URBAN MARKET (Mercado Urbano)

On the first Sunday of every month (next one is on December 2), a lively market is held in Condado's Ventana al Mar which is the large plaza on Avenida Ashford right in front of the sea.  Housed in a large tent, there are numerous stalls selling everything from plants (orchid, lavender and fresh herbs) to artisan bread from artepan, from farm fresh fruits and vegetables to straw hats perfect for the blinding Caribbean sun.  There are also several food stalls with lechon asado (roast pig), bacalaitos (fried cod fritters) and even tropical flavored ice cream.  It's a fun day out and a good way to spend a Sunday afternoon wandering through the stalls and stopping by for a snack or a bit of shopping.

Mercado Urbano

First Sunday of every month from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Ventana Al Mar on Avenida Ashford

Condado

Puerto Rico

Day trip: PLAZA DEL MERCADO

Half a year after moving to Puerto Rico, I finally decided to check out the Plaza del Mercado in Santurce.  Built in 1910, the market used to have two floors with the ground floor used for offices and ticket sellers and the upper floor for vendors of produce and butchers.  In later years, the second floor was removed and what remains now is just the main floor with several fruit and vegetable stalls, mostly selling bananas, plantains, yucca, sweet potatoes, chilies and chinas, the local oranges and the extra-large light-green skinned local avocados.  There is also a stall with hats and cigars for sale and a tiny souvenir shop off to one corner.  The butcher is now located outside the Plaza on the adjacent strip of la placita (small plaza or town square).

At sunset, la placita becomes a lively hangout for locals and tourists with the nearby bars and restaurants lining the side streets open and set up tables outside and live music blaring onto the square.  Closer to midnight, the street becomes livelier when the locals and tourists start to relax after several rum concoctions and impromptu salsa dancing takes place.  We went late in the morning, explored a bit then had a lovely lunch at nearby Santaella, one of our favorite San Juan restaurants, and by 3:00 p.m. we were headed back home to Dorado.

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Plaza del Mercado
Santurce, Puerto Rico
*Open Mondays to Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Sundays from 6:00 a.m. to 12 noon
*Bars and restaurants on La Placita open in the evenings till very late.

CHELSEA MARKET

On my last day in New York, I met up with good friend, Brooklyn native and fellow foodie C, who said I couldn't leave the cit without stopping by Chelsea Market - which houses an enclosed food court with specialized food purveyors including a large Anthroplogie boutique, a Posman Books 

and a Bowery Kitchens, restaurant supply store where I finally found a large metal cake stand which I had long-admired in the Dean & DeLuca stores.  Also in the same building are the offices and production facilities of the Food Network which makes for a captive clientele of foodies who often lunch at the market.

We met right after noon and walked around the place scoping out the area and doing a tour of what was available before deciding on lunch from the specialty butcher Dicksons Farmstand  where the daily blackboard menu listed pulled pork, banh-mi, roast chicken and hot dogs.  C had the pulled pork sandwich and treated me to a banh-mi (a Vietnamese sandwich usually made with roasted pork belly) with caramelized ground pork stuffed in a soft baguette and topped with pickled cucumbers and carrots and lots of fresh cilantro along with a fizzy organic lemonade.  We managed to snag one of the few tables where we devoured our sandwiches before heading off in search of dessert.  

We finally ended up at Bar Suzette where we lined up for a takeaway lemon, butter and sugar crepe made with the pedigree ingredients of Ronnybrook Dairy Farm butter, fresh lemon juice and natural granulated sugar.  Wrapped up in a paper cone, we then exited onto to 16th street and climbed up to The High Line where we enjoyed our dessert while taking a stroll in one of the prettiest parks created out of an abandoned railway.  We grabbed a post-lunch coffee at the Blue Bottle stand where I had an espresso while C chose an iced coffee then we walked further on until we found a spot in the shade of The Standard Hotel and listened to a classical quartet while enjoying the summer breeze, the Hudson river views and several years of catching up. 

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Chelsea Market

75 Ninth Avenue (between 15th and 16th streets)

New York NY 10011

Telephone: +1 888 727 7887

*Open Monday to Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The High Line

Telephone: +1 212 206 9922

*Open daily from 7 a.m to 10 p.m. 

Access from the following locations:

• Gansevoort Street
• 14th Street (elevator access)
• West 16th Street (elevator access)
• West 18th Street
• West 20th Street
• 23rd Street (elevator access)
• West 26th Street
• West 28th Street
• West 30th Street (elevator access)

FERRY BUILDING MARKETPLACE

San Francisco, one of my favorite cities which I haven't been to since 2003 has changed a lot but still remains the same.  The laid-back vibe is still there along with the love for all things organic, local and  seasonal.  No visit would have been complete without a stop at the Ferry Building Marketplace.  And if you're luck enough to be there on Tuesday, Thursday or Saturday, you'll get a chance to experience the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market and see the local producers in action.

