Bruges, Belgium

The rest of our holiday was spent in Bruges, where Bern had a medical conference. Bruges is definitely a must-see destination. The place is beautiful and everything is conveniently at walking distance. Above is the most photographed spot in Bruges. If you are thinking of visiting Buges, make sure you watich In Bruges, a movie with Colin Ferrell in it, to get a taste of the place.

The town centre

The Belfry

The city is best viewed by taking a boat ride along the water channels, and the cost was only 7 Euro per person. Again, there were no shortages of chocolate shops, and the best would be The Chocolate Line, but be prepared to fork out twice as much as the other shops. But definitely worth it. We are savouring the last few pieces that we bought!

Bern and I met up with some friends in Bruges that were also attending a medical conference. It was really nice to see some familiar faces, and it made us quite home sick. The restaurants here all have fairly similar menus, and moules and frites (mussels with fries) was definitely on every menu. I had moules and frites 3 nights out of five! Really fresh, tasty and plump mussels served in a huge pot, and normally cooked in white wine and garlic.

Bern as usual opted for steaks, but had moules and frites on some nights.

I always chose Belgian waffles for dessert. Some places were better than others, but generally, the waffles were light and fluffy, but cruchy on the outside. Really lovely, especially served with ice-cream and drizzled with dark Belgian chocolate.

Bern on the other hand was happy sampling many of the Belgium beers with his mate. On one occasion, they had four each. Considering the alcohol content (which was 9-10%, double of the usual beers), that is quite alot to drink.

City Centre at night

On the third day, our friends kindly took us on a drive to the outskirts of Bruges and one of the places we visited was Tyne Cot Commonwealth War Graves Cemetry and Memorial to the Missing.  Tyne Cot is a  burial ground for the dead of WW1 in Ypres Salient. Many Australians fought in this area, and were instrumental in capturing the area. The cemetery and its surrounding memorial are located outside of Passendale, near Zonnebeke in Belgium.

The other great thing about Bruges is that there are many tea houses around serving beautiful cakes. It must be the French influence. The baguettes here were just as good too, and that was had on many lunch occasions.

A tea room that Bern and I went to for lunch on the last day.

My hot chocolate was served in a little teapot and also came with a little cupcake. On the left are aperitifs of beef tartare on toast.

Bern's Croque Monsieur

My moussaka.

Overall, Bruges exceeded expectations. I am personally biased as I love France, and Bruges reminds me of France- beautiful, clean and most importantly, has good food!

Brussels, Belgium

Bern and I have just returned from a week in Belgium. Having not known much about the country, it was definitely better than expected. Belgium is truly a beautiful country, and its charm was enhanced by lots and lots of good quality chocolates, waffles and heavy beers. Plus, the trip is only 2 hrs by Eurostar train from London. Our first stop was Brussels, and we stayed for one night before heading to Bruges. Most of the people spoke Dutch, French and German and this mixed culture is evident in the food.   

I thought I would start the blog of with pictures of yummy chocolates. In Brussels and also in Bruges, almost every second shop was a chocolatier. It is a good thing we don't own a weighing scale in London. All that pigging out would definitely do some damage to the waistline and not to mention the effects on my coronary arteries. Oh well, it was well worth it. Who could resist? :)

It did not take me long to dig into my first of many waffles... and all drizzled with good quality Belgian chocolate.  MMMMmmmm.... salivating while thinking about it.

I did not forget about the city itself. Above is the main square called the Grote Markt. We came on a good day as the city was having a Balloon Festival. The streets were littered with tourists and locals alike and it was amazing to see all these giant balloons of many caricatures parading down the streets of Brussels. I personally like the giant blue Smurf and Spongebox Squarepants. But there was also Betty Boop, Ninja turtles, characters from Dr Zeuss, to mention the least. These balloons were accompanied by marching bands that were very good.

Above is Manneken Pis (translated as little man urinating). It is a famous landmark in Brussels and it is a little bronze statue of a boy urinating. This fountain was built in 1618 and has many legends as to its beginnings.

