Wisata Kuliner di Singkil Aceh ( Culinary Trip to Singkil, Aceh )

Dua minggu lalu kami berkesempatan mengunjungi Kota Singkil di Aceh. Pertama sekali yang ada di benak adalah kepitingnya yang berukuran jumbo. Kepiting yang besar dapat mencapai 900 gr - 1000 gr. Beberapa kali kami mendapat kiriman kepiting, udang galah yang masih segar dan tentu saja spiny lobster. 

Kami makan siang di Singkil di restoran yang mengapung diatas air laut yang tenang dan bersih. Menu yang disajikan tak lain adalah kepiting jumbo yang direbus dengan bumbu sederhana, tapi karena  kepitingnya segar, rasanya sangat enak dan manis, memang tak perlu bumbu lainnya walaupun disediakan saus cabe homemade yang lumayan enak. Untuk memecahkan cangkang disediakan pemukul dan alas dari kayu, tidak luxurious tapi sangat efektif.

Menu  lainnya adalah udang goreng, ikan kue goreng keduanya tanpa bumbu yang berlebihan tapi rasanya....yesss!!!! tak bisa menjelaskannya dengan kata-kata. Biasanya saya tidak berani makan udang besar lebih dari dua ekor, tapi hari itu tak tertahankan karena rasanya sangat enak. Hidangan lainnya adalah lokan yang sangat khas di daerah ini, bentuknya seperti kepah rasanya seperti kerang. Lokan dimasak rendang.

The Pub Food ( The White Horse)

This is not nouvelle cuisine, this is the pub food simple and honest that my family adore. It is the famous Fish and Chips. The pub we love to go is The White Horse in a village "Llandyrnog" in North Wales. We always order the same thing every time we come here. 

We'll all have the crispy white bait for starter, we have tried in many different places, but the White Horse makes the best one.

The whole family favourite starter…., crispy white bait

The local ale

My Husband will sample some different ale that he loves, and the pub does have very good local ales from local brewery.

Beef stroganoff and rice

This is also my husbands favourite from this pub, the stroganoff is made from grilled steak, it is stroganoff with a twist. But it is excellent.

Grilled lamb chop

Being in Wales, guarantee you'll have good lamb, but I think this one looks a bit burnt, I would love it less charred, slightly pink in the middle would have been perfect. The lamb was good, but I think they over done it…..

Beer batter fish and chips and mushy peas, what more do you want.

The best from this pub is this fish and chips. The fish (cod) is fresh, white and flaky the beer butter is light and crispy, it is cooked into perfection. Something that I miss when I'm back in Medan.

The big bowl of home made chips dip in mayonnaise…., it is a big portion. Terrified thinking of how many calory in them, but I just ate them. Too good to leave them go cold ( I can burn the calory the next day in the gym to reduce my guilt……lol)

strawberry, lemon and orange sorbet

Mint vanilla and caramel ice cream

Meringue cream strawberry and caramel sauce to go with the coffee

These are simple pudding after heavy meal, honestly I don't need any thing else…..

We'll be back again, surely to order the same thing. We are very predictable.

Jajanan di Malang (Sweet Tooth Malang )

Setelah sekian lama (17 tahun) tidak pulang kampung, akhirnya tercapai juga keinginan yang sudah lama dinanti-nantikan ini. Walau hanya 3 hari dan waktunya banyak dihabiskan untuk mengunjungi sanak saudara, tapi disempat-sempatkan juga untuk berwisata kuliner. Sayang tidak semuanya sempat difoto dan memang waktunya agak kurang untuk mencicipi banyak jenis makanan waktu kecil.

Foto-foto ini hanyalah jajanan yang sempat difoto dan dimakan semuanya menarik terutama bikang dan apem selongnya. Bikangnya besar dan berserat halus rasanya pun enak sedang apem selongnya sangat gurih santannya sangat terasa dan teksturnya lembut. Sekarang mulai cari-cari resep....., pingin coba.

