Cafe TPT (London, UK) – Table for 1

Y’know… I don’t think I’ve ever watched a movie in a theater alone.
On the introvert/extrovert spectrum, I’d probably be here:
[introvert]—-ed——————-[extrovert]

So it’s not that I dislike doing things on my own; there are just certain things that I feel are much more enjoyable in the company of others (preferably good friends & family).  Going out for movies is one.  Eating out is another.  Nearly all of my pasts blog posts, and Dan’s too, have been about meals we’ve enjoyed in the company of friends.  That’s just how we roll.

I’ve been working abroad for the last month (London’s Chinatown pictured above) and have eaten most of my dinners alone.  I’m fairly used to it now, but meals simply don’t tastes as good when you’re dining out alone.  That’s my opinion. I’m interested in yours – especially if you disagree! Do you mind eating out alone? I’m not talking about getting take-out (or “take-away” as they call it here), cooking a meal at home, or eating fast-food: those are easy.  I’m talking about a normal dining experience at a proper restaurant*

One of the best ways to combat homesickness is by eating something familiar.  I did just that the other day when I went to Chinatown for some simple wonton noodles.  Chinatown is in Soho and is in the heart of London’s West End; it’s a total tourist magnet.  As such, Chinatown is home to a bunch of horrible restaurants cashing in on unsuspecting tourists.  Thankfully, there are also some fairly good places.  Cafe TPT, a run-of-the-mill Hong Kong-style cafe, is one of them.

But this post is less about the food (the noodles were very nice and came with some tasty freshly-sliced BBQ pork – £8.60 with a drink), and more about reflecting on the whole dining-out-alone-experience.  The food can be awesome, but the meal will still feel unsatisfying to me.  I’m not entirely sure why.

Lack of dinnertime conversation? Doesn’t normally bother me.
Lack of sharing options? I like sharing food, but it’s not essential.
Am I too clingy? Maybe, but I don’t think so.
The correct answer is usually the simplest one so it’s probably just “because I’m not accustomed to eating out alone“, but I’d like to think that it’s something more compelling.

Note the book in this picture.  I’ve discovered that dining out alone is a lot easier when you have a book to read.  Not only is it less boring, but you also look a lot less creepy when you’re the only person in the entire restaurant eating alone**

One of the reasons I like going to a movie with a bunch of people is because, after the movie, we can talk about what we thought of it.  For, example:

Friend: “Wow, District 9 was amazing. What’d you think of it Eddie?”
Me: “Yea, that was intense. I loved it.”

And then I feel great because not only did I see a kickass movie, I have assurance (via my peers) that it was indeed a kickass movie.

I bet, subconsciously, the same thing is happening when I go out to eat.  It’s only a great meal if I think it’s a great meal and my friends agree with me that it was a great meal.  My Cafe TPT wonton noodles were great, but since I didn’t have any friends to bounce my satisfaction off of***, I left less than 100% satisfied.

Agree? Disagree? Am I over-analyzing?

PS: Aww… my green onions looked like hearts <3!

*I realize that HK Cafes are slightly fast-food-ish. I cheated.
**Tho the creepiness returns once you pull out a camera and start taking pictures of your food.
***this sounds a little kinky.

London,UK: Jamie’s Italian

If you’re reading this blog, you probably watch (and love) the Food Network. It’s okay to admit. I love it too. I was there when Emeril Lagasse BAMMED his way into mainstream popularity. Remember those classic Iron Chefs? I loved how the dubbing made Chen Kenichi (Iron Chef Chinese, of course) sound like a complete doufus. Hilarious. One of my favorite shows was Jamie Oliver‘s The Naked Chef. It was fantastic.

The Naked Chef originally aired in 1998. Since then, Jamie has starred in numerous TV series, written numerous cookbooks (I own a couple), opened a few restaurants, and is now totally rich and famous. After all these years though, he’s still broadcasting the same message he had back when he was The Naked Chef: great food is a result of fresh, simple ingredients.

