Esca, Bimbadgen Estate, Hunter Valley, Australia

I'm on the hunt for a nice new year's eve venue.... somewhere with a bit of sparkle, some nice food, but an easy few steps home without the need to battle for a taxi!

A night in the Hunter Valley is high on my list, and surfing around I came across the NYE event at Esca on Bimbadgen's estate in Pokolbin. It reminded me of the last time I was there - which I haven't told you about!

While visiting Australia, we took from French friends to the Hunter for a wine tasting. They seemed pleased and we had several amazing wines before settling on lunch at Esca.

Now - I don't know what French people taste, but somehow they seem to hone a fine sense for flavour from a young age. So while I enjoy a good atmosphere, nice meal, and a glass of wine with Mr Lamb, they seem to recognise the nuances that pass me by. Sometimes I'm intrigued, but other times I find myself intimidated, especially when I'm hosting or cooking! Will they notice something I'm overlooking with my happy go lucky-ness? I was on the hunt for an Australian restaurant that would impress, and yet represent what I love and miss from the Hunter - the back to basics refinery of farming life, punctuated by exceptional produce and modern country style.

Some Newcastle friends had their beautiful wedding at Bimbadgen - they're chefs and have run several restaurants, so I believed their choice of Esca was a good lead to follow in hosting my out-of-town guests. And indeed it was. Even the car park is a beautifully manicured garden. When you enter the building, the open space where wine is in production places you at the epicentre of their core product. It's clean and shiny and sets the excitement for the restaurant.

We sat on the verandah, with a beautiful view across the green pastures and vines. The atmosphere is simple, with sharp white tablecloths, and open glass to maximise the view of both the hills and the wine in production. We had the wine tasting menu including 4 courses - of course!

The plating was beautiful, and the vegetarian produce was creative. Unfortunately we all had a cheese and tomatoes dish where the cheese was covered in a silicone membrane of some sort. Not a great look as everyone peeled their cheese from the goo at the table, however the freshness of the other produce overrode that blip.

Desert was a stand-out. We all agreed the delicate plating and beautiful colours matched the flavours and style of the restaurant beautifully. A riff on an eaton mess, and a delicate rosewater turkish delight, deconstructed and scattered around the arc of the plate. So while we greatly appreciated the vegetarian set menu for it's creativity, I could easily go back to Esca for wine and desert alone! Lets see what lovelies they decide to dish up as we ring in 2016!

Address: 790 McDonalds Rd, Pokolbin, NSW, Australia
Phone: +61 2 4998 4666
Web: http://www.bimbadgen.com.au

Flutes at the National Museum, Singapore

On a previous trip to Singapore I remember loving Flutes at the Fort, so on my most recent visit I decided to book it again. I had my whole family with me, and I was looking forward to the laid back atmosphere of the Queenslander style building I'd enjoyed so much before. We had my niece with us, who is just under 18 months old, so a relaxed lunch with a nice outdoor area was going to be perfect.

Taking the taxi to Flutes, I started getting the impression that I was headed to a slightly different place. After walking around the museum, and through the gift shop, I found out to my surprise that I'd booked a different restaurant all-together to what I was expecting. At the time I wasn't sure the story here - whether Flutes moved, or whether there are now 2 Flutes.... As it turns out, the restaurant moved locations in 2013 as a way of 'coming out' as a hidden treasure. We happily sat down in a beautiful white space and proceeded to enjoy a great afternoon!

The Singapore National Museum is a charming colonial-style building which has been lovingly modernised, sitting in the hillside of Fort Canning. The high ceilings, modern lighting and white walls make the whole place feel majestic and historically significant, yet uncluttered. Flutes has a wonderful mix of modern and classic, with unique colourful artwork, crisp white linen and french style cabinetry. The dining hall is flooded with light, and backs onto a floral courtyard (very handy when baby needed some chill-out time to fall asleep!)

We ordered champagne to celebrate (by the bottle - the per-head brunch special is $90SGD for all you can drink! Too rich for me.... and potentially too much champers :-)) and all settled in to select our 3 course set lunches. I started with a light salad and then a pasta dish. They were light and tasty - perfect for lunch. We finished with a desert platter for the table to share. A celebration for my graduation.... lucky girl am I.

The lunch was very nice, however didn't leave a lasting impression of innovation or flavour. Good food done well, and a beautiful atmosphere. We may need to try dinner again to enjoy all the pleasures Flutes has to offer.

