Taichung I

Hey Guys!  Sorry for the long hiatus.  Life got in the way.  Or more specifically, law school.  But that is winding down now so here are some long overdue posts from my Mom's summer in Taiwan with my Dad and my little Sister, who was in Taichung to teach English to kids.  Our Grandma also stopped by for a bit for a quick vacation.  Hope you all enjoy!

- Darin

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I promised myself that for the entire duration of my mom's stay with us in Taiwan,  we will not dine in a Western food restaurants but today I broke my promise!  Twice.

         
Since our arrival, we have tried to only patronize the restaurants serving Chinese dishes, if not local Taiwanese food.  And yesterday, in sticking to this rule, I thought we could find something new in one of the popular department stores near our hotel.  When we arrived, I remembered that we had  already been there for the Hong Kong Style "Yum Cha" (different kinds of steamed and fried snacks, usually in bamboo containers).  So instead, we found a very simple and quiet place for lunch.  The menu had not only soups and sandwiches but also couple of pasta and risotto dished, in addition to some gratins and salads with meat.  But what really caught our eye were all the different kinds of ice cream, shakes and beverages displayed.  Seeing that, I was more than happy break my rule.  I love Taiwan but it is very hard to find a place like this to relax or just hang out.

台中廣三SOGO店 (04)2328-1662

台中市中港路一段299號4F (廣三SOGO百貨4F)

http://www.kssogo.com.tw/

It is a cafe and a bistro.  I love what I ordered, Spaghetti with Seafood in Chili Sauce and for dessert, Chocolate, Mint Chocolate & Stracciatella.  And my mom got the Affogato, which is espresso poured over vanilla and hazelnut ice cream.  I was so excited I forgot to take pictures to share!  One other dish, which was very good, was the classic Clam Spaghetti with White Wine Sauce.  Nobody complained!We ordered the set menu so our meals came with soup and salad.  The three of us tried the Pumpkin Soup, Corn Soup and Vegetable Soup.  Very creamy and delicious.

That evening, after my younger daughter heard that we went for pasta, she demanded to have some as well (she was at camp when we went for lunch).   I saw this as another opportunity to seek out another cute shop to eat at.  I decided to go to another department store, knowing that it would also likely have a small cafe like what I had at lunchtime.

Dazzling Café

台中新光三越店
電話：04-2251-8036 (每月16號預約次月定位)
地址：台中市中港路二段111號4樓 (新光三越4樓)
營業時間：一至五 中午11:00 ~ 晚上22:00；六日 中午10:30 ~ 晚上22:00(最後點餐21:00)
官方網站：http://www.dazzlingdazzling.com/

Also one in Taipei:

Dazzling Cafe Pink

地址: 台北市忠孝東路四段205巷7弄11號1樓
電話:             02-8773-9238
統一訂位專線 :             02-8773-9229      
時間:12:00~23:00   (週日~週四)  ;  12:00~24:00  (假日前夕.週五~週六)          

This little cute shop has pasta with big flavor, very much what my daughter is fond of.  We all agreed that the food was better quality than what we had for lunch.  And infinitely better than 20 years ago, when I was growing up here and the few western restaurants available were just so Chinese it wasn't even worth trying.

This place also had a set menu for soup, salad and pasta for 2 for NT$ 699.  I was impressed.  The Chicken Pesto Pasta was the most impressive one.  The dish had two big pieces of chicken breast and after a bowl of soup, and half a salad AND another half of pasta dish with a piece of chicken, we felt more than full. Then I ordered a dessert that I was very excited to see, the Waffle with Mochi filling.  It is quite a marriage between Western and Eastern culture. So sweet! And the ice cream on top completed the union!

 

 

San Francisco: Day 3

We rested up today after having such a long day yesterday and didn't wake up until 10am!  Regular time for me, but way early for Mom and Darian, even with the time difference.  After finally getting the sleepy twins out of bed, we headed to Zuni Cafe.  At first I was afraid that it would a repeat experience of Chez Panisse but my worries were absolutely unfounded.

Fennel Sausage on a bed of French Lentils and Roasted Yellow and Red Beets

My Fennel Sausage on a bed of French Lentils and Roasted Yellow and Red Beets were DELICIOUS.  I was afraid the sausage would be dry but it was light but still delectably juicy with great seasonings and paired extremely well with the lemony french lentils.  The sweet roasted beets brightened up the whole dish and the grilled greens (dandelion greens?  beet tops?) rounded off the entire experience.  My one caveat was that the greens were a little too slathered in olive oil but aside from that the dish was perfect.  The charred-ness made the greens so good I was actually wishing for more and you better believe I did not even leave one little lentil left on the plate. 