I’m in London. Last Sunday, I spent a fun and tiring day with family on the southern coast of Britain. I was excited when they proposed we reward ourselves with dinner at Jamie’s Italian. It’s probably not what you think though. Jamie’s Italian is created by Jamie Oliver, but it’s not his flagship restaurant; it’s actually a chain. There are currently 5 locations in and around London – Oxford, Bath, Kingston, Brighton, & Canary Wharf – with many more in the works. There’s even plans to open one in Hong Kong next year (“wah!”). Suffice to say, I didn’t see Jamie in the kitchen, but it was still exciting to experience his vision of what affordable, quick, and friendly Italian food should be.

Inside, the decor is casual and colorful. There’s fresh fruits, veggies, meat, and bread scattered throughout the restaurant. You can tell that they’re trying to appeal to younger crowds with a fresh message.

We started off with 2 antipasti platters. They were each £6.50 per person (~$11.50cdn). The meat platter had thin-sliced cured meats (delicious!) while the veggie platter had chargrilled veggies. Both platters contained fresh Italian cheeses, pickles, olives, and Italian salad.

The starters were nice and my entrée was even better. I ordered a Sausage Pappardelle – “Slow cooked Italian sausage, tomatoes, red wine, and parmesan with crunch herby breadcrumbs” – £9.95 (~$17.60). I really enjoyed this. It sounds strange, but with its al dente texture and odd shape, the pasta was a lot of fun to eat. The delicious meat sauce certainly helped. I realize that this isn’t the pinacle of Italian cuisine, but when you compare a dish like this to the super-cheesy, super-saucy, uninteresting dishes you find at a lot of North American chain restaurants (e.g. places that rhyme with “Coston Rizza” and “Molive Harden”)… well, there is no comparison.

For dessert, we shared a Tiramisu – £4.75 (~$8.40). Despite being a non-coffee drinker, Tiramisu is probably my favorite dessert. And this one did NOT dissapoint. Generous dallops of fresh marscapone cheese sandwiched between espresso-soaked (the stronger the better imo) lady fingers. With Tiramisu, I find that the messier it looks, the better it tastes (that sounds dirty..).

All in all, a really great meal.

Perhaps one day we’ll see a Jamie’s Italian in Canada. As the chain continues expanding, I do hope that they maintain the fresh philosophy that Jamie Oliver is known for. The world has enough crappy restaurant chains serving cookie-cutter meals as it is.

Jamie, keep it pukka.

Adonia Tea House: Non-imaginary Afternoon Tea

Like most boys, I used to play with toy cars. I owned hundreds and my favorites were the Hot Wheels Color Shifters. These looked like the rest, but magically changed colors when heated & cooled! Radical! The girls back then didn’t like my cars; they were more interested in drinking imaginary tea with their imaginary friends. Boring.

I never understood the appeal of those tea parties. Still don’t.

But I have a secret. Promise not to tell my cars? (yes, they can hear/talk/feel) I love afternoon tea. I still don’t  “get it”, but I can appreciate great food when I see/taste it and there are few things finer than afternoon tea.

Many places in Vancouver serve afternoon tea. I haven’t been to most, but I really like Adonia Kerrisdale Tea House located @ 2057 West 41st Avenue in Kits. The staff is friendly and they do all the little things (quaint decor, fine china, fancy music) that women people have come to expect.

Adonia’s afternoon tea is $23 per person (or $14 for a “mini afternoon tea”). It includes a pot of tea and a platter of food that includes cucumber, tuna, and smoked salmon sandwiches, cupcakes, biscuits, and other goodies. Adonia has a large selection of teas. I went with the a Mando Indica black tea (pictured above).

Food started off with cocktail shrimp. There were 4 of us so 1 each. A little strange to start with an item like this, but it was tasty.

Next up, my favorite: fresh scones! Again, only 1 each. I would’ve preferred an entire basket to share. The best scones I’ve ever had were in England. There, they serve them with jam and clotted cream. On this side of the Atlantic, they substitute the clotted cream with crème fraîche. Still great, but not the same.

The platter of sandwiches and goodies arrived next (the one pictured above is for 2 people). Quality over quantity here. The sandwiches may be small, for instance, but they are made to order with quality ingredients. It’s more filling than it looks too.

For dessert, cookies and panna cotta topped with fruit coulis. Delicious and, like the other goodies, not overly sweet.