Add: The National Museum of Singapore, 93 Stamford Rd
Tel: +65 6338 8770
Web: http://www.flutes.com.sg

Skylon, London, England

Last time I was in London, I spent a long day wandering the streets, enjoying every little nook and cranny. It's a beautiful city, even in the rain, with plenty of parks to explore and creative sights to see. But after a day in the town, I was feeling a bit worn out, and needed to retreat from the street. I was meeting a friend for drinks later that evening, and decided to take a quite moment for dinner at the South Bank Centre beforehand.

For those of you who know South Bank, you may be thinking: "a quiet moment?". True - it's a buzzy place, with students chatting, people plugged into their iThings on every ledge, public music and theatre (some hot, and some in my opinion... not), families with balloons and babies en masse, and at this particular time there was a food festival on outside, so there were plenty of 20-30-40 somethings enjoying the afternoon sun with their plastic cups of beer in hand. It's a great community site, but nevertheless, I was in the mood for a quieter place to recharge my introvert batteries.

Skylon's Grill menu had exactly what I was looking for. A nice veggie ravioli with pine nuts and pumpkin, a side salad of kale, and a glass of wine to ease me into the evening. Because I didn't have a reservation, I couldn't sit and try the usual a-la-carte menu, but on first glance the smaller grill menu seemed to have more veggies anyway. The service was lovely, and because it was early evening I practically had the place to myself, except for a few couples quietly chatting. I remember beautiful flowers, and of course a lot of light - one whole side of the restaurant opens up onto the Thames.

This is a gem, right in the middle of one of the most popular spots for weekend festivities and the arts in London. There's not a lot of veg choice, but what I had was done well, and perfectly timed as far as my own collisions with restaurants in the universe goes. I'll be back again.

Add: Royal Festival Hall, London
Tel: +44 020 7654 7800
Web: http://www.skylon-restaurant.co.uk 

Hostellerie La Briqueterie, Vinay, France

If you're planning an excursion to Epernay to taste the champagne, I can certainly reccommend  Hostellerie La Briqueterie as a charming hotel. You're right amongst the vines, and the hotelier is a real gentleman. If however, you happen to be a vegetarian and wish to eat in their acclaimed hotel, you'll be well-advised to brace yourself.

When we booked the restaurant a few weeks ahead, I said: "I'm a vegetarian. Will the chef be able to make something for me?" to which I received a resounding 'yes'. When we checked in, again I mentioned at reception: "I'm a vegetarian. Can you please remind the chef we're coming this evening? I'm happy to try anything in season that they wish to make", to which I received reassurance that it was no big deal. I'd had some apprehension about being veggie in France (I'd gone vegan for lent, but luckily that 5-6 week period was finished just before we arrived in Paris. Not eating cheese OR meat in France might have made the whole trip simply impossible! :-)). I really felt like I was going to offend someone by not eating meat here... I wonder why? Nevertheless, I felt I'd given enough notice that I was coming, so surely they'd be able to rustle up a couple of French veggie dishes for me...

Anyway, my concerns of being an alien in a foreign land had been soothed and we set out for a beautiful day of champagne tasting. It wasn't too busy in Epernay and the sun was shining - we had our pick of the champagne houses, and got a good education on 'real' bubbles from the locals! If I wasn't already a convert, I certainly returned back to the hotel that night as a true believer in the medicinal powers of champagne.

We sat in the traditional restaurant, which is a large round room with beautiful bay windows and heavy drapery. The style is older and has more gold gilt and tassels than the usual place I would find myself... but, when in France, right? The waitress introduced herself, and we easily agreed to have another glass of champagne to start off.

All was going well, until... well, as I'm sure you can guess, since I've been leading up to it through this whole post... I 'reminded' her that I was vegetarian, and that I'd messaged ahead to the kitchen. She looked equally panicked and revolted at the same time, and then quickly regained her cool before leaving us to consult with the kitchen. A few moments later she returned, and it was immediately apparent that they didn't have anything up their sleeve. "Do you eat fish?" she asked. I replied that I don't (I found that my definition of 'meat' and the French definition are different... where I mean "all colours" they mean "red and white"...). She was muddled and was thinking what could be done for me in this impossible situation when the Matre'd came over and offered to assist. He was a very large, but young man, who had been chatting with us about our champagne. The waitress explained in French: "She doesn't eat meat" to which he replied, also in French: "Then tell her to go outside and eat the Tulips"....