Penne with Mushroom Sauce

Darian, of course, got the Penne with Mushroom Sauce.  She is currently on a mushroom bend at the moment so she devoured the plate and I knew secretly would've to ask for seconds if she weren't so full!  The sauce looks deceptively simple but the flavors were so rounded and complex I won't even venture to try to guess beyond chopped tomatoes and some awesomely dry white wine.  The homemade pasta was so good I kept stealing bites from Darian's plate, thank god she was too tired to notice.

Zuni Cafe Burger

Mom was also pretty impressed with her Zuni Burger, although she later admitted that I was right and she should have ordered her burger medium instead of medium rare.  (NOTE: People, please always get your burgers medium.  Just trust me on this.)  She loved the bread and the pickled onions.  Yum!

Gâteau Victoire with Whipped Cream & Caramel Pot De Crème with Bourbon Whipped Cream and Hazelnut Praline

What really did us over were the desserts.  Mom got the Gâteau Victoire with Whipped Cream and I got the Caramel Pot De Crème with Bourbon Whipped Cream and Hazelnut Praline.  Both were delicious.  Mom's was delightfully dense and chocolatey, just sweet enough to satisfy our sugar craving while my pot de creme was rich and the whipped cream extremely bourbon-ey, almost overwhelmingly so but balanced when eaten together and even better with the hazelnut praline.  Highly recommended, no matter how full you are from the undoubtedly wonderful entrees.  I made reservations but it was pretty empty when we got there so maybe its not necessary for lunch.

Golden Gate Bridge

 After the decadent brunch, we ventured to the Golden Gate Bridge since it was such a nice day--too mad every other tourist in the Bay Area also had the same thought and the area was completely packed.  Darian and I did manage to get this wonderful panorama when Mom, in trying to get the car to from the parking lot to come pick us up, accidentally wound up crossing the bridge (don't ask).  Afterwards, we made a quick trip to the Cote Tower, which according to the tourist in front of us, "is possibly the worst run tourist attraction I ever came across."  I couldn't honestly disagree but the views were still pretty, especially so as we were there right at sunset.

Dinner was at Ozumo and I could hardly contain my excitement after reading all about their uni risotto, but before we got to that, we started off with the Age Dashi Dofu and the Calamari.  The tofu was so-so but the calamari was pretty delicious with the dipping sauce.

Uni Risotto

The Uni Risotto, however, wasn't so-so, wasn't delicious but absolutely AMAZING.  Even Darian, who is by no means an uni person (I honestly don't think she even knows what uni is), was dying over it.  It was creamy and perfectly chewy with a WHOOSH! of sea breeze in your mouth.  That is honestly the only way I explain it.  Just wonderfulness in your mouth!  The only person who wasn't was Mom but that is because she can't stand any type of cheese or risotto for that matter.  Darian and I didn't mind of course, more for us!

Yellowtail Collar

We also ordered the Spider Roll and the Red Dragon which were both pretty good.  I also insisted on getting the Yellowtail Collar but we completely over-ordered so I think it was a bit under-appreciated by the three of us.  Sad.

We did manage to digest enough of the Uni Risotto and sushi to have room for ice cream at Bi-Rite Creamery!  Mom tried earl grey, salted caramel and banana which were all delicious while Darian and I indulged in their sundaes: Darian in their Brownie Sundae and I got the Banana Spilt.  Their split isn't like a traditional split, instead focusing more on the banana flavor by caramelizing the banana and adding tons of nuts into the mix.  DELICIOUS!  We all agreed that it was the best thing we've had the entire trip!  Must stop in SF!

San Francisco: Day 2

View of San Francisco from Alcatraz

After sleeping in and spending the day leisurely driving around SF and eating on Christmas, today we got up extra early to get on the first boat to Alcatraz.  Darian is currently obsessed with Al Capone and the gangster era so she was super stoked to go see where the man himself was jailed.  The view from the island to San Francisco is breathtaking.  The early morning drizzled even added a bit extra mystery and noir to the trip--too bad Darian was much too grumpy about having to wake up before noon to notice.  Oh, to be a teenager!

