Category Archives: Food & Wine

Of Beerenberg Jam & Bavarian Mustard

I had not even thought to bring my tiara to Adelaide (my ‘must-have’ accessory for afternoon tea ever since a trip to the Shangri-La with nine Travelling Tiaras), so I felt a bit wrong-footed when a young friend suggested an … Continue reading

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My Top Five Filipino Restaurants

Filipino cuisine often gets a bad rap from expats who feel the need to compare it with Thai or Vietnamese, and yet it has its own very individual character. The quality in local restaurants has improved enormously in the past … Continue reading

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Waterfront Dining

It was a cold and blustery day in Canberra. The wind was trying to blow the branches off the trees and Piglet’s ears would have streamed behind him like banners if he had been there (see A.A. Milne’s book, The … Continue reading

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Climbing the Beanstalk

Another country, another market. The EPIC market (Exhibition Park in Canberra) is a farmers market brimming with fresh, seasonal (mostly) produce just off Federal Highway, north of the Canberra City Centre. Open on Saturday mornings from 7.30 am till midday, … Continue reading

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The Exquisite Pleasure of Afternoon Tea

“Weary, after a dull day, with the prospect of a depressing morrow, I raised my lips to a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of cake… And at once the vicissitudes of life had become … Continue reading

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Indonesian Dining

So there we were in Jakarta, hot, hoarse and exhausted after hours of cheering for the Athletics teams at the International School, in desperate need of sustenance and somewhere to celebrate our host’s birthday. Where else would we go but to … Continue reading

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An Arctic Anniversary

We had an anniversary recently, and sadly it was a bit of a fizzle, as I wasn’t feeling well and pretty much slept through it. So I am going to reminisce about a past anniversary instead, somewhere cool, as the … Continue reading

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Of Country Clubs and Cucumber Sandwiches

Hanbury Manor, Hertfordshire, once the home of English landed gentry, then a boarding school, it has entered the 21st century as a Marriott hotel and country club. Only a few miles north of Hertford, Hanbury Manor is a magnificent chapter … Continue reading

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Shanghai Nights

Tickets had sold out before Christmas – an unprecedented occurence even for an event as popular as the ANZA Ball, and it was obvious on the night that everyone had high expectations of a great evening’s entertainment. As usual, everyone … Continue reading

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Va Bene

Va Bene has been a firm favourite with our family for some time, despite its rather quirky location above the Petron petrol station on EDSA outside the gates to Dasmarinas, so it was our first choice for a birthday dinner … Continue reading

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