Makan Siang Di Surabaya ( Lunch in Surabaya )

Setelah 17 tahun, akhirnya saya kembali mengunjungi Jawa Timur. Terbang dari Medan langsung ke Surabaya dan sampai sudah jam 6 sore yang rasanya sudah jam 8 malam di Medan. Kami makan malam "Rawon Setan" yang populer itu, tapi karena sudah cape jadi tidak bawa kamera, anyway rawonnya enak sekali. On the way home walau sudah kenyang akhirnya beli juga "Sate Klopo" hanya sebungkus saja dibagi-bagi dengan adik, hanya untuk tau rasanya saja. 

Sarapan di Hotel, ada yang interesting....."lontong kikil", unfortunately juga tidak diambil fotonya.

Akhirnya makan siang, membulatkan tekat harus mengambil foto dan inilah hasilnya. Kami memesan beberapa menu, yang mudah dibuat sehari-hari. Ini dapat menjadi inspirasi menu harian kita. Pada dasarnya semua lauk digoreng dan disajikan diatas sambal bawang. Versi sambal di restoran ini berbeda dengan yang biasanya kami buar di rumah. Adik-adik saya setuju sambal bawang kami lebih enak.

Sambal bawang

Bahan-bahan

6 Cabe rawit hijau 

4 cabe merah

1 siung kecil bawang putih

1 sdm minyak goreng panas (sebaiknya jelantah dari  gorengan yang akan kita penyet)

1/2 sdt garam

Cara membuat

Giling semua bahan sampai halus atau sesuai selera

Siram dengan minyak panas (jelantah), ratakan.

Penyet (tekan) lauk yang akan kita sajikan, ikan, bebek, ayam, tempe maupun udang.

Dari semua penyetan favorit saya adalah tempe penyet, dulu sewaktu saya masih tinggal di Malang, ibu saya sering membuat tempe penyet untuk sarapan yang dihidangkan bersama dengan nasi hangat. Nikmatnya masing teringat sampai sekarang.

Setelah makan gorengan dan pedas, minuman yang pas adalah es blewah, yang sudah lama tidak saya minum. Sebenarnya mudah membuatnya, serut blewah, melon oranye, tambahkan sirup pilihan anda kemudian siram dengan air es dan tambahi es batu. Segar......

Normandy Culinary Trip ( 5 Days of Gluttony ), Day 5

Last day, we spent the day in Bayeux which only 20 minutes drive from the chateaux. We went to see the famous 1000 years old Tapestry. I thought it would be boring, but I was wrong it was very interesting, made us wanted to learn more about history.

Lunch time, we were looking for a small restaurant that many local would have their lunch. We believe where ever the local go, the food has got to be good and authentic.

We found one, we order what is popular. Beef carpaccio, to start with. It was simple, light and good.

For the main course we opt fish dish both is cod and serve with plain linguine, the difference is just the sauce. One is served in creamed spinach sauce and the other one is tomato and basil. Both were very simple and honest yet very good, just right for lunch.

Last dinner, we have it in the Chateaux, we were really looking forward to it. With our drink we have interesting canapé that was perfectly presented on a slate. Smoke salmon mousse on mini blinis, ball of melon (very refreshing) and deep fried cod coated with panko (Japanese style bread crumbs), very tasty.

Starter....., yes the special foei gras entier, it was sooo good just melt in the mouth. Perfectly cooked...

Even though I love beef, I never able finish a whole steak, so I chose monkfish with fusion sauce, it is said Thai sauce, but with fennel? not quite sure. But what ever it was the sauce was tasty and light just as I wanted.

While the rest ordered veal fillet, looked great, well presented, simple and honest. I had a bite and it was tender almost melt in the mouth and tasty. No carbohydrate or very little of mix mash potato and yellow baby carrot. Perfect portion...., just right.

Normandy Cullinary Trip ( 5 Days of Gluttony ), Day 4

Day 4, We decided to visit The American Cemetery that day, I wasn't very enthusiastic in the beginning. Why should we spent this lovely day in lovely country in a cemetery?, but I just go with the flow since every one wants to go there. I was wrong.....

We enter the cemetery, the site was beautiful and immaculately kept. Suddenly I felt a lump on my throat looking at the Crosses and Stars of David, there are just under 10.000 of them...... The D Day landing, if you have watched "Saving Private Ryan" you will understand what is all about. Can't help  it, my tears burst. I understand more about World War II, about sacrifice for the country. 

I was very happy that I come and visit, we left about 3 pm, we didn't say much. Everyone was deep in our own thought...... what we saw still linger in our mind. 