Afterwards, I dragged Mom and Darian to Berkley to the famous Chez Panisse Cafe.  Unfortunately for me, all the hype was slightly unfounded.  I'm not sure if it was because we were eating at the end of a very busy lunch rush or what, but our food was, overall, a bit of a disappointment.  Maybe I'm being too critical, but after having had to make lunch reservations more than a month in advanced, I just expected more.  The food, we all felt, was nothing special and some dishes were actually pretty bland.

I started off with the Potato, Cauliflower, Beet and Egg Salad.  It was fine.  Everything was well seasoned and perfectly cooked, so it was one of the better ones.  My mom had the pumpkin soup which ended up being just a tad too sweet and really nothing else.

Darian was famished so when her Rigatoni Ragu came, she completely destroyed it but before she did, Mom and I managed to sneak a bite or two and we both agreed that my mom could manage better.  I think my big problem with it was that it just smelled and tasted strangely gamey.  The pasta did taste homemade though and was nicely chewy.

Rigatoni Ragu

Mom got the Poached Sole with Fennel and Grapefruit which sounded much more interesting that it actually was.  I'm still not sure about the pairing of grapefruit with fennel and fish.  It wasn't that the combination was bad, but it wasn't good either so I'm not sure why it was put together.  Mom didn't like it because it was too fishy and I had to agree.  At first I just chalked it up to my jetlag--for some strange reason whenever I fly, afterwards I really can't have any fish without feeling I've just face-planted in a fish market--but after she complained about it, it seems like my oversensitivity was not completely unfounded in this case.

Poached Sole with Fennel and Grapefruit

I had the Fish with Romesco Sauce and Leeks, Clams and Grilled Potatoes, which was fine.  The fish itself was under seasoned but with the crust, it was fine.  The clams weren't overcooked and the potatoes were perfectly grilled but I wished the leeks were cooked a bit more, but I think that is just my personal taste. I did end up with a random huge chucks of bread in the romesco sauce, which were clearly meant to have been properly pulsed.  It wasn't unpleasant, but  I just didn't expect such a silly mistake from such a well-regarded restaurant.

Crusted Fish with Leeks, Clams and Grilled Potatoes

What did redeem the restaurant for me and made me think that the off-dishes are not a norm for the restaurant was the dessert which were SPECTACULAR.  We really didn't have high hopes after the disappointing entrees but it all changed after the first bite of their Poached Pear Galette.  I love my galettes (evidence: Blue Cheese and Plum Galette) and theirs seriously put mine to shame.  The crust was so thin and flaky unlike my galette crusts which are always pie-like since, well, its a pie crust, but theirs resembled more of a puff pastry or even a phyllo dough.  The texture of the crust reminded me of the roti rolls I used to eat after school in Bangkok was I was younger, which were fried after being stretched within an inch of its life, making them so deliciously crispy that even after a coating of condensed milk it stayed perfectly crispy.   I have no idea how the Chez Panisse Cafe pastry chef did it, but they managed to and with an oven so less.  The pears were beautifully poached in both white and red wine (so pretty!) and not overly sweet when perfectly complemented by the spoonful of creme fraiche.  It was so good that Mom kept trying to steal bites from my plate and I actually yelled at her to back off--that was how good it was.

Poached Pear Galette

 Mom got the persimmon cake, which I thought was good despite the fact that I dislike persimmons.  Something about their texture really throws me off but this cake was pretty good.  It reminded me of Nigella Lawson's Clementine Cake.

Persimmon Cake

So I wouldn't not recommend you to visit the cafe.  I would just caution that from my experience, it was not up to all the hype surrounding it.  I actually would be interested in going back to see if I would have a different experience.

For dinner, we were stuck around the touristy Fisherman's Wharf area so I decided to take Mom and Darian to Scoma's Restaurant for some seafood.  We were in SF, after all!  And after the lackluster lunch at Chez Panisse Cafe, we decided to play it safe for dinner and stick to the classics: fresh oysters to share, Lobster Ravioli for Darian, Dungeness Crab Spoonbread for me and Pasta alla Scoma for Mom.  

Fresh Oysters!