We arrived in San Francisco on a Thursday morning and after checking in to our hotel, we walked the ten or more blocks down Market street towards the Ferry Plaza.  Originally constructed in 1898, it was rebuilt in 1991 and opened as a historical building housing the best produce and specialty food purveyors like Cowgirl Creamery, Frog Hollow Farm, Acme Bread Company, Blue Bottle Coffee to name a few and restaurants like Slanted Door, Gott's Roadside and the Market Bar.

Lunch at the Ferry Building on Market day can be a simple sandwich from Acme, a hunk of cheese from Cowgirl or if you're willing to queue up, a delicious porchetta sandwich from Roli Roti or from one of the many food trucks parked outside three times a week.  As we were with the kids, we decided to sit at one of the outdoor picnic tables at Gott's Roadside (formerly Taylor's Refresher) and order some burgers and garlic fries while we waited for the rest of our lunch from the food trucks.  It was a beautiful sunny autumn day, typical California weather, and perfect for our impromptu al fresco lunch.  After lunch, we queued up some more for a much-needed cappuccino at Blue Bottle Coffee.  The line was so long that by the time I got to the front, I needed not just a cappuccino but also an espresso which I had one after the other.  And yes, it was well worth the wait.

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Ferry Building Marketplace

One Ferry Plaza

San Francisco 94111 CA
Telephone: + 1 415 983 8030
*Open daily from about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Check for different opening hours on weekends)
*Farmer's Market and food trucks every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or until the food runs out and on Saturdays from 8 a.m to 2 p.m.

Jogjakarta Day 2: BOROBUDUR TREATS

Chic picnic overlooking Borobudur temple

Our Borobudur temple tour lasted more than an hour so by the time it finished, we had been up and about for four hours and were starving.  We were taken to nearby Dagi hill which is still inside the archaeological park. Up a winding one-lane dirt road until we reached the top and came to a large clearing.  It was here that a Buddhist monk from Thailand was cremated in fulfillment of his dying wish to finish his life overlooking Borobudur temple.  We walked a little way down the side of the hill and were amazed at the delightful picnic spread before us - a rather ordinary concrete bench and table for those who wished to take a rest after the climb was covered in cotton batik.  Laid out on the table were two covered rectangular baskets, bottles of orange juice and rattan-covered thermoses of coffee and milk.  As soon as they served our juice, they discreetly left us alone to enjoy our early morning picnic - blueberry muffin, jam doughnut, fresh fruit, muesli and an egg and ham on an English muffin.  Then for an hour or so, it was just us both, the chirping birds and Borobudur in the distance.

Fruits and vegetables at the Borobudur market

Post-breakfast we were scheduled to go an andong (horse-drawn cart) and do a little tour of the villages nearby but we opted to go and visit the market instead.  It was a large local market already bustling with shoppers rushing around with baskets and vendors setting up their wares.  Markets are a great place to see the produce and understand what ingredients are typical in the local cuisine.  This was my first visit to an Indonesian market and it was an interesting experience of noise, colors and lots of different smells.  There were colorfully-attired ladies separating red and green chilies while chatting away, fresh egg noodles piled up on shallow round baskets, lots of red-skinned shallots and mounds of garlic, knobby galangal and ginger, palm sugar, tempeh (a tofu cake), tofu  and even small fish packed in matching baskets tied up and ready to go.  Tiny stalls on wheels were offering fresh-cooked breakfasts of fried melinjo crackers, rice and vegetables were wrapped in banana leaf cone-shaped packets, soups with bakso (meatballs) and noodles being ladled out and eaten on the spot and lots of tiny coconut husk grills smoky with the smell of chicken satay cooking.

Colorful market vendors

Despite the noise and heat, everyone was getting on with their business.  It was a pity that we couldn't do a bit of food shopping and cook our own lunch.  We circled the outdoor portion of the market then went inside the covered area down dimly-lit alleys to see what the rest of the market had to offer.  It was cooler and surprisingly more calm with the vendors slowly and quietly measuring things out on antique metal scales.

Clockwise from top left: shallots and garlic, red and green chilis, palm sugar, fish in baskets, local oranges

We spent an hour in the market poking around and having a look at everything.  I was surprised to see so many fruits, vegetables and delicacies that I knew and recognized since as we have them in the  Philippines as well - sweetened rice cakes (we call them suman), organic red rice, green-skinned dalandan oranges,tiny red and green bird's eye chilies or  siling labuyo, and bitter melon (ampalaya) used in a classic Philippine vegetable dish.  If we hadn't just eaten a big breakfast, 

I wouldn't have been able to resist buying a few snacks to try.