We had a very simple late lunch in nearby cafe and we start discussing what we just have been experiencing.

Dinner Time, we book into a recommended restaurant in Bayeux a few km away from the Chateaux. We were looking forward to it, since we only had a small lunch and now feel a bit peckish.

For prelude we were served a barley soup in tiny bowls, looks frothy, aromatic, taste good but we weren't quite sure what it was.....

None of us order starter, we went straight to main course. After few nights with red meat, we decided to go lighter, fish dish and chicken.

My chicken was good and tasty and the polenta was ok, well presented but I expected something more inspiring chicken dish and it wasn't. The fish dish was mediocre, I think my husband was slightly disappointed with his red mullet. The cod just as ordinary...... It could have been better.

So we were looking forward for the pudding with the hope it will be better than the main course, and it was. We had this bake crepe filled with famous Normandy cream and flambé with brandy, it was just to die for. The other pudding, the chocolate mousse millefeuille was just as good.

With tea and coffee we were served marshmallow dip in chocolate with gold leaves, presented very well...., the taste... not sure.....

All the photos were taken with my hand phone camera, they are not fantastic, but I think they are ok, yes just ok like our dinner......., but we have had a great day today. One shouldn't complain.

Normandy Culinary Trip ( 5 Days of Gluttony ), Day 3

Day 3, after 2 lovely days in Honfleur, we drove to Port en Bessin, with the intention of having lunch there, but we got there just before 3, most recommended restaurant were closing or won't take new order, so we ended up in any cafe and we had a very simple lunch and nothing extra ordinary...., in fact I was a bit disappointed. The boullot that I ordered wasn't fresh and chewy.... Anyway we are looking forward to see where we are going to stay and have dinner tonight.

We arrived in Chateaux Le Cheneviere, the place was beautiful and the staff were extremely charming, beautiful room and beautiful garden. I wish I could describe the whole things better.....well hope the photos will tell....

As usual we start our dinner early with the drink, unfortunately I only have apricot juice (it was very good though...) while the others have wine and cider. We had beef and mint, vegetarian paste, puff pastry stick, pin wheel and vennison terrine on toast as canape. Again it was new and interesting. They came on a black slate, neatly presented.

Beef and mint ball.

Usually we have lamb with mint, but this combination of beef and mint was taste very good. It is ground beef and mint with seasoning, rolled in panko and then deep fried

vegetarian paste puff pastry stick

This give me idea, I can just buy ready made puff pastry (been trying to make so many time, have no luck so far...), and filled with anything from pate to terrine, sliced thinly and put in the oven.

The pin wheel

Again, this is just puff pastry and rolled with  filling, than thinly sliced and put in the oven, till crispy and ready.

Now we are ready for dinner, we move from the bar to restaurant. As a prelude we have melon soup with crispy prosciutto strip. It was simply puree melon, sweet, light and aromatic great for summer dish....

melon soup and prosciutto strip.

Served with assorted bread, they are all taste great, crusty outside and soft in the middle, my favourite is the walnut bread together with 2 different butter, salted butter and seaweed butter. We just can have enough of it. But we have to limit ourselves as we have more dishes coming.

Grilled tomato with green pesto on puff pastry.

As simple as it is, we have this as our starter, it is light and tasty, very well presented.

veal fillet topped with penne rolled in panko and yellow baby carrot.

For main course 2 of us had veal fillet and the rest have beef cheek. The veal fillet was cooked to perfection medium rare, slightly pink in the middle. Tender and tasty. I had the beef cheek that has been braised, I love the texture.... I notice after three nights dining, they never serve carbohydrate (potato, rice or others) in large amount and they don't elaborate the vegetable either. Meat or fish is always the star....

Braised beef cheek, served with home made crisps

the cheese board

Wow..., that was a very large variety of cheese. Almost all of them is soft cheese. The smell is strong and pungent. My husband wouldn't have pudding he had cheese instead, served with onion chutney...

The pudding were cheese cake with a twist and meringue surprise. The cheese cake served in an interesting glass, with small amount of cheese cake with more fruits topping. Well I supposed it is a healthier cheese cake, decorated with sugar leaf.

cheese cake with a twist ( healthier  cheese cake )