 Nothing better than fresh oysters!  These were on the smallish side but were so sweet, we were tempted to order another half dozen.  My Dungeness Crab Spoonbread was wonderful, with the huge chunks of crab pairing perfectly with sweet corn and peppers and elevated to wonderful flavor heights with the sourdough bread.  I honestly can't see it working as well with any other type of bread.  The sourdough adds this great zing to cut an overall sweet and creamy dish, making it a much rounder plate of flavors.  Too bad the salad was drowning in lemon juice, so much so that my right eye kept wincing, much to Darian's amusement.

Dungeness Crab Spoonbread.  Scoma Classic!

 Mom's Pasta alla Scoma was classic and beautifully tangy, although I wished there was a bit more brininess, considering all the seafood in it.  The scallops were perfectly cooked to Mom's delight, something even the best of restaurants sometimes fail at.  Standard seafood pasta fare, perfectly cooked!

Pasta alla Scoma

Darian basically inhaled her Lobster Ravioli.  Although she admitted there was a bit too much creaminess going on with there being cheese inside the ravioli along with the lobster and then doused in a cream sauce, the lobster was so fresh she didn't mind.

Lobster Ravioli

We finished our dinner off with a trip to the Ghirardelli Ice Cream Shop for a brownie sundae that was pretty terrible but fun all the same.  Ready for Day 3! 

San Francisco: Day 1

Christmas in Fog City!

Mom and I thought it was about time we took Darian to San Fran so she can see where my brother and I were born and where my mom spent her first years in the US.  We tried for Darian's spring break but a series of mishaps (missing planes, phantom tickets--don't even get me started!) forced us to move our plans to Christmas instead.  We got in late Christmas Eve and we slept in on Christmas, rising just for a wonderfully greasy brunch at Han's Coffee Shop.  I got the Spicy Sausage Breakfast and Mom got the Short Stack.  I honestly don't know how they make such huge pancakes and manage to still cook them through and keep them so fluffy!  Darian puzzlingly got the Chicken Sandwich.  More adventurous eaters should definitely try their Korean specials like Bimbimbap or their Korean Pancakes.

We then proceeded to drive around the city to the beach, across the bridge and even to our old house, and also up and terrifyingly down the two steepest hills in San Fran.  We then capped off our first rainy day in Frisco at Bob's Steak and Chop House for a perfect Christmas dinner.

The Crab and Lobster Bisque and Salmon Platter with fresh bread

We started off with some Crab and Lobster Bisque and the Salmon Platter with a bit of the fresh bread.  I find it strange that the bread was not sourdough but maybe that is presumptuous of me?  Anyway, the bisque was wonderful, with perfect chucks of crab and lobster and not too sweet or salty as most bisques are.  The salmon platter was nothing special but was a good start to the Christmas dinner.  We also got some Cesar Salad that was wonderfully anchovy-ish, just the way I like it---so much so that we scarfed that baby down before we got a chance to take a picture.

Mom's Roast Duck with Baked Potato

Mom got the half Roasted Duck with Peppercorn Sauce and a side of Baked Potato.  The roasted duck was perfectly cooked, soft and juicy with a perfectly crisped skin but I did find it on the salty side.  The baked potato was surprisingly the star of Mom's dinner as it came with full condiments of sour cream, broccoli, bacon and cheese for you to personalize.  Darian couldn't stop stealing bites from Mom.

My Prime Rib and Sautéed Potatoes with Peppercorn Sauce and Creamed Corn

Darian and I shared the 12oz. Prime Ribeye, probably the best I've had but that's not saying much since I usually go for the filet mignon.  Either way, it was perfectly tender with such a great crust on it I was tempted to go into the kitchen and ask for grilling tips.  Darian, the potato enthusiast of the family, was not impressed by the Sautéed Potatoes with Peppercorn Sauce but I thought it was fine.  Good crust with a soft center and a nice oniony sauce.  The best part, however, was the Creamed Corn.  Sweet and creamy, I only wish I could steal the recipe for every time I had company over to impress them!

There was no time for dessert since we had to run to the screening of Les Miserables.  Totally worth it.  My mom and I were in tears by the end when the entire cast was singing the finale, Do You Hear the People Sing?  I mean, definitely a different experience from seeing it live and the storytelling seems rushed in a film format but still great, just don't expect the singing to be on par to theatre, but where the film falls short musically, it makes up in emotion.  Anne Hathaway is heartbreakingly the perfect Fantine and Hugh Jackman is great as well.  Amanda Seyfried seems to struggle with some of the high notes as Cosette and Russell Crowe lacks the deep richness of other Javerts but both were still good.  Highly recommended!