Pak Bilal making palm sugar

Our gourmet tour ended with a visit to Pak Bilal's house where we were also going to have my birthday dinner later that same day.  Seventy-year old Pak Bilal makes palm sugar daily in his hut using a bamboo-stoked clay six-burner stove where his pots and paraphernalia are set.  This special coconut sugar is made from the sweet coconut juice collected in tiny bamboo containers at the top of the coconut tree.  Pak Bilal himself climbs to the top of the coconut tree and to siphon off the sap collected near the bottom of the palm fronds.  This sap is then cooked over high heat and made into palm sugar.  When the desired consistency is reached, Pak Bilal then pours the boiling hot liquid into empty dried-out coconut husks and leaves them there to harden.

Crispy Melinjo crackers and javanese tea with freshly-made palm sugar at Pak Bilal's home

We ended our morning there where we sat at the rough-hewn wooden table to have some hot Javanese tea sweetened with a small chunk of palm sugar.  Along with this, Pak Bilal's wife gave us some crispy melinjo crackers and palm-sugar sweetened rice cakes.  So in the end, I did get my snacks after all. 

SALCEDO MARKET

Fruits and vegetables on display at Salcedo Market

On my last day in Manila, I scheduled a visit to the Salcedo market which everyone had told me was worth a trip and I was so glad that I did.  Started in 2004, the market has now grown and is a mainstay in Makati where both local residents and foreigners come on Saturdays to look around the many vendors.

Despite the high humidity which was making everyone drip with sweat, I really enjoyed my couple of hours walking around and exploring.  If I had more time and it was cooler, I would stayed much longer and tried many of the different food stalls.

Clockwise from top left: Traditional banana-leaf wrapped rice cakes, purple yam ube ice cream, the ice cream cart, other rice cake delicacies.

As it was hot, hot, hot, we decided to cool down with a scoop of local ice cream called sorbetes sold traditionally from a three-container metal cart.  This one had ube (purple yam), tsokolate (chocolate) and cheese.  Strange as it may sound, Filipinos grew up eating cheese-flavored ice cream.  It's one of those local flavors that's difficult to explain.  My mom and I had ube while my little girl had a scoop of tsokolate (milk chocolate).  This kept us going for a while longer.

All sorts of cooked food from barbecued pork and fish to ready-to-eat portions of roast pig.

We looked around a bit  more and tasted a few of the samples being offered - bits of suman (sweetened rice cakes), some dalandan (local green-skinned oranges) and rambutan.  Our nose and the smoke led us to the far corner where several stands were grilling sweetly spiced pork skewers, pork belly, tuna jaw and even whole Tilapia.  There was also a lechon (roast pig) stand where pre-packaged crispy crackling and slices of roast pork were ready to be eaten right there.  I spotted a few friends as well, doing their weekly shopping armed with their own cloth carrier bags and appropriately dressed for the heat in tank-tops, shorts, and flip-flops unlike myself.

Markets are meant to be a meandering affair but we were starting to tire from the heat and the kids were getting sticky and bored so we headed home but not before buying a half kilo of rambutan and a nutella crepe from the French-run (yes, really) crepe stand.  I'm definitely coming back to the Salcedo market on my next trip home armed with a large basket, a fan and lots of cold water.

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Salcedo Saturday Market

at the Salcedo car park, Salcedo village

Makati

Open every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Family day in Vevey

On our last day in Geneva, we had breakfast at Le Sud of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel du Rhone - I had a perfectly baveuse (runny) omelette aux fines herbes (omelet with fresh herbs), fresh orange juice, double espresso and crusty mini-baguettes.

Afterwards, we took the train at noon to Vevey where we were meeting up with my brother in-law and family for lunch.  J met us at the train station then we went to to see their new home before heading back down to Montreux for some lunch.  Montreux is home to the famous summer jazz festival and also the Clinique La Prairie where the famous (or infamous) submit to thalassotherapy, skin treatments or a weight-loss program as well as aesthetic surgery.

We had lunch in the middle of town then went for a walk on the boardwalk which at this time of the year is the venue for the annual winter Christmas market. - Marche de Noel.  We walked through the first row of stalls selling trinkets and Christmas items then crossed over to the other side where the food stalls were set up.  Right by the lake was a large covered area filled with benches and large wooden tables for an impromptu picnic of food items purchased from the many stalls.  The one we were drooling over was the Tartiflette stand where two gigantic (really! look at the photo above) pans were filled with a lovely scent of potatoes, chopped bacon and hot gooey chunks of Reblochon.  If I hadn't just had lunch, I would have had a plateful of this perfect winter dish.  Good thing that the parking entrance was nearby or I wouldn't have been able to resist the other stands selling saucisson sec, pastries, tarts, cheese and lots of other goodies.

Next, we dropped by St. George's School - where both my nephew and niece go before heading up the hill towards the Le Mirador Kempinski which has fantastic views of of the lake and the snow-capped Alps.  We walked around the terrace and enjoyed the scenery until it got too cold to stand around outdoors and headed back home.  J drove us back to the train station where we said a quick goodbye on the quai (platform) and hopped on the train back to Geneva.  A relaxing day spent with family to end our  weekend in Switzerland.

