch cubed lamb shoulder (2 lbs). The curry was my own recipe (no ghee) and it turned out magnificent.
The curry sauce is delicious on its own due to the meat juices and spices. I'd be happy eating the sauce alone over rice
Foodie Penguin
-
I've ordered a heritage breed turkey for Thanksgiving and I want to make sure I roast it correctly, according to its type.
So, could someone point me to tried and trusted sources of information about roasting a heritage breed bird?
i.e. online sources, books, or your personal tips.
If it makes any difference, I'll be getting a Bourbon Red weighing between 10-15 lbs.
Thanks,
Foodie Penguin
-
I personally can not touch amazake (literally "sweet" sake), hence I was surprised to find this:
http://www.grainaissance.com/amazake.html
flavored amazake drinks....??
in the US....?? 
and then I found this:
http://www.clearspring.co.uk/ifood/issue2/4.htm
with recipes for using amazake in cooking....
I didn't know it was more than a drink, they are calling it a dessert...??
Funnily enough, the only amazake product I've ever consumed was the Clearspring amazake pudding about four years ago. It is a dessert. It has an applesauce-like consistency but I didn't like the flavor. I wanted to try and finish the jar of it but I couldn't. It's just didn't appeal to me.
Clearspring is an excellent brand in the UK. They sell a lot of macrobiotic and Japanese foods and ingredients.
I can see why amazake is sold flavored in the US. It's got to be made more appealing to "gaijin" who aren't accustomed to the somewhat funky natural taste.
Foodie Penguin
-
My Mum, back in the UK, made me a Christmas cake and it arrived in the mail on Saturday. It's a mother of a cake for two people! It must weigh at least 5lbs.
I don't know the recipe she used except I'm sure that it's the recipe she has always used. She poured rum into the finished fruitcake before she put on the marzipan and icing.
She made the marzipan from scratch as well as the royal icing. I'm surprised that the cake arrived intact but she packed it well and I'm not sure that I could wait till Christmas to tuck into it. I think I might offer it at Thanksgiving.
Foodie Penguin
-
how a nation continued to perpetuate its existence by contributing to the gene pool after consuming a breakfast with fried eggs, fried bacon, blood pudding, smoked kippers(does anyone else remember the smoked kipper episode in fawlty towers?) AND devilled kidneys is beyond me. apparently, its great after a particularly indulgent evening at the bar. this was demonstrated by a very puzzled french chef at school. the full english breakfast, that is..
i mention this to a friend of mine whom i assumed was english(apparently not. "i am SCOTTISH", he objected)...and i found out that there is such a thing as a 'full scottish' which includes haggis. *cough* then i get thumped on the back and he casually mentions..or just a "bowl of porridge with salt". pause. "splash of scotch, optional"
what do the english *really* have for breakfast?
When I stayed at a hotel in Scotland a few years back, at breakfast I had the Scotish breakfast. It differs to the full English breakfast because it featured lovely Scottish kippers and porridge, both of which I love.
Sadly, haggis wasn't offered in my Scottish breakfast but I would have gladly eaten some (I miss it so much).
The English breakfast on the other hand is pretty much a hearty meal with the bacon, eggs, sausage, tomato, mushrooms, baked beans, toast (no fried bread for me, thanks) and lashings of brown sauce (not fond of this myself). Blood pudding is also featured but I think it might be more of a Northern England feature.
Foodie Penguin
-
<<snip>>
I also really like those chewy things that you eat wrapper and all, the warpper melts in your mouth, forget what they are called as I haven't had them in a bout 10 years.
Are the candies black and chewy? I have some that fit that descrption and they have a cellophane wrapper and a rice paper wrapper, so that the candy doesn't stick to the cellophane.
The candy itself is made of seaweed- kombu I think. They're a candy but don't taste sweet, not in the Western sense that has an immediately sugary sweet taste.
I like them. I don't know the Japanese name.
Foodie Penguin
-
Fan-freeking-tastic!! A COOKBOOK being banned! This is like Ozzy and Judas Priest in the ‘80’s!
… just think of it … legions of kids will want this book because THEY CAN’T HAVE IT!!
Kudos. Whether you wanted to publish food-porn, you just did!
What? Ozzy and Judas Priest published cookbooks in the 80s?
I'm just trying to picture the contents of such books....
Foodie Penguin
-
It looks like my family is going to meet in Okinawa next spring. All of us live in different places around the world now but most of my Aunts and Uncles still live in or around Naha. So we are regathering to all be together. I'm so excited.
I'm just as excited about being back in Japan for the first time in 7 years...
I'll probably spend a good amount of time in Tokyo visiting friends.. and then spend the next 7 days making my way down to Osaka where I'll catch a flight to Okinawa. But where to go in those 7 days? My husband and I have both lived in Japan before so we've done the sightseeing in Kamakura and Kyoto... although, I'd like to go back to Kyoto on this trip to do more food related activities (the market, some special restaurants, etc). But what else should I look into?
I've been to Hida Takayama before but my husband hasn't, and since I love onsen, I'm thinking of scheduling that into the trip too.
Does anyone have special places between Tokyo and Osaka they'd like to share?
Most Appreciated
How about going to Mie-ken, specifically the area around Toba and Matsuzaka? The Toba area is famous as the place where cultured pearls were first made and you can see the women diving for the oysters. Also, you can buy first quality pearl jewelry at a fraction of the price.
Don't forget to go to see the famous "married rocks" just out in the ocean in Toba.
If you're both beef lovers, there's Matsuzaka beef, like the famous Kobe beef.
I'm kind of biased since my Mother is originally from Mie-ken.
Foodie Penguin
-
I posted this on General Food Topics, but here it is again...
Do you have any questions about growing Japanese food plants - herbs, vegetables, fruits in containers or gardens?
I'm doing a project on writing up information about Japanese plants in English with my local university horticulture department, eager to hear which plants people outside Japan are interested in growing.
So ask away! You may see some of them responding directly on this forum, and I'll collate other responses and post them.
My Mum, who lives in London (UK), has successfully grown the following Japanese vegetables and herbs in her garden:
shiso (green and red varieties)
sansho
myoga
nilla
gobo (in stacked up old tyres)
She was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society for many years and got her first cutting (illicitly) from the RHS gardens in Wisley, Surrey!
I felt spoilt when I lived in the UK 'cos the cost of fresh shiso leaves in Japanese shops is extraordinary.
Foodie Penguin
-
One thing I've noticed in your photos is that english frequently appears on food packaging. Why is that?
The inclusion of English on packaging or anything in Japan is mostly a marketing tool. It's especially appropriate when the food or item is of Western origin. English words on products for the Japanese market make the product more desirable, in the same way Chinese characters/kanji appear on garments and furnishings in the US.
Foodie Penguin
Getting good gear in the UK
in United Kingdom & Ireland: Cooking & Baking
Posted
If stores don't offer wedding registries, do they sell gift certificates? Maybe you can ask for those instead (although some people might think it's tacky)?