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

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/

Millennium, San Francisco, USA

A quick google search tells you that Millennium is a vegetarian institution in San Francisco. History seems to tell us that it was the first fine dining vegan restaurant of note in the area. Having read some other reviews on the place, we were eager to try it out for ourselves.

Millennium is on the ground floor of a hotel in downtown SF. Even though we had a booking, we waited for 15 minutes or so in the hotel lobby, which doubles as the entrance to the restaurant. It's cosy and a little dated. The other diners looked equally as intrigued and hungry as us - we were a strange mixed bag huddled in that lobby together! All walks of live come together over good veggie food in Millennium!

Once inside, I got the sense that the restaurant had once been an old Irish pub, or something similar. The big bar in the centre of the room is a feature, and they seem to have attempted to strip some of the pub feel back by draping curtains. It was an odd mix, but somehow just added to my sense of the ad hoc experience.

Our waitress was European, with plaits curled around the back of her head, and had no sense of humour at all. She reprimanded me for not speaking loudly enough when I ordered, but then she seemed to soften up after that. So much for all vegetarians being jolly, life-loving souls. Turns out we take all types!

Due to said waitress I was too scared to take pictures of my food, at risk of enduring another reprimand from this quirky institution that seems to take itself quite seriously, so hence this is a very straight forward post! The food was nice and imaginative, and we left full and satisfied. I can say I've had better, but I've also had worse. Nothing to write too much of a post about...

Being in Millennium, I sensed it was all vegan hype - I know what it's like to have mediocre standards, simply because you want to be encouraging of the movement, but at some point we need to be honest that it's just not that great by broader industry standards. Power to the vegan fine dining establishments, and more of them I say! Perhaps that will make places like Millennium a little more competitive on decor and service, rather than just resting on the niche of being a vegan haunt. It's touted as fine dining, and you're asked to dress nicely, but apart from some nice food it's really not worth the online reputation it enjoys (humble opinion!).

Give it a go if you're vegan, in town, and keen to see for yourself, but there are true fine dining restaurants out there in SF who I found will gladly accommodate you with some notice.

Add: 580 Geary St, San Francisco, CA
PH: 415-345-3900 
Web: http://www.millenniumrestaurant.com/restaurant/index.html 

Townhall, San Francisco, USA

Town Hall is amazing. After some hit-and-miss experiences in SF, Town Hall came through with the goods for an awesome date night with Mr. Lamb.

We had a fantastic experience, from the online booking right through to the time we finished off our night caps and whistled out the door.

Despite having a menu heavily focused on meat, the kitchen seemed more than happy to build 3 vegetarian courses for us (we'd told them we are veggie while booking, which was just the same day, and they didn't batt an eyelid about making up a special request). Looking at the menu, there were quite a few options for starters, so it was just the mains we had to get creative with. We arrived to soup and salad, had a great rice dish, and enjoyed old-fashioned cocktails made with flair all the way through.

I admit, we were pretty limited for main course options, but the great food and buzzy atmosphere made a fantastic evening for us. We didn't get a sense of their creole speciality (evidently their fried chicken is not-to-be-missed for meat eaters!) but knowing creole isn't the most veggie-friendly of cuisines, this was to be expected. Would love to see someone do vegetarian creole come to think of it! The smells and spices make me jealous!

Town Hall has a beautiful interior, with exposed bricks, and feature bar, and warm atmosphere. Tables are fairly close together, and people seem to go here for good cheer and hearty food, so it can get fairly loud - all adding to the vibrant experience. Definitely recommend!

Add: 342 Howard St, San Francisco, CA
PH: (415) 908-3900
Web: http://www.townhallsf.com/

Laris, Hong Kong

I had heard of Laris while living in Shanghai, but never had the chance to go myself. I knew the dining concept was Australian, and I'd heard good things from friends who had been. So when I heard Laris had opened a restaurant in Hong Kong, I was eager to visit.