MERCADO SAN MIGUEL, Part 2

I was able to do several tours of the market while waiting for Cookie Feria so by the time she arrived for our lunch date, I had already scoped out which place was worth sharpening our elbows for.  We decided to wait for a spot at the seafood counter which had a simple but interesting menu and instead of ordering our food and taking it to one of the tables in the center of the market, we decided to wait for a spot directly at the bar.  After a ten-minute wait, a couple left and we immediately staked a claim on the one stool and tiny space they had.

We decided quickly and shared several plates - boquerones fritos (fried fresh anchovies), steamed shrimp, ensaladilla con erizo (sea-urchin with Russian salad) and steamed mussels.  Service is haphazard as there's only one person behind the counter but it was pretty quick and the seafood was quite good.  We were debating on whether we should have a plate of pan-grilled prawns but decided to have a dessert instead.  As soon as we paid the bill and slipped our handbags off our one and only stool, another couple edged their way in and there were still loads waiting around for a place to sit or to order.

We walked around a but more and looked for somewhere we could get a dessert - I chose churros con chocolate (fritters and hot chocolate) which should have been a breakfast treat but I couldn't help myself.   They weren't very good as they had been sitting on the display case for ages and were no longer hot and crunchy as they should be.  I should have had a slice of apple strudel from the Viennese place or a tiny cake from the pastry stall.  We sat at another counter and I had my disappointing dessert while Cookie had her coffee.

On the way back to the hotel, Cookie showed me a shortcut to get to the Ritz and we passed a few other interesting gourmet places.  There is a tiny Carbonell shop on Calle Mayor with lots of their different olive oils at really good prices - a small bottle of olive oil flavored with garlic and dried red chilies was 1.50 euros and a large bottle of first-pressed organic olive oil was just under 5 euros.  Further down the road and just on Plaza Mayor is a typical Spanish pastry place - La Mallorquina.  It's an old-style bakery complete with the white-coated not-so-friendly servers and an old-fashioned cash register.   Closer to the Ritz on Carrera de San Jeronimo were two other foodie spots - one is the traditional delicatessen Lhardy  which is old-fashioned but drop in as the woodwork and antique silver is worth a look.  On the tiny Plaza de Canalejas is the bustling Cafe del Principe which is going onto my Madrid List for my next visit. Another traditional gourmet shop is Casa Mira which specializes in turron (nougat) and is rumored to be the King of Spain's favorite and is just steps away from the hip and happening Hotel Urban.  As always, it's better to explore a city with a local, in this case Cookie, who took the time to show me a few new twists and turns in Madrid that I had never been to and now, i have loads to visit on my next trip to the big city.

MERCADO SAN MIGUEL, Part 1

After hearing so much about the newly refurbished Mercado San Miguel off Plaza Mayor, I knew that I couldn't avoid going there and seeing what the fuss was all about.  Since its' construction in 1916, this Beaux Arts iron and glass was always a working market until then over the years, the structure was left in disrepair until it closed for renovation in 2003 and reopened to much fanfare this year.

The market turns out much smaller than I expected but interesting nevertheless with its' concept of a modern market.  The combination of traditional market stalls - fruits and vegetables, fresh fish and seafood, bacalao (salted cod), jamon Iberico, cheeses, fresh meat, Italian delicacies and pastas and gourmet products - Vincon for its' well-known array of designer kitchen gadgets, Libreria LAIE for a wide selection of cookbooks).  

There are also several places to enjoy what the market has to offer and eat sur place either directly at the bar or brought to one of the few high tables left in the center area.  You can have a major smorgasbord of goodies - freshly-shucked oysters accompanied by champagne from Ostras Sorlut , some freshly sliced jamon Iberico with a glass of wine from Pinkelton & Wine, some Fino and mixed cashews and almonds from Vinos Olorosos.  There is also a stall specializing in Portugese delicacies like tiny shrimp fritters and croquettes or smoked salmon and cod from La Casa del Bacalao.

If you'd like to have a proper lunch then sidle up to one of the three bars serving food and squeeze your way into a space on the counter - there is the Cafeteria on one end which serves round pieces of bread topped with all sorts of delicious things: pulpo (octopus), tuna, ham, egg or even better, do as we did and sharpen your elbows for a spot on the counter right beside the fishmonger where there is a list of fish and seafood specials along with two dishes in the cauldrons right on the counter (more on that in another post).

Of course, if you're just wandering around  then have a look at one of the pastry counters at the far end where there will surely be something to tempt you.  Pasteleria V is an Austrian pastry shop where the cakes are made following the Viennese tradition of pastry-making.  Beside it is another sweet-tooth magnet, a long counter with Spanish pastries and sweets from magdalenas to yemas, from chocolates to artisanal ice cream.  All you'll need is a cup of coffee and a place to sit down to enjoy your treat.  The best part is that all that grazing of top-quality food is easier on the pocket than a full-on sit-down meal at a traditional Madrid restaurant and much more fun too.