However, I'm not going to dwell on that, Wikipedia it if you are curious. Also, his outfit changes several times a week, and all his outfits are kept in a museum.

More photos of the main square

Ahhh... Belgian beer. Definitely not for the faint hearted. They all pack a punch, many with 9-10% alcohol. Needless to say, Bern could not wait to have a couple.

There were a few streets in Brussels that reminds me of Lygon street in Melbourne. They all have people standing outside the restaurant trying to lure customers by offering first drinks on the house. The place we went to served fresh seafood, but was definitely overpriced. But we had our first taste of Moules and Frites (Mussels and Frites) plus a whole lot more. Strangely enough, every restaurant was also serving Paella, a Spanish seafood rice dish. I don't think Spain was ever part of Belgium culture or history.

Mussels cooked in white wine- very French influenced

Our seafood platter

Paella

I forgot to mention that we were travelling with some mates from Melbourne. After dinner, we decided to pig out on some lovely fondue at Hiagen Daz (another French company). Great way to start a trip and end a lovely day.

St Emillion Wine Tour, Bordeaux

The second day in Bordeaux, Bern and I decided to go on a wine tour to St Emilion, a medieval city about 40 mins drive away. It is easy to book one of these tours from the Tourist Information Centre. But be warned, do not go between 12-1pm. They are close for lunch! I love their work ethic... I should have been born French.

The above grapes are Merlot which are almost ripe for the picking. We started the tour by going to Planet Bordeaux, which is a wine museum. I learnt so much from this place, so it is definitely worth going if you do not know much about wine,  like me. Here I learned about Le terroirs- the factors required to make quality wine. This includes the climate, the soil and the wine maker as the artisan. If these three are perfect, then you will have quality wine. Bordeaux is suppose to have the right climate and soil for grape vines and different regions have different soil types for different grapes. St Emillion grows mainly Merlot, while Medoc grows mostly Cabernet Sauvignon. The main grapes grown in Bordeaux are Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc (red grapes) and Sauvignon, Semillon and Muscadelle (white grapes).

It is also at Planet Bordeaux that I learn about wine classifications- such as the difference between a Bordeaux and Bordeaux premium. The premium is more expensive due to less yield per hectarlitre.

We also learned how wines are given labels such as grand cru or grand cru classe (classe is the most expensive- and it is judged by a wine panel and it is really hard to achieve and takes a vineyard many many years before it is awarded this lable). The other thing I learned was about appellations. Therefore some wines are only allowed to be called a certain name if it is from that area. I learned that Sauternes are made from white grapes infected by botrytis (a type of fungus) which gives the wine a  specific taste. Australia's Brown Brother's Noble One is also made by grapes infected by botrytis but cannot be called a Sauternes. Anyhow, these are mainly terminologies. If it taste good, that is all that matters.

Here at Planet Bordeaux, and later at Chateau Cantenac, I learn that wine making is such a long and arduous process. So many things can affect the outcome. I mentioned the le terroirs before. If the weather for that particular year was dry, then the grapes are less juicy. The role of the winemaker is also significant. As Bordeaux wines are mostly blended, the winemaker uses their skill to come up with the perfect blend. Some wines are kept in steel tank and others in oak barrels (and even the barrels have different grades and variety that will significantly contribute to the outcome of the wine as the barrel impart flavour to the wine). There are so many factors that contribute to the outcome. Kinda like baking and cooking I guess- but much more complicated.

The fermentation process of the grapes are in two fold. First, the fermentation for the first two weeks are due to the natural yeast found in grapes. Then, the free flowing juice is drained and re-tanked for malolactic fermentation. The residue is then pressed. The pressed juice is later added (at the wine makers' digression) to the free flowing juice. After the second fermentation, the wine is left in steel tanks or oak barrels to age. Throughout the aging months, samples from different barrels and tanks are sent to laboratories for analysis.  It is then up to the winemaker how he would blend his wine. Oh ya, all the tanks are temperature controlled and the oaks are kept in climate controlled storage areas.