After doing a little research I found out that the group owns almost half the restaurants in Central! I've probably eaten in Mr Laris' places many times and just not known it. Anyway, to eat the the restaurant that has his title was a treat.
I've now been twice, and both times I've had a great experience. Sitting on the 2nd floor, you're able to look up and down Wyndham St and enjoy the happenings from a quiet perch. Try to get a seat by the window if you can - the panorama is really charming. It's a great way to see Hong Kong - close enough to street level to feel it, yet quiet enough that you're allowed to see it through new eyes. The narrow curve of Wyndham as it turns into Hollywood, the suits going home from work and jeans coming into the bars, and the old buildings holding on precariously to the side of the hill. It really feels like Hong Kong here.

The service at Laris is very smooth. Although there are a few pillars in the dining room that make for some inconvenient little spaces, the wait staff are able to navigate through the tables easily, and offer every care. It's a small space, and it feels like an intimate dining experience here. A great place for a date.

Our food was exceptional. The menu is laid out by Bird / Fish / Meat / Vegetarian which makes it very easy to navigate. The menus have a lot of white space and a beautiful font, giving a classic and simple feel. I had the forest mushrooms with olive oil powder, truffle, carrot & mascarpone. They came in a beautiful boat shaped bowl, and were delicious. My husband had a cauliflower soup which was light and rich. We then both had the jerusalem artichoke risotto with shaved parmesan and sage butter for our mains. It was filling but elegant, with nice, juicy chucks of artichoke, and again it was presented beautifully.

A friend had reccommended the sticky date pudding for desert and it didn't dissapoint. I really like this place. There aren't enough veggie options for me to come on a weekly basis, but for a treat and a suitably impressive vegetarian experience, I can happily reccommend Laris.

Add: 2/F, 77 Wyndham St, Central, Hong Kong
PH: +852 2530 1600
Web: http://www.diningconcepts.com/laris/

Lily & Bloom, Hong Kong

We weren't planning on a Friday night out, but when work finished, and work drink obligations had been satisfied, the moment grabbed us and we felt like eating something nice. Lately I've been feeling a bit uninspired in Hong Kong, but Lily & Bloom came to mind, and we decided to give it another go. We called up and got 2 seats at the bar.

As soon as you arrive in the cocktail bar level that is Lily, you're immediately immersed in the mood and style of place. It's all wood, wrought iron, leather and candel light. The interior staircase leads you up to Bloom, the restaurant area of the venue. It's centered around a long bar, where bar tenders get into the shake, shake rhythm that buzzes through the whole space.

Our server was impecable, and so relaxed yet attentive. She guided us through the specials, which rolled back and forth above the bar on an iron frame. We chose the heirloom tomato starter from the specials (which I love, but I'm starting to see a bit too often) and a small tart off the usual menu. I also took up the offer of 3 Pinot Noir tasting glasses which were beautifully served up. Each glass had a different coloured spot on the base, and the bottles were lined up behind them - one from New Zealand, one from Bordeaux and the final one from Australia. So nice.

As our main, we had raviolli with candied olives and rocket. Usually it has proscuito and beef broth, but the waitress spoke with the chef and they were happy to do it in a tomato broth instead. The waitress was concerned it might be a bit dry as a result, and in the end she was right, but it was still nice and fresh and we greatly appreciated the gesture. The fresh rocket on top was bighty, and the portion size was just right.

We had space for desert, and I'm glad we did. It was creative, and again the waitresses suggestion was spot on. Although by this time in the evening the restaurant was getting busy, and the courses were taking longer to arrive. We didn't mind. The space of Bloom gives plenty of interesting things to look at - including beautifully hung wine glasses as a feature in the center of the dining room. The glasses are actually in use - it's a great working show.

However my favourite part of the decoration is the bathrooms, which hosts a space for powdering, and a beautiful waterfountain as centerpiece. It's dark, and candel lit, and you shouldn't be surprised to meet someone of the opposite gender in there. It's a lovely space, and just adds to the romance of the whole restaurant.

Despite being at the center of LKF, Lily&Bloom feels like an oasis. It's been a staple in Hong Kong for several years already, and I trust it will be serving to a world class standard for many more.