Here's a picture of the Tulips outside, which I'd been enjoying earlier that day....

I scoffed with embarrassment. To which he said in English: "Oh, you understand me?" I guess English and French aren't so different after all.... yes, I understood.

They re-consulted with the kitchen, and I was served an entrée and a main which were both lovely, but essentially remodelled from the same ingredients, key of which was buttery mashed potato. The meal was nice, but clearly they were scratching together a few side dishes and essentially gave me the same thing twice.

My friend had a foie gras mouse, and said it wasn't as good as she'd expected. Knowing what foie gras is, I was trying to think of a way to gently encourage her not to order it in the moment, but I was so flabbergasted by my own experience that I let it slide for another day. How do you say that to a friend without making them embarrassed and wrecking the conversation anyway? Hopefully since she didn't like it in the end, perhaps a duck somewhere in this world will benefit without me having to be high and mighty at the dinner table.

Overall, what can I say? I tried to warn them I was coming.... since then I've eaten plenty of nice French-style vegetarian meals, so I don't know what the big fuss is about. Perhaps if you're a meat-eater places like this can fly through on pomp and circumstance. Ask them to be inventive, and you have little chance of dinner being a contributing factor to your nice evening. Luckily I was still blissed out on champers and the conversation with my best friend carried us through....

Add: 4 Rte de Sezanne, 51530 Vinay, France
PH: + 33 3 26 59 99 99
Web: http://www.labriqueterie.fr/en/table.html

Tamarind Hill, Singapore

This is one of the best experiences I've had in Singapore.

The best thing about Tamarind Hill... the food, decor and hospitality are all impeccable, but the DESERT was my favourite. More on that to come...

The most troubling thing about Tamarind Hill: finding the place! I made the mistake of catching the MTR to the Labrador station - it looks pretty close on the map! However after walking around for a while, making a few calls to my Husband who was already sitting there waiting for me (he had caught an Uber taxi there, and he and the driver had also explored the area for a while before getting lucky). I finally asked some taxi drivers who were standing around - they didn't know where it was, but they were convinced it wasn't walking distance, so I jumped in the cab with one of them and we went hunting for my dinner. At first he dropped me off at the back kitchen door (where I was refused entrance :-)) so he kindly drove me another 40 meters or so around the front, and then watched me walk inside before he drove off. It really was a strange experience getting there, but as soon as I stepped inside it was all worth it.

Tamarind Hill is an old colonial building, with extensive verandahs and an impressive central bar with piqued roof. Everything is white with small details and quirks to be found around every corner. The beautiful hardwood floors creak with each step, and the law lighting creates a perfectly ambient mood. The lemongrass cocktail waiting for me on arrival was the perfect welcome before we moved out to sit on the wide verandah and enjoy the Singapore breeze.

The vegetarian menu was quite extensive. There was a page of options, all Thai curry style, and beautifully presented. We stared with rice paper rolls with apple and mint. These were fresh, and I'd say just fine. The menu description had my mouth watering for them, but actually without the sweet chilli they would have been left wanting. But we had a treat in store for our mains.

Lush green beans, chunky tofu and creamy curry never go amiss in my books! We enjoyed a red and a green curry, served with garlic rice and a beautiful white wine. We ate Chinese style, from shared bowls across pressed white linen napery, and the hostess was readily on hand to replenish our fresh rice stocks. Even seeing these photos again takes me back to the warm embrace of the food coma that I was enjoying - not because we were too full or the food was too heavy, but simply because the aromas lulled me into a mid-week relax. Tamarind Hill is known for its beautiful spas around the region too, with a new location opening in Singapore soon. Simply sitting on that wonderful verandah, drinking in the atmosphere and enjoying the subtle spices gave me a sense that this team takes relaxation seriously, down to every little design detail.

Bust as mentioned, desert was the final touch on an already fantastic evening. We ordered a mango dish which was nice, but by comparison to the pink diamond, it simply didn't stand up. I ordered the pink diamond mostly because of the name to be honest, and I was happily surprised to find out that it's a small pink fruit, which I'd describe as a mix between a lychee and a water chestnut. It has crunch and sweetness, and left Mr Lamb and I politely elbowing each other out of the little cup it was served in. 