Buenos Aires Gourmet Discoveries

Having masitas (petits-fours), facturas (croissants and pastries) and sandwiches de miga (crust less white-bread sandwiches) for tea or for any other occasion is a must in Buenos Aires and each one has their own favorite Confiteria or Panaderia. La Exposicion on Juncal corner Libertad is located at the busy intersection called cinco esquinas used to be THE place to go. Some years later, a few employees of La Exposicion opened their own bakery/pastry shop - Confiteria Norte (on Vicente Lopez). As we had already tried the formers sandwiches and medialunas (croissants) on a previous visit, we decided to drop by the latter on this trip. Although the selection was vast at Norte, their croissants were industrial-like and not very good plus the staff forbade me to take photos in the store (like taking pictures of their display was some sort of pastry espionage).

After recounting the episode to my mother-in-law, she suggested we visit Dos Escudos on Montevideo (between Quintana and Guido) which was the best Confiteria of the three. It's also the most expensive but it's worth the price. We bought a few facturas - medialunas de grasa (lard croissants) and medialunas de manteca (butter croissants), vigilantes (sugar-covered puff-pastry sticks) and the bomb pastry that my husband likes - the bola de fraile, literally friar's ball - which is a dulce de leche-filled sweet bread. All were excellent - freshly-made and delicious. The shop is also the most modern of the three and looks like a typical bakery and cake shop with refrigerated displays of whole cakes plus chocolates, all sorts of breads and a wide variety of masitas (Argentine-style petits-fours).

If it's gourmet food shopping you're after then head to complex on the corner of Rodriguez Peña and Vicente Lopez where many of the city's best food shops are located. On the Rodriguez Pena side there are several specialty stores worth mentioning.

One of them is the Verduleria Napoli which has a wide selection of fruits and vegetables. They are a bit on the pricey side but the quality is incredible. We purchased a lot of fruits and had them delivered to our apartment and they were excellent.

The shop right beside them sells fresh pastas. Pastas San Jose is a local standby for all sorts of raviolis for the weekly "raviolada del Domingo" (or Sunday ravioli meal). There are other types of fresh pastas on offer plus an assortment of ready-made sauces from tomato, mushroom cream to four cheeses packed and ready to go and even freshly-grated Parmesan cheese.

There is a butcher alongside Pastas San Jose with a display of all types of chorizos and sausages plus marbled cuts of meat ready for the grill which is perfect for when you want to attempt your own "asado".

On the corner is a small attractive boutique, Bonafide, which is a local brand that sells coffees of all kinds available both in beans or freshly-ground. Coffee accessories are also available plus beautifully packaged Panettones (Italian Christmas fruitcakes) and Pandoros (Italian icing sugar covered giant brioches).

As for delivery options, nothing beats the fantastic empanadas from El Mirasol - no minimum order required, although about a dozen should make it worth their while. They arrive in a labeled cardboard box, crispy, piping hot and ready-to-eat.

Mercado Municipal

Selection of fish and shellfish at the Mercado Municipal in Marbella

After almost three years of living her, I'm ashamed to admit that I had never been to Marbella's main market, the Mercado Municipal, so when the opportunity to go on a mini-tour with Victor Taborda, the chef of La Veranda by Martin Berasategui, I jumped at the chance.

The market is conveniently located in the Casco Antiguo (old town) right above a parking building with direct access by lift into the main market hall. Although the market is not in a period building like Barcelona's La Boqueria or London's Borough Market, it is quite clean and organized with the seafood stalls and butchers on the outer ring and the fruit and vegetable and spices located in the inner ring.

Chilis - fresh and dried, Bacalao (salt cod), pulses and assorted spices

There were many stalls with an excellent selection of fresh fish and seafood as well as a complete selection of fresh meat (veal, lamb and Iberian pork), poultry (corn-fed chickens, pigeons and quail) and even game (rabbit). Fresh fruits and vegetables were also available along with a few specialty stalls - one with an array of spices, another with all sorts of pulses and grains and even one fresh pastas and Italian ingredients including a large wheel of fresh Parmigiano Reggiano.

Unfortunately, I wasn't prepared to do my shopping and didn't bring my wheelie bag or enough cash but I will definitely be back very soon to try some of the fresh produce that they have available. I'm especially loking forward to buying some local shellfish like the mussels from Malaga for a big bowl of moules frites.

Organic Fruit and Vegetable Box

The box from The Organic Food Ferry

I finally received my first delivery from the Organic Food Ferry on Wednesday and the box came with assorted organic fruits and vegetables - corn, carrots, tomatoes, arugula, cilantro, aubergine, zucchini, onions, potatoes, sweet potatoes, avocados, red and green peppers, apples, bananas, plums and a mango. We had some of the corn for dinner along with the red peppers roasted in the oven. I'm planning to use the aubergine in a Thai green chicken curry and maybe make some sweet potato fries as well.