All in all, a pleasant way to spend an afternoon. It’s not quite lunch. It’s not quite brunch. It’s… unique. And considering you’re getting multiple courses and tea, it’s fair-priced in my opinion. Recommended! (especially if you’ve never had afternoon tea before)

This is a lot more satisfying than sipping air from plastic cups. Now, if only they made Color Shifting tea cups – that’d be totally awesome. Vrooom!

1 + 1 = 1

Alas, EatSnapRepeat.ca now features rantings from both unmarried and married bloggers.
Congrats Anny and Daniel :)

PS: the food at the banquet was excellent.

Chinatown Night Market 2009

We talk a lot about the Summer Night Market (aka. Richmond Night Market), but it’s not the only game in town. The Chinatown Night Market has been going on for 14 years now. It amazes me that a city could support not just one, but two weekly Asian night markets.

The 2009 Chinatown Night Market…
…runs from May 15, 2009 to September 6, 2009.
…is open from 6:30PM to 11:00PM every Friday, Saturday, & Sunday.
…is located on Keefer St. between Main St. & Columbia St. (map).

The reason we haven’t talked about it is because we haven’t gone for years.

I actually never go to Chinatown. Not a fan of the downtown eastside and Richmond more than satifies my Chinese cravings. However, I was in the area last Saturday and decided to finally check out the night market. I had low expectations.

I arrived around 6:30PM: minutes after the vendors finished setting up their booths so the pictures might look more like a Chinatown Day Market. Fantastic weekend weather we’ve been having eh?

This market is very tiny compared to the Richmond Night Market. There are about 10 food booths and 10 non-food booths. Its footprint is a single city block stretch down Keefer St. It’s quite nice. The night market in Richmond is located on a warehouse parking lot behind a Home Depot whereas this one has historic Chinatown as a backdrop.

As usual, I skipped past the non-food booths selling crappy merchandise (check out the 8-ball PiMP stick in that pic) and went straight for the food booths.

Pretty standard stuff here. Curry fish balls, takoyaki fritters, bubble tea, chow mein, dim sum, bbq pork buns, spring rolls, meat skewers, gai dan jai (chinese egg pastry), etc. Things are generally priced from $2 – $5 each. I had me some curry fish balls (tangy), siu mai dimsum (yum), mango bubble tea (bland and artificial), gai dan jai (great!), and deep fried tofu (crispy and fresh). BBT aside, everything was great.

The real star of the show were the rice noodle rolls aka. chee cheong fun.

You’ve probably had rice noodle rolls before. They are a popular dim sum dish. They’re made from rolled rice noodle sheets which in turn are made from rice flour and water. You can buy pre-made packs at any grocery store for a few bucks.

One of the booths here has rice noodle rolls individually made to order. I’ve never seen the process done before – it’s pretty cool. They were probably the best rice noodle rolls I’ve ever had.

The entire process takes a couple minutes. First, they pour a viscous rice flour and water mixture onto a shallow metal sheet (pictured left). They add dried shrimp or fresh shrimp or beef to the mixture depending on which flavour you ordered (I got beef). You can also add an egg. The metal sheet and mixture is then slotted into a metal box steamer. See that box covered with Beat 94.5fm stickers in the right picture? That’s the steamer (do the stickers add flavour?). The mixture is steamed for a couple minutes in the box until it turns into rice noodles.

After it’s taken out of the box, they’re not rolled into noodles but simply scrapped off the sheet onto your plate. As the noodles are scrapped, they get folded into an interesting texture. This is the finished product, after adding some sweet soy sauce.

As I said, it taste fantastic. Super fresh. And it only costs $3 (+75 cents if you add an egg).

The Richmond Night Market doesn’t have this. They have normal rice noodle rolls that are great, but they’re not made to order from scratch. The night market in Richmond does have bigger and more obnoxious crowds, more expensive headache-inducing parking, and more booths selling crappy merchandise.

I came here with low expectations, but I left pleasantly surprised. There’s not much to do in Chinatown – especially at night – so you’ll have to find something else to do after visiting this night market. If the weather is nice and your stomach is empty, I’d definitely recommend stopping by the Chinatown Night Market for some fast food.