Add: 33 Wyndham Street | 6th Floor, LKF Tower, Hong Kong, China
PH: 852-28106166
Web: http://www.lily-bloom.com/

The China Club, Singapore

Having tried The China Club in Hong Kong, I was interested to see what the modern high-rise version in Singapore had to offer! We were invited along for an INSEAD dinner with a big group, all intent on speaking about that days lecture topics - plenty of Freud, transference, and acid trips to discuss. The conversation was whole hearted and we had the makings of a really fun night.

The decore is very similar between the two restaurants in Hong Kong and Singapore, with lots of dark woods alcoves, and Chinoisery.

The meal was served chinese degustation style, with more than 7 courses, and all creatively presented. Being that many of my INSEAD colleagues are either from India, or of Muslim faith and not eating pork, there are quite a few non meat eaters among us. It's really nice not to be such a novelty in this company! We could all veggie enjoy the creations together.

The food at The China Club was ever-changing and very tasty, with a variety of soups and braised vegetables. The presentation was bright but had some nice quirks and modern plating. We sat at big round banquet tables, and the whole space was filled with noise a clatter, almost as if our laughter was bouncing off the highly laquered furniture. This is a great way to eat Chinese!

I can fully reccommend the Singapore cousin of The China Club. It has all the charm of it's Hong Kong counterpart, and the food is just as creative and beautifully presented. In every seat you feel like you're among friends in a private dining room, and the waitstaff move like ghosts around the party, making every comfort, with a little more tea here and a swift plate change there. Great hosts, and a classic Chinese setting.

Add: 168 Robinson Rd  Singapore 068912
PH: +65 6820 2388
Web: http://www.chinaclub.com.sg/

Big Four Restaurant, The Huntington Hotel, San Francisco, USA

We booked our reservation at Big Four on Open Table (I really love that site!) as we were staying just down the road in Nob Hill and had walked past a few times. For our last night in San Fran we thought we'd splash out on a nice dinner. We'd enjoyed the 'American' food so much over the past week, and wanted to go out on a high. All the reviews said Big Four is a San Francisco classic, so I made our booking for 2 veggies, got a nice new dress on, and enjoyed the walk over past the Fairmont and the beautiful cathedral.

Sometimes I think you just 'know' as soon as you get to a new place whether it's going to be good or not. In this case, I had the gut instinct we were in for an average event, based on the dismissive way we were greeted and seated. But remembering how lucky I am to eat in places like this, I decided to have a great night. The heavy woods, leather seats, and dim lighting makes for a old-world feel, and the pictures on every wall remind you of the history of San Francisco. It's a cosy space with many nooks set up for private tables, and the live piano player is a nice touch (that is, until he starts chastizing the waitresses, and you notice how much he's drinking.... Anyway! Back to being grateful!)

We ordered a salad and soup to start, and a pasta and risotto for mains, along with some champagne to celebrate a great, sunny trip to a beautiful new city. We'd walked the hills, sipped the Irish Coffee, drank Napa wines, and listened to the bell of the trams outside our hotel window. We had felt strangely at home in the huge expansive China town, and chatted with people in the post office trying to send baby formula back to Beijing. We'd also found some of the best coffee roasters in the city - I always measure a city by how good the coffee is and San Francisco stacked up with the likes of Blue Bottle and Four Barrel. I could happily live there with the sunshine and the sea mist.

The food arrived - sorry to say the soup might have come from a can, and the salad, while presented in a pretty symetrical pattern, wasn't very tasteful. Well, we moved ahead. My risotto was very nice, with a lemon zest that really stood out. Unfortunatley, the spaghetti was truly bland. It's a shame to say that Big Four is all vegetarian sausage sizzle and no pop.

I don't expect a restaurant to make a special event for us. It's great to see places like Big Four who already have meat free options on the menu as part of their regular offering. It's just a shame to see such lack of imagination and flavour. Why bother?

