Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Restaurant Review - Hill Top Restaurant



Dinner at Hill  Top Restaurant


April 19, 2013 was a marvelous night, my girlfriend Tamika and I had dinner at the T.T.H.T.I, Hill Top Restaurant. The restaurant was featuring International cuisine and we were about to visit Dominican Republic, Haiti and Curacao. The décor was stunning and the ambiance was tranquil as the music played fits their theme perfectly. The table placement, made it easy to go to and from, as the host had no problem fining or names and we were seated in a timely manner. Attention to detail is evident in the talent of the service staff as well.


 Appetizer

KESHI YANA
A famous Curacao dish of Gouda cheese stuffed with vegetables that will sure be a delight to your taste buds.



A delight it was this surprising presentation set the tone for what was going to be a memorable dinner.


Soup
 JOUMOU
A Haitian delicacy consisting of oven roasted pumpkins and plantain filled dumplings. A delight with every mouthful.



 The smooth textured  soup and  the beef stuffed dumpling, provided just the right moments of ‘bite’ that were needed to prevent the overall experience from becoming too heavy.


Salad
ENSALADA VERDE
Enjoy the freshness of the islands with an array of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, eggs, red onions, olives, carrots and nuts with Honey Grapefruit Vinaigrette

 


It was light, refreshing and the simple and effective presentation made me admire the chef’s style.  

Entrees
 KABRIT STOBA
Succulent stewed goat meat tenderized with papaya served with a black mushroom sauce.
Accompaniments
CHAYOTE AND  SWEET POTATOES
 A delicate blend of seasoned christophene and sautéed sweet potatoes and
 FUNCHI
Grilled seasoned cornmeal cakes and Riz et Pois, a twist on the popular dish of Rice and Peas


 
 

This dish was an instant showstopper more on visually than taste-wise. The wonderful blend of flavors   was the perfect for the grand finale.



 Dessert
 RUM FLAN WITH ORANGE SAUCE
Entice your taste buds with this decadent rum flan in orange sauce from the island of Curacao infused with Djente Kacho (candied coconut)
 


 Well after a feast like the one above it seemed only fitting to leave our taste buds on a rich and decadent high.

 This was a dessert I would like to have again and even try to make it for myself  this was really delicious. 

My experience at Dominican Republic, Haiti and Curacao was an amazing one, the high attention to detail, from the décor, to the service and of course the different cuisine, mean that you are the center of the experience from when you arrive, to when you leave. These students really out did themselves, it was amazing and I will visit again.


Food Travel Writing - A Night at Asia



A Night at Asia


I have always dream of visiting Asia to try their authentic cuisine. In the 1950s, Asian food meant chop suey and fortune cookies to most people. Today that has all changed. A rich and increasingly authentic variety of Asian foods are available all over the world, restaurants and even in the local supermarkets. Asian cuisine styles can be broken down into several tiny regional styles that have rooted the peoples and cultures of those regions. 

The major types can be roughly defined as East Asian with its origins in Imperial China and now encompassing modern Japan and the korean Peninsula; Southeast Asian which encompasses Cambodia,  Laos, Thailand, Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines; South Asian state are made up of India, Burma, Bangladesh and Pakistan as well as several other countries in this region of the continent; Central Asian and Middle Eastern.

April, 2013 was a super amazing night my girlfriend Charamine and I had dinner at ITADAKIMASU( ita-dai-kee-mass)/ LET'S EAT, the restaurant featuring cuisine of the beautiful country of Japan, Korea and Thailand. The décor was super stunning the entire place was transformed, hand crafted by the staff and they were well dressed everything to fit the theme A night at Asia.

The evening started with a cocktail hour, which I was late and did not have the opportunity to part take off. So my evening stated with the soup. The menu consisted of the following:- 

Soup 

TOM KHA GAI
Traditional Thia soup made with creamy coconut milk, mushrooms, fresh ginger, lemongrass and chicken.




 Salad



         SOM TAM
  Crispy lettuce and green papaya with orange served with spicy dressing and crunchy peanut brittle.





Main course 
 
GLAZED SPARE RIBS
Succulent spiced marinated ribs in a rich tantalizing glaze
&
 ASIAN SMOKED CHICKEN
Juicy chicken smoked to perfection with a sweet chili sauce
Side Dishes

 KIMCHI
Nappa cabbage marinated in a jalapeno sauce
SPICED RICE
Steamed Jasmine rice perfumed with lemongrass chillies and coriander.
STIR FRIED VEGETABLES
Crispy vegetable stir fried in flavorful soy sauce and mushroom based broth.


 


 Fruit course

PINEAPPLE, PAW PAW AND MANGO AGAR JELLY
A refreshing combination of Asian fruits to revitalize the taste buds.




Dessert
ICE CREAM MOCHI WITH MAEJAKGWA
Toasted black sesame seed ice cream delicately wrapped in a chewy rice casing with (Maejakgwa) a ginger spiced cookie drizzled with strawberry sauce to soothe your palette.

 

  

 THAI TEA
Black tea flavoured with milk and sugar, an infusion of spices and lemon grass for garnish.






To end the night we had a toast to the hard working team Asia

Toast
SAKE
A strong fermented rice beverage also know as rice wine

 

We also given a goodie bag to go with some of Asia delicacies and their Thai Tea Recipe.






Thai Tea 
 
1 Servings, Prep Time: , Total Time: 5 Minutes

    1 cup hot water
    1 teaspoon milk
    1 tablespoon sugar
    1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk
    1-2 tablespoons Thai tea

Method

  1. Add sugar and sweet condensed milk to a glass or cup.
  2. Put one tablespoon of Thai tea to a tea sock.
  3. Place the tea sock directly above the glass.
  4. Pour hot water into the tea sock.
  5. Set the tea sock aside. Stir until the sugar and sweet condensed milk are dissolved.
  6. Add ice and top the tea with milk.

Note: If you like it hot, reduce the sugar and sweet condensed milk by half. Drink hot.

Thursday, April 4, 2013