The box from Antonio's Organic Farm

Today, on the way home, I decided to drop by another address very close to where we live where there is supposed to be an organic farm - Antonio's Farm (Tel: 952 88 72 79). I was given the number by my hairdresser who in turn got it from another client of his. I was curious to see what fruits and vegetables he would have in his farm. My son and I dropped by and Antonio took us to see his farm. Of course, I couldn't resist and bought another box of assorted stuff - freshly-picked green and purple leafy lettuce, baby leeks, basil, parsley and arugula. He also had some other fruits and vegetables in his little stand and we bought some sweet grapes, a small watermelon, bananas, tomatoes, potatoes, fresh garlic, lemons, red peppers and carrots. I also couldn't resist a bottle of unfiltered extra-virgin olive oil from Bio-Sierra de Yeguas from Ronda. For lunch today, we're going to have pork chops along with an organic salad of avocados, red onions, tomatoes and basil. This is a great way to include fruits and vegetables in every meal. It's surprise box of goodies that arrives every week to inspire you to cook something new.

ROAST

Bright and early on Friday morning, we set off for Covent Garden to have breakfast at Carluccio's before cabbing it London's Borough Market. We had been to Borough Market in December when we were last in London but it was a quick tour as it was too cold to linger and there were fewer food stalls set up for the winter. This time around, we wanted to get there early to watch the stalls being set up and have time to wander around before our lunch booking at roast.

Stalls were already set up at the main area, Floral Hall, but there weren't that many people yet so we were able to wander around up to the Green market area to see some more stalls that weren't there the last time we visited. We tried some of the samples on display - A and J tried lots of the dried sausages and salamis while I stuck to the cheeses, including an aged Pecorino that was fantastic. After half an hour of several bites, we bought a dried salami with truffles and in another stall called, The Basque Pig, we couldn't resist a peppered saucisson seche.

After all that sampling, we were ready for some lunch so we headed to the corner of Floral Hall and took the lift up to roast which is in a large, light-filled dining room overlooking the main market hall. We had to wait at the bar for about ten minutes while they set up for lunch. There were several other diners as well waiting to be seated.

A few minutes past noon, we were shown our table and given the menus. I had heard about roast from a good friend who had been there for breakfast as part of a special Borough Market tour so we were very much looking forward to sampling some of the British cuisine that the restaurant is famous for.

On the menu's front page is a short introduction to what the chefs at roast come up with while working with select produce from hand-picked suppliers for authentic British cooking. The menu selections were limited and to the point (no fancy descriptions here) with a half a dozen appetizers, two salads, three roast items, three grilled items and another half dozen main courses along with a few side dishes. There is also a Cook's Choice Menu of six courses including tea or coffee for £65 (£90, with accompanying wines). A children's menu is also available for £6.50 with a choice of one main course (sausage and mash, fish and chips, roast chicken and chips) and a dessert.

It was not easy to choose what we were going to have for lunch and after several minutes, I chose the small portion of peach and goat's cheese salad and the smoked trout for A. For our main courses, I stuck to a traditional roast item - Slow roast Wicks Manor pork belly with mashed potato and Bramley apple sauce while A opted for the Pan fried lemon sole on the bone with razor clams and horseradish. We both decided to share a side dish of new season carrots as well. J chose the roast chicken and chips from the kids menu. We were served two types of bread soon after along with some salted butter and our drinks. By half past twelve, the place was packed with just two tables free - lots of City types having business lunches and also several tables of tourists.

Soon after our starters arrived - my goat cheese and peach salad as it was simply a whole white peach quartered served with several slices of goat's cheese stacked one on top of the other. Along with this was literally, 5 green salad leaves (where was the salad?!!). A's smoked trout was simply served with some sliced red onions, a sliver of lemon and a handful of greens. After all the hype, we were both surprised at the uninteresting way the dishes were presented. More importantly, the smoked trout wasn't special and my goat cheese and peaches were fine but not outstanding either. My son's roast chicken was brought at the same time and it looked so unappetizing - a bowl of chips served with half of a dried looking skinless chicken breast and several slices of cucumbers and cherry tomatoes - is this what passes for British cuisine? My son didn't even bother to finish the chips - that's how bad it was.

After our disappointing starters, we were hoping for better main courses but again were let down - the roast pork was fine with the traditional crackling but it was served with a dollop of boring mashed potatoes and applesauce that tasted like it came from a bottle. My husband's lemon sole was a bit better but again nothing spectacular and the side dish of carrots were okay to say the least. If this is what special British produce tastes like, then I'm much better off heading to the local Waitrose, buying the ingredients myself and making it at home. The service was lacklustre as well - when my husband asked the waiter to please clear his sole, the waiter answered "I'll do it after your wife finishes her meal.". I mean, we know all about the right service sequence but since when does the waiter lecture a client on when to clear a plate?