Sorry if all that was a bit technical. If I did not write that down, I will definitely soon forget it. I am sure Bern (or GQ) will make a few corrections. Overall though, it was very educational.

St Emillion itself was a picturesque medieval town. These photos do not really do the place justice. Unfortunately, I started feeling ill here, with muscle aches and pains and feeling nauseated. What a pain! Luckily the restaurant that we went, Le Bouchon, was not very good. I was too sick to complain, but Bern actually did! It takes alot for Bern not to like a meal. My dessert of chocolate cake was awful. It tasted bland, was hard as a rock and you could see the hardened bits of lard/butter. Bern told the waiter that it was not fit to be served. Good on you honey! I was really too sick to complain... and they had the nerve to dress it up with a bit of cream and custard. Making it look pretty doesn't alter the taste! Our first disappointing meal in France! I was almost glad that I was ill...

                              

More views of St Emillion

Different types of grape vines for sale

The vineyard at Chateau Cantenac

Bern took this photo on his morning run in Bordeaux.....

Bordeaux, France

This is turning into a travel blog lately rather than a cooking blog hasn't it? I apologise, but these last two weeks have been really full on. First of all, I started a nannying job that I was not expecting. Then, we had visitors arriving from Melbourne just as we got back to London from Bordeaux. We knew they were coming, so that wasn't a surprise. But I was sick on the last day in Bordeaux which was a pain, as I could barely enjoy the wine tour, but most importantly, enjoy any of the food! In fact, I was feeling so nauseated that I hardly ate that day. Nevertheless, we still enjoyed ourselves as much as we could.

Bordeaux is a beautiful region southwest of France. The entire city is almost wholely UNESCO listed, and is world famous for its wine. This is evident when we landed at the airport as grape vines replaced flower beds. It also did not take me long to find a patisserie and most importantly, macaroons! Bern had a baguette (as usual).

It was a great feeling to be back in France.

The city also has a tram network which was a great way to get around. But if your hotel is in the city, then it is also very easy to get around on foot as most places were walking distance. 

The above are called canelés and are a specialty of Bordeaux that dates back to the 18th century. A cake batter that is flavoured with rum and vanilla is poured into copper tins and baked at a high temperature to get a caramelised outer skin, leaving the center moist and a little chewy. This was the first time that I've had them, and I thought it was a bit too sweet. I still prefer macaroons, which are insanely sweet too, but somehow just taste better because of its part chewy part crunchy texture. And in my opinion, better looking.

Having insider information is helpful when it comes to choosing a place to dine. Usually, we rely on the hotel reception but this time our informant came in a form of a certain Melbourne friend who lived in Bordeaux for a year (the official reason was for work, but I wondered if his penchant for wine had anything to do with it. Nothing wrong mixing pleasure with work I might add). Le Gabriel, with a Michelin hat was the recommended place which is conveniently located in the city along the Garonne river. The restaurant section was fully booked for the weekend, but we managed to secure a booking for their bistro. And even with such a good reputation, it was very reasonably priced. (3 courses for 28 Euro per head).

A bottle of Grand Cru Classe was quickly selected  to kick off the meal.

Oysters from the coastal areas of Bordeaux

Foie gras pate with mango jelly, a nutty jam and toast. This was seriously good.

My tomato mousse as entree

As usual, Bern had a medium rare steak with roast vegies.

My poached salmon with a seafood veloute was one of the best seafood main course I have ever tasted.

My chocolate mousse dessert covered in dehydrated raspberry powder. Delish! Especially with a crisp glass of Sauternes.

Bern's berry-misu! A twist on the Italian tiramisu.

This was definitely one of the most memorable meals we have had in a while. I wish sometimes these memories could be bottled in a jar and reopened when required. And it is not always meals from fancy restaurants that make it memorable. Sometimes, even simple meals cooked at home shared with loved ones leave a lasting impression. Food becomes a medium that brings poeple together, especially when those that get together for a meal are also passionate about food.

Bordeaux and the Gironne river on the walk back to the hotel.

P/s: This blog is for GQ and Lyndia, I hope it brings you lots of good memories!