Friday, October 26, 2018

FOODIE’S CORNER ....COMMUNITY STYLE DINING


COMMUNITY STYLE DINING

Sharing food by eating together can draw an emotional connect between you and the destination

YUM CHA IN HONG KONG
Trying out yum cha should absolutely be on your Hong Kong checklist. Hong Kong assertions of the best dim sum chefs, who prepare these delicacies ranging from buns to dumplings and rice rolls that contain a diversity of ingredients, including pork, chicken, shrimps, prawns and a selection of vegetables served steamed, deep fried, baked or grilled. The most eminent traditional tea house is Luk Yu, a genuine vestige of a lost era. Interestingly the restaurant staff will walk around pushing a cart or carrying a tray stung around the neck to offer their goods. Wash these down with a fragrant tea from the menu.

AN ARABIC MEAL IN DUBAI
There is an impressive array of appetisers to be enjoyed famed as 'Mezze' which are the inexhaustible and highly flavoured range of irresistible nibbles. Hummus, rice and meat wrapped in vine leaves, mashed beans, hot and cold salads, grilled seafood and meats and pickled vegetables being the most popular. The other accompaniments like the Kebabs and Bread are usually brought together with the Mezze on the table from which you can help yourself with your hands, sort of a community style eating, (of course you can ask for cutlery if you wish to). Later of course you can wash your fingers in orange flower oil warm water. In a few places Islamic laws also make it unimaginable to have alcohol with the meals so the locals enjoy water, light teas, a lemon mint refresher. Most meals end with Legamat aka deepfried dough balls which are covered in date syrup and sesame seeds. Seven Sands is the best restaurant in Dubai for getting a taste of each of the seven different emirates that combine together to form the UAE.

OKONOMIYAKI IN HIROSHIMA
Identified as Hiroshima’s ‘soul food’ okonomiyaki has evolved from pre-war children’s snack called issen-youshoku, which consisted of a folded crepe topped with onions and Worchester sauce. It is basically a combination of noodles, cabbage, Japanese mayonnaise, meat and seafood of your choice, cheese, udon or soba noodles and eggs all grilled into a pizza size pancake of perfection — then topped with the decadence known as Okonomiyaki sauce!

FAMILY STYLE AT STRASBOURG
Restaurants merely litter the streets of Strasbourg, some considered among the best in France. Authentic local specialities are best savoured in the ‘winstub’, Strasbourg’s typical small family owned restaurants. Microbreweries are very popular as well, for example at Au Brasseur on 22 rue des Veaux, creates and brews its own beer and most people have it along by sharing some ‘tarte flambé’ (flammekueche). Foie gras and sauerkraut are also the two centre pieces of Alsatian cuisine, but alongside these delicacies, many other mouth-watering dishes can be found on the menus. Not to forget the special cheese cake and the famous 'kougelhopf' for dessert.

CUSTARD SQUARES & COFFEE IN AUCKLAND
Can be easily found in cafes and is quite a kiwi tradition to stop buy for a cuppa and share some of these. Soft custard is packed into the flaky pastry and shaped like squares. It is nimble and fluffy, bursting of flavour and undeniably fresh! Most people would upturn the square, cut it with a knife and share it along with their coffee.

Rupali Dean is a Delhi based food & travel writer
ET18OCT18

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