The quality of the food and the way it was cooked and presented were definitely uninteresting and the prices they charged for it were outrageous. The meal was a rip-off from start to finish. It ended up being our most boring and expensive meal in London on this trip. What a letdown!!!! I can't imagine that this is what British cuisine is supposed to be so I have to believe that roast gives British food a bad reputation. If you decide to visit Borough Market, you'd be better off wither getting a sandwich or a snack from one of the many market stalls or eating at one of the many little restaurants that surround the market - I'm sure that whatever they serve will be better and cheaper than what you would get at roast. Don't say I didn't warn you.
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roast

at Borough Market
The Floral Hall, Stoney Street, London SE1 1TL
Telephone: +44 0207 940 1300


* Food - Ultra simple food pretending to be upscale, do yourself a favor and go the supermarket, buy the best ingredients you can afford and cook it yourself at home.


*** Atmosphere - bright, light-filled dining area overlooking the bustling market below, definitely an impressive setting.


** Service - not particularly impressive, the waitstaff were wandering around without smiles on their faces along with attitudes best left at the door.

Chez Daria and our market lunch

The following morning, A left early for his meetings and I did "la grasse-matinée" which just means I laid around in bed until around ten. When I went downstairs to check out, I found out that there were no taxis available because of a grève de transport (transport strike) meaning NO taxis, NO metro and NO buses so I called my friend Daria to let her know I was going to get to her on foot. Luckily, she was already in St. Germain doing errands and agreed to meet me nearby so we could walk to her home in the 5th arrondissement together.

Checked out of the hotel and took my luggage around the corner to Le Nemrod for a late-morning café crème and croissant (the last one they had as it was nearing noon). It was a beautiful day and the sun was out so I enjoyed my terrace table and the people-watching it afforded. Daria arrived later with her youngest son, 14 month-old Winslow strapped in his buggy and we slowly made our way back down the boulevard St. Germain to her apartment just off the Maubert-Mutualité metro station. It was about 20 blocks from my hotel but a pleasant walk since we took our time, chatting and catching up on news since we last saw each other in 2005.

We dropped the bags and the baby at her place then rushed over to the thrice weekly marché Maubert (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) on the square to get some food for an impromptu lunch she had organized with her husband and a film editor friend, Marie.

Scenes from the Marche MAubert - large-droopy headed pink peonies (my favourite flower) and wicker baskets of wines.

The market was an assault on the senses with the beautifully-displayed fresh produce, cheeses, flowers, meat - I was so overwhelmed that at first, I couldn't help her choose what to buy. Since we didn't have much time, we decided to get some cooked Mexican-spiced pork spare ribs from the butcher. Along with the ribs, we also got a large container of potatoes and bacon roasted directly in the rotisserie underneath the whole chickens, browning the potatoes in the hot chicken fat. We got a baguette a la campagne and the most exotic fruit tart we could find on the shelf at the patisserie - not the typical tarte aux pommes or tarte aux poires but a tarte aux pommes, abricots, pistaches et amandes. Two kinds of leafy lettuce, a few avocados and last but not least, two wonderful cheeses - a creamy Reblochon and a herbes de Provence coated chèvre.

From top row: fresh fish display, fantastic produce including large, red coeurde boeuf tomatoes and the large and smelly assortment of cheeses

We loaded Daria's red Rolser with our goodies and walked the half a block home to set up our lunch. Marie was already there and she helped make the salad while Daria set the table and I laid out the food on platters. In ten minutes we were ready to eat and what a feast we had. The ribs were delicious and the potatoes were decadent. The salad of lettuce, avocados and mustardy French dressing was just right. When we got to the cheeses, I was about to follow the "no unpasteurized milk products rule while pregnant" but I couldn't help myself so I had a small slice each of the Reblochon and the Chèvre - both were excellent and I had to control myself from having seconds. Finally, we each had a small slice of the exotic fruit tart that was interesting - not too sweet with the nuts adding texture to the flavours.

After lunch, we walked around the corner to a little café overlooking Notre Dame and the Seine and each had an espresso. For me, this is what Paris is all about - the vie du quartier with each arrondissement's weekly market, fantastic produce accessible and available at all times and most of all, the time to sit around at one of the innumerable corner cafés and watch the world go by.

Views from Daria's 17-meter balcony of typical Parisian facades.

We spent the rest of the afternoon with the three kids - pick-up at school then the short walk to the sandbox at Notre Dame before heading home to feed the kids and put then in bed. We then had an early dinner of Mexican takeaway from nearby Mexi and Co. then ended our busy day sitting on Daria's typical Parisian wrought-iron balcony having a coffee.