Once you know where you're going, Tamarind Hill is simply one of the best dining experiences in Singapore. The waitstaff were personal, invisible at all the right times, and had a casualness to them which made the whole concept feel real. I'll certainly be going again - a new favourite, and with so many cousin restaurants around asia to visit too!

Add: 30 Labrador Villa Rd, Singapore

Tel: +65 6278 6364

Web: http://www.tamarindrestaurants.com/tamarind-hill-singapore.html 

Bo.lan, Bangkok, Thailand

Prepare to be wowed. Also... prepare to have smoke blowing out of your ears.

I found myself in Bangkok with my best friend and Mr. Lamb in January. Yep, right in the middle of the political unrest, when International SOS and Australian Smart Traveler were advising us not to go.... We'd had the trip booked for months, as an opportunity to meet up with my friend on a stop-over in Asia. Despite the closed roads and heavy traffic, we were very safe, and actually benefitted by being able to make a couple of last minute reservations - one of them being at Bo.Lan.

Walking in to the cool, dim, open restaurant floor, we were met by beautiful staff demonstrating the best of Thai hospitality. We immediately felt comfortable and excited, even more so when we discovered a vegetarian tasting menu. Fantastic - we'll have three of those. I love those easy decisions when I fell completely welcomed and catered for in a top restaurant. No uncomfortable questions or inconveniences.

We were in Bo.Lan's hands, from speciality martini's to sweets - and at each bight we were wowed by speciality Thai spices and fruits. We'd asked for two 'mild' and one 'medium' heat sets, and each plate resonated with unique flavours, many of which we couldn't put our finger on. When it came to the coconut milk curry, I was salivating and ready to enjoy the creamy, round flavours. I took a nice spoon full.... and had an immediate reaction to the chili. So hot! I think this dish was pre-made and simmering in hot, hot chili for some time. I was immediately embarrassed by my reaction in the middle of this lovely dining room, but I had really been taken by surprise! My weak chili tolerance aside, we were so impressed and enjoyed every moment of this experience. A true recommendation for vegetarians looking to enjoy the best of Thai cuisine.

Add: 42 Sukhumvit 26 Soi Pichai Ronnarong Songkram Klongtoey Bangkok 10110, Thailand ~ MOVING!!
PH: +66 2 260 2962
Web: http://www.bolan.co.th

Yen, Taipei, Taiwan

A trip to Taipei for my birthday, and our 5 year wedding anniversary, was a perfect reason for a booking at Yen, the Cantonese fine dining restaurant at the top of the W Hotel.

Upon making the reservation, we were pleased to know that a vegetarian set menu was available, however when we sat down I couldn't help but feel underwhelmed by the list before us. There was fungus, fungus, and white fungus in each and every plate. I actually thought the veggies on the a la carte menu looked more interesting, but was encouraged to stick with the set. So fungus it was.

The stand-out feature at Yen is the view. We were lucky to have a window view, although not looking over the famous Taipei 101. We'd had a nice drink in the bar before hand, and watched the sun go down over the mountains surrounding Taipei. Instead, from our table, we watched the hoards of scooters buzzing around on the streets below. From the arial view, the traffic looks exceedingly uniform and rule-abiding, which seems counter to what you'd expect on a back-drop of a very Chinese looking city. Taipei was wonderful - the people were so friendly, and the Putonghua so clean and easy to listen to. We had a great time walking around, finding our way to various temples and coffee shops. There's a calmness, and an easy buzz to the streets, which are teeming with design stores, food stalls, and leafy, open-air shopping. I reflected on the fact that I could live here happily as we sat and watched, chatting, waiting for our food.

The meal was very nice, and had the characteristic lightness of Cantonese fare. We had blanched vegetables, soup, a rice dish, and yes, plenty of fungus. For a restaurant famous for it's duck, they'd done a nice job of a vegetarian banquet. However I found myself more impressed with the decor and our own company, as opposed to the food itself. The wait staff were friendly and professional, but as we were sitting at the far end of the restaurant we received little attention apart from when new food arrived. A nice evening for sure, but I found myself writing home about the vegetarian restaurants we'd discovered on the streets of Taipei, rather than Yen!

Phone: +886 2 7703 8887
Address: The W Hotel, 31st Floor, 10 Zhongxiao East Rd, Section 5, XinYi District, Taipei
Web: http://www.yentaipei.com/en/