London, Part II

Onward with the tour!

On the top of my list of food I HAD to have while in London was Fish and Chips.  Although A Salt & Battery in Greenwich Village is good, it was just missing something...British.  I'm not sure how to explain it but I think I've been spoiled ever since Jeanie Weanie took me to the local Chip Shop in Newcastle and introduced me to the best seafood I've ever had, let alone Fish and Chips.  And the fact that no one in America seems to understand what mushy peas are is also insanely frustrating.  So being my best friend, she researched Chip Shops around London to take me and came up with...

The Golden Hind

The Golden Hind, which has this incredible ambiance.  It is this old school posh neighborhood Chip Shop in Marylebone that is renowned for having amazingly fresh seafood.  I also loved that the shop has a board that shows all the previous owners and their ethnicities.  We got some classic fried cod, fish cakes, chips and of course, mushy peas for me!  The cod and fish cakes were a bit fishy but Jeanie Weanie didn't really taste it so I chalk it up to me always getting extra sensitive when I'm travelling.  Either way, the batter was great.  Just thick enough to have a great crunch but thin enough to gently envelop the cod instead of drowning it.   The chips were good as well but what really made my day were the mushy peas.  Simple I know but there is something awesome about getting something that simple right.  And don't you love the little condiment bowls?

Traffic Jam in a Jam Shop next to The Golden Hind.  HILARIOUS!

The next day Jeanie Weanie took me to one of the food meccas of London, Borough Market, their version of our Smorgasburg, although I'm sure Borough Market has been there forever and our Brooklyn Smorgasburg is still relatively new.  Anyways, we were on the hunt for more less traditional fare as we more than gorged ourselves on the Fish and Chips so I opted for Cafe Brood's famous Paella.

Cafe Brood's Paella Pan.  Delicioso, no?

Cafe Brood's Paella with Catalan Stew

The Paella was a tad under seasoned for my taste and the Catalan Stew refused to blow my mind as others have promised but the stew and the paella together in one bite was indeed delicioso.  Since the paella wasn't as flavorful as expected, the acidity and brightness of the stew really rounded out the rice without covering up the wonderful brininess of the seafood.  The real disappointment was the actual meatballs in the Catalan Stew, which I felt was too dry despite being cooked in the stew, and did not contribute much to the flavors of the dish as a whole.

Game Sandwich from The Guildable Manor.  YUM!

Jeanie Weanie felt like a nice sandwich so she popped over to the next stall and got a wonderful Game Sandwich from the Guildable Manor.  The sausage is made of wild boar and venison and combined with the cabbage, this sandwich is SPECTACULAR.  I love me some well made sandwiches and they did GOOD.  The sausage was grilled perfectly, baguette soft, cabbage tangy and crunchy and with their homemade sauce, this sandwich was easily one of the best offerings at the market.  Next time I think I'll go for their lamb sandwich.

My last night in London I had planned to go over to the Mandarin Kitchen to visit my uncle who runs the restaurant and to have their absolutely delectable Lobster Noodles as my last meal before I leave.  Funny sentiment since if I had to choose a last meal in life, this would be it.  These noodles are that good.  Thai dignitaries regularly stop by and the last time I was there the Thai prime minister was 2 tables away.  Now despite my strong feelings for this dish, I can tell you right now I still believe I am underselling it to you.  The heft of the noodle perfectly handles the gooey sauce and holds its own with the lobster, whose essence has gleefully penetrated the noodles and the absolutely delicious out of this world sauce.  ARG!  I am drooling everywhere just thinking about it!  But alas, it was not meant to be.  My uncle received word too late of my presence in London and we just missed each other.  Until my next trip then, my darling darling lobster noodles!

Heaven. (Courtesy of Christina About Town)

If you are in London I HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you stop by--no, MAKE SURE you get these wonderful noodles.  They are worth every pence and trust me, this dish isn't cheap.  Although I didn't get to go, I found some photos from the blog Christina About Town, who echoed my sentiments about this absolutely SPECTACULAR dish.

Yum.

London, Part I

I really don't understand any of this grumbling about how the English have terrible food.  Honestly, when I was studying abroad in London during the Winter/Spring of 2009, I was in food heaven.

