AdrianB

Hello all I apologise if this is a bit off topic but where does art end and food begin ? At Mankamero 『萬亀楼』restaurant in Kyoto there was in 2010 I think a special 'scroll' 『雪中松図屏風』 of some important on display at times. I think this is a YouTube video of it: It would be very helpful to know roughly the significance of this piece and how it relates to Mankamero and their very long history (1722). My very basic Japanese is not helping me at all. Kind regards Adrian

Thank you for the helpful replies. The problem was only experienced at Kikinoi and other more modern places. No problem at Mankamerou (one of my personal favourites in Kyoto especially the 'ryo-ryori').

Good day all What is the etiquette when it comes to being unable to finish a kaiseki meal (when it gets to the rice course)? Often I've found myself unable to eat more than a token amount (as I am very full). Is it acceptable to do this or am I 'obligated' to eat more and accept as it's offered? Is there a way to avoid embarassement or awkwardness in this situation? What do the locals do? Kind regards Adrian

Makaibari Tea Estate 'Silver Tips Imperial'.

Thank you for the welcome. I enjoy a broad range of tea - the hardest problem is finding reliable, quality suppliers locally. The Internet is certainly helping that but Australia is a smaller market. The purveyors of tea locally are fine for your average leaf but finding anything more interesting or of higher quality (or freshness when appropriate) is tricky. Importing direct from the estates or tea-growing countries seems to be the best bet. Some friends also have a few very special Oolongs from Taiwan they bring in (Oshmanthus Autumn etc. from an estate I always forget the name of!). Green, black, white or in between doesn't bother me depending on the mood and situation. Favourites include: pu-erh (especially after a rich meal), gyokoro from Kyoto - but watch out for the caffeine; and Darjeeling of all sorts. Oolong is very special but I know so little of it apart from the one mentioned earlier; also great memories of great cups in Korea and Singapore with tea-loving hosts. As for the Makaibari Tea Estate Bai-mu-Dan, it's not an expensive tea ($2.50USD for 25g) but offers a refined rustic honesty I find pleasing when I seek a delicate drink. You can find out more about Makaibari at: http://makaibari.com/ . I look forward to reading this forum, learning plenty and sharing what I can.

Too loud is very annoying. At a pub I don't mind a little noise / music but not at a restaurant! There's a few places I frequent only in quiet periods (lunch mid-week et) just to avoid the deafening levels on a Fri/Sat night.

Makaibari Tea Estate (Darjeeling) Bai-mu-Dan (white tea). 80oC, 9 minutes first infusion, subsquents longer. No trace of bitterness. Golden, ethereal and a delight. Not sure it's going to help my beauty however!

You may also like to visit: http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/ - that's the bustling Mark Squires Bulletin Board on eRobertParker. It's full of wine buffs and plenty of New York folk with a love for grower Champagne and plenty more.

Do you know what the grade of the beef is? With striploin I either: a) Slice finely (3mm slices aprox.) and grill for the briefest of times on charcoal both sides. Add a pinch of sea salt, squeeze of lemon and you're in wagyu heaven. b) Slice into 6cm (circa 2") portions and grill for 2 minutes each side on charcoal (I'm sure a broiler would do in a pinch). Rest in a warm spot for 5 mins. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slice and serve with lemon wedge on the side. You may need to experiment with the thicker grilling - non-fullblood wagyu seems to cook slower than full blood and lower grades (less than 9+) need a little more.

Home made steamed buns (boa zi) filled with spiced pork and beansprouts with a side of long beans with sesame sauce. It sure beats cereal!

I believe in the USA the gas used for BBQs is 100% propane. In Australia the fuel can vary from 100% propane to 100% butane depending on the source. If you visit: You'll see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propane "North American barbecue grills powered by propane cannot be used overseas.[citation needed] The "propane" sold overseas is actually a mixture of propane and butane. The warmer the country, the higher the butane content, commonly 50/50 and sometimes reaching 75% butane. Usage is calibrated to the different-sized nozzles found in non-U.S. grills.[citation needed] Americans who take their grills overseas — such as military personnel — can find U.S.-specification propane at AAFES military post exchanges." Depending on your grill will depend on if it's worth dragging over. The BBQ industry here isn't as big as the USA but there's readily available things such as Green Eggs as well as local varients. I'd suggest considering charcoal if you're interested. The gas powered BBQs here can have a bitter edge when used for grilling... but then again I eat plenty of grilled gas food which is good *shrug*

This is the same brand / type of Japanese soy sauce that I use at home! It's unpasteurised.

One of the big differences between Australia and New Zealand is the produce. Australian Lamb is entirely different than NZ Lamb. Australian Lamb has more smell and is often leander (not always a good thing). NZ Lamb is more European - the emphasis is on fat and texture. I prefer the taste of Australian lamb but prefer the texture of NZ lamb. Seafood is also quite different. Australia's seas are quite poor in fish population considering it's huge coastline (old soils = little nutrients) broadly speaking. The fish species have in plentitude we don't eat much of as it's exported to Asia and US. The most common fish we eat is often farmed non-indigenous species like Atlantic Salmon! There are local species of fish in the southern states which are delicious and don't travel well so thankfully we get to enjoy: King George Whiting, Coorong Mullet etc. As for what separates the cooking - I think nothing except local taste and culture. A great NZ Chef who cooked in Sydney would probably produce similar things as a Sydney chef. The local produce is what determines the style as well as what the punters want to eat.

Got my hands on some green rocklobster tails and went Singaporean Chinese style: > Stir fried several dried chillies until just starting to brown, added crush gloves of garlic (around 6), added slices of rocklobster tail in shell and fried until shells turned slightly red. Added 2 cups water, teaspoon chilli fermented black beans, bit of salt and sprinkling of sugar and a bit of cornstarch slurry to thicken. Stired to coat all evently and covered wok to allow tails to cook until shells bright red (about 4 minutes). Once cooked, added a splash of rice wine vinegar (but I might use Japanese ume-vinegar next time!) to bring out the aromatics. Added sliced green onion and snowpeas for some green and colour. Added egg to make threads through dish. Seaweed soup, rice and some pickles rounded it out.

I was my rice until the water runs almost clear (put it in a sieve over a bowl and the lost water is used on the garden). I then rub handfuls of rice for a few minutes to polish a little bit and rinse again. It gives a nice shine to the rice when it's finally cooked. It also feels nice