The wait staff were stiff, and seemed to be full of inside jokes amongst them. There was no genuine warmth or care paid, and the head of the restaurant seemed dismissive and full of self-import. It was truly a strange experience see the management of the floor hit the mark by so far. They seemed so preoccupied with the pomp and importance of their restaurant, that they forgot to look their patrons in the eye to offer any vague expression of warmth or interest.

Oh well, it all goes to show - the packaging isn't everything, although it's very pretty in this case! But if it's what's inside that counts, then Big Four gets my big thumbs down. It feels terrible to write reviews like this, but I guess it balances the rest out - they can't all be good!

Add: 1075 California Street San Francisco, CA 94108. Cross Street: Taylor
PH: (415) 771-114
Web: http://www.big4restaurant.com/

Herbivores, Hong Kong

What a nice little space and lovely menu. It's not exactly fine dining, but it is more than your usual veggie joint. We had the mandatory Buddhist monk, sure, but there was not a dreadlock or lentil patty in sight.

Herbivores seems to be new on the Hong Kong scene. It's a gun-barrel eatery in soho, only serving organic wine by the bottle and non-alcoholic beer. It's so small that 1 waitress was manning the fort solo when we went by - cosie yes, but they're optimistic and inventive with the menu.

We started with an avocado dip which was creamy, and I could have eaten the whole serving to myself. It was small, and reminded me that gluttony is a sin. We also had some deep fried cheese which was suitably delicious.

For mains, I had the Mushroom steaks and my husband had the cauliflower. They come beautifully presented on custom plates, and you can tell they're served with care. Several of the items on the menu have an astrix, indicating that they take 20 minutes to cook, which gives the mean a genuine sense of freshness and bespoke. Husband mentioned that this could easily become a new favourite

It's nice to see a veggie place that doesn't shy away from fat. Usually veggie means healthy, which is very nice and suits my daily eating, but every now and then a vegetarian just craves fat and salt like the next person. So it's refreshing to see that Herbivores is aiming for and exclusively veggie restaurant, while shaking the low-fat health-kick association. We like to have some fun too you know!

If it gets too popular and I can't get one of the limited seats, I think I'll find fault with this place. For now, it's creative and exclusive for people with flat grinding teeth - love it.

Add: 35 Staunton St., Central, Hong Kong
Ph: 2613-2909
Web: http://www.the-herbivores.com/

Quaglino's, London, England

The task of organising dinner for work colleagues is more daunting than I gave it credit for. Especially when you're not in your home city. You don't want to appear as Mother Hen, don't want to blow the budget but also want to impress, and need to make sure it's convenient to office, hotel and etc. All these thoughts went flashing through my mind when I was tasked with the agenda for a recent project implementation meeting - I quickly decided that it would take more thinking than a quick work dinner warranted. Delegation turns out to be a wonderful thing! So Quaglino's was chosen, meeting all the corporate requirements and a 'favourite' of the Partners. From the outset it looked great.

We had a drink in the bar area, having to cram into the unreserved area, and then moved down the cascading staircase to the long dining room, punctuated with tall orchards running down the center. We took our table and quickly started scanning the wine and dinner menu. As usual, it didn't take me long to fall back into my old favourites of a New Zealand Pinot Noir, a salad, a mushroom risotto and a chocolate tart. They sounded more interesting than that, with reduced balsamic and a truffle thrown in, but they were comfortably the only vegetarian options on the menu from memory, or perhaps just the ones that caught my eye.

When the artichoke salad came out, I called the waitress over and discreetly mentioned that I thought they'd forgotten the artichokes. She pointed out that the potato chip type things on the top of the salad were actually the prized artichokes. Oops. It seemed like a bowl of rocket with 2 waxy potatoes hiding at the bottom, and said chips on top. I hate rocket, so I officially had 2 small potatoes and some chips for starter.

When my main came out, I remembered the lunch time displays in Asia - the ones that are cooked, put in the bowl, and then sprayed with some kind of plastic to make them freeze in time. Not the nicest compliment I know - sorry Quaglino's. I think my dinner had been waiting to be sent to me for a little long. And the mysterious truffles that I thought I'd spied on the menu where nowhere to be tasted. 