Bangers and Mash? Pies? Fish and Chips? Victoria Sponge Cake? Mushy Peas?  Scones and Clotted Cream?  AMAZING!

Seriously, what in the world are the haters jabbering about?  I mean, I can kind of understand that argument 75 years ago, but now?  HELLZ NO!  Especially if you've taken a look at any of Jamie Oliver's or Nigella Lawson's cookbooks, I can't see how you can still say the English have terrible food.  But that is besides the point.  As much as I love traditional British fare, for this post I will (with the help of my best and oldest friend, Jeanie Weanie) reverse the misguided belief by showing you what else is offered in Merry Ol' London, especially some great ethnic food, perfect timing really with the London 2012 Olympics!

The first stop: Burger & Lobster, where they serve nothing but--yep, you guessed it--burgers and lobsters!  Okay, there are actually three things on the non-existent menu (and I say non-existent because there is really no physical menu): burgers, whole lobsters steamed or grilled and the lobster roll.  Since Jeanie Weanie went straight for the grilled lobster, I elected to try the lobster roll.  I have pretty high standards for a lobster roll since I used to live near Luke's Lobsters in the East Village and they have the whole seafood roll thing down to a science.

Steamed Lobster, Bloody Mary and Lobster Roll at Burger & Lobster!

The lobster roll that I got from Burger & Lobster was good.  Not great, but good.  My problem was that it was just too big and there was just too much butter, which made the entire experience a bit overwhelming, but the lobster was fresh--you could really taste it.  The fries were awesome though, and I'm a sucker for good fries.  Jeanie Weanie's grilled lobster was great since the lobster was fresh and the parsley butter sauce the lobster came with was OUT OF THIS WORLD.  Yea, it's just parsley, garlic, and melted butter, but I have a feeling if I tried to recreate it at home, it would still not be as good as how Burger & Lobster made it.  We, of course, washed the entire thing down with bloody marys that were the perfect drink for our seafood feast.  And I say feast because after neither of us could really walk without waddling--that's how much food they gave us.  It was £20 for each entree, which is a bit pricey, I'll admit, but it was absolutely worth it for what we got.

The second stop: Aladin, supposedly the best curry place on Brick Lane...but that claim has been made by ALL the curry houses on Brick Lane so it's to be taken with a grain of salt but this place was good.  Certainly better than all the Indian places I've tried in New York (sorry guys).  I absolutely fell in love with Indian food when I was studying abroad in London in 2009 and just haven't found anywhere in New York that could really compare.  Yes, I know all the Indian food I had in London is completely Anglocized but that doesn't really bother me one bit since it is DELICIOUS.

Our Indian feast at Aladin: Garlic Nan, Balti Lamb Kurma, Rice Pilau and Balti Chicken Tikka Bhuna

Jeanie Weanie and I went a little nuts with the ordering since we were both starving by the time we got to Brick Lane but you only live 9 times right?  Oh wait, that's a cat.  Nevermind.  Anyways, we started with papadoms and onion bhaji which were both good but pretty standard fare at all Indian places.  As much as they both tasted great, we were a tad distracted as we were really excited for our curries, Chicken Tikka Bhuna and Lamb Korma (or Kurma), made extra special as our waiter recommended we get both Balti-style.  Balti, according to the folks at Aladin, is "a unique concept of Kashmiri cuisine.  ..[where] traditional dishes are prepared and presented to the customer in a cast iron dish with natural spices and herbs."  Basically they are saying what is already awesome is kicked up another awesome notch (enough awesomeness for you in one sentence?).  We also ordered garlic nan and pilau rice and to be honest, what really rocked my socks was the pilau rice.  I'm not sure how well you can see in the picture but the pilau has sprinkles of different colored rice (red, yellow, green) that , combined with its incredible flavor (garlicky, soft, a bit sweet, a bit salty) just elevated it to one of my favorite side dishes EVER.  The curry itself was good as well but a bit one-dimensional for me, which is surprising since curry is usually a party of flavors in your mouth.  I actually preferred the fire red Balti Chicken Tikka Bhuna over the Balti Lamb Korma, which I felt was just overwhelmingly sweet, hiding much of the other wonderful spices that goes into the dish.   Either way, these two were the best Indian curries I've had easily in the past year so it nonetheless lifted my spirits.

Please check back for London Part II where I go to get some Fish and Chips and visit Borough Market for some awesome Paella!