La Boqueria Market

The last time I was in Barcelona in spring 2006, I joined a guided gastronomic city tour which started off with a visit to La Boqueria, otherwise known as the Mercat de St. Josep (or St. Joseph's market). Our tour was followed by a paella lesson with Michelin-starred Chef Mey Hoffmann and a gourmet lunch in a private room at her Michelin-starred restaurant and cooking school Hoffmann in the La Ribera district.

This time around, I wanted to revisit the market with my husband and take my time seeing all the stalls and produce available and head off for a tapas lunch nearby. We set off mid-morning to La Boqueria right smack in the middle of Barcelona's main historical boulevard - La Rambla - which runs from the main square, Placa de Catalunya all the way down to the port.

Our visit started with a slow leisurely walk around the market, starting off at the far end where all the fresh fish and seafood were, through the fresh meat and delicatessen area then towards back to the front where the fresh produce were. We saw tables filled with all kinds of fish - from monkfish to sole to tiny clams and large squid, from butifarra - the local sausage to Argentine cuts of meat, from towers of colorful fruits to stacks of green vegetables. The whole experince was an assault on the senses which left us hungry and craving for a bit of breakfast.

We had initially intended to sit at Pinotxo, the famed counter in the market, but there were no stools available so we wandered back into the market and finally settled on the Bar La Boqueria at the far end for a cafe con leche, a wedge of tortilla, some jamon Iberico and what else but pa amb tomaquet. The tortilla was disappointingly dry and the ham nothing special. Next time, we'll go to Pinotxo instead.

After our breakfast, we headed off to another of Barcelona's main streets, Passeig de Gràcia in the Eixample district also known as the Quadrat d'Or (Golden Square). We walked along the wide leafy avenue, alternately window shopping and sightseeing. Several famous buildings can be found on this street, among them Antoni Gaudi's Casa Batlló and La Pedrera. We admired the Gothic architecture alongside the stone facades and worked up an appetite for lunch which we planned to have in a little tapas place nearby.

London, Day 1: Borough Market

We took the evening flight to London Heathrow on Wednesday and arrived in cold and gray London. Early the next morning, we set off for London's oldest market - Borough Market which is located near the London Bridge tube station. We had never been and had heard so many wonderful comments on the market that we knew we had to visit it.

The market has been around since AD 43 when Roman legions arrived in the city. The original market expanded until 1671 when the boundaries of the market were at Borough Hill Street and London Bridge. The original market was abolished in 1756 and a new one was built on the current site. Borough Market recently celebrated 250 years of trading is an excellent place to see, smell and taste the best produce that Great Britain has to offer.

Borough Market is large and is spread out over four areas - Crown Square, Green Market, Jubilee Market and the restaurants and shops in Stoney Street, Park Street and Bedale Street. It was a cold day and right after breakfast, we set out for the market taking the tube at Green Park and getting off at London Bridge. We walked around the area of Crown Square and Stoney Street and it was a wonderful gourmet sightseeing tour of fantastic produce - from butchers to fishmongers to bakers and cheese makers. There were also stands with fresh fruits and vegetables, one just for French dairy products, another with freshly-hung game (hare, pheasant and guinea fowl), charcuterie, dried fruits and even one selling truffle oil where two jars were filled - one with fresh white truffles and another with fresh black truffles along with a sign that said "smell me" so clients could actually experience the distinct odorous difference between them.


We had tried to reserve a table for lunch at roast but were unable to due to the many Christmas lunches booked. roast has a fantastic location right above the market with the bar and tables giving diners a bird's-eye view of the stalls below. The restaurant is in Floral Hall , a cast-iron and glass building completed in 1860. The weekly-changing menu features modern British cuisine and the chef works only with produce that's available at the market. Right near the entrance is roast to go which is open daily till 3:00 p.m. and serves assorted sandwiches, coffees and drinks.

One is spoilt for choice with the amount of food stalls and restaurants - there's an upmarket fish and chips diner simply called fish! with a specialty fish and seafood menu, there's Tapas Brindisa in a converted potato warehouse which also has a stall selling specialty food items and wines from Spain. Along Stoney Street, there are numerous gourmet food shops, some of which even have counters and a few tables for diners. Around there as well are Neal's Yard Dairy, the traditional oyster and porter house Wright Bros., patisserie Konditor & Cook and wine bar and shop Bedales Ltd. which was recreated as the Greek restaurant in the film Bridget Jones Diary where Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) and Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) had a fistfight. The door to Bridget Jones (Renee Zellweger) apartment is actually across the street from the wine shop. There was even an episode of Market Kitchen being filmed with guest chef, Jun Tanaka, actually chopping and cooking right there.

After circling the market several times deciding what we could buy, we decided on some cassoulet with confit de canard from a little stall specializing in French products. The trip to Borough Market was so worth it, the only thing we should have done was visit it hungry so we could have tried some gourmet food at one of the fantastic smelling and looking stalls at the market. Every trip to London should include a visit to this wonderful, historical and gastronomic attraction.