The highlight of the evening was the scenery. Jimmy Hendrix photographs are projected on to the walls around the restaurant, giving a clean cut eatery a funky edge. And the beautiful flower arrangements were a real stand-out.

My chocolate desert came, and it really popped out on the stage of it's plate. The dark chocolate wedge and the bright orange of the mandarin were so distinct against the white plate. I couldn't wait to dive in - my fork want down and then - ouch - an abrupt stop against the crust. Without alerting my colleagues, I tried a little harder to crack through the base layer. But no luck. I'm ashamed to say that I ended up eating the mandarins and chocolate filling and sent the butt-naked crust back to the kitchen.

My colleagues must have thought I am such a picky, ungrateful eater! I sent a bowl of rocket, a half eaten bowl of risotto, sans truffles, and a tart base back to where they came from. I was so hungry!

Quaglino's was a huge let down. Service was fine, and bathrooms were nice. In general, the food, which is what we were mainly there for, was a big disappointment. It's so rare for me to say that!

Add: 16 Bury St, St James's, London SW1Y 6AJ
Ph: 020 7930 6767
Web: http://www.qauaglinos.co.uk/http://www.qauaglinos.co.uk/

Nopi, London, England

A few  months back I heard about this new cook book called Jerusalem.  Not long later I saw a snippet of a documentary about Yotam Ottolenghi walking around the streets of Jerusalem, eating street food from his youth. So the movement had been randomly floating in my spectrum for some time before I found myself cruising past Nopi in London, one of the groups restaurants.

We were on the hunt for a great breakfast. After something nice at the Riding House Cafe, and again something enjoyable at The Wolseley, I was left yearning for a really big blow-my-socks-off veggie breakkie on Darby St in Newcastle. The breakfasts I've had in London are generally 'fine', but feel small and unimaginative. And definitely there is a spot to be filled in the good coffee department. So I was so happy when we eventually happened across Nopi by accident (although the OK-ish coffee was not the distinguishing feature for me)!

Nopi is inconspicuous from the outside - with a big glass window and a simple entrance. However I find most of the placed in this neighborhood are pretty missable from the outside - I think it's a symptom of the weather, where open fronts for outdoor eating seem to be a non-reality. On the inside, it's all white and brass, with birchwood tableware and linen napkins. It feels cool and simple - I think I was expecting a middle eastern themed cave. But Nopi was all clean and lightness. The ladies bathroom in particular epitomizes this feeling with angled mirrors in every direction and soothing cream stone tones. The light is so all-encompassing that there is an "out" sign on the floor to orient you once you're finished!

The breakfast menu was intersting - thank goodness! It's short, but each meal is distinct and several need some explaining. There are cheeses I wasn't sure of, and cooking methods that we needed to pull out google on. It made this experience all the more unique. I started with a rice porridge for the table to share, and then beans and egg on toast for my 'main' breakfast dish. More than half of the menu listings turned out to be veggie too!

I got to taste a little of each of my friends meals - each had some combination of egg, tomato, beans, cheese, and beautiful fresh bread. I had my first-ever mouthful of welsh gritts too, which I was initially sure was some kind of meat, but turns out to be mustard and cheese on toast - unless someone can tell me differently!

My beans were beautiful - al dente and completely filling. For once in London I didn't leave the table feeling ready for lunch already.

I was so pleased with breakfast that I bought the autographed Jerusalem book and now I'm salivating over all the things I can cook! My friends went back for breakfast again the next weekend. I'm still smiling from ear to ear - Ottolenghi has given me a new faith in London breakfasts. And although I was full and satisfied upon leaving, we did see the procession of salad platters rising up from the basement kitchen to be displayed at the front of the dining room (in good view from the front window for passers-by to spy). More inspiration to get cooking from my book!

Add: 21-22 Warwick Street, London W1B 5NE
Ph: +44 (0)20 7494 9584
Web: http://www.nopi-restaurant.com/