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Travel Post: Denmark Episode 2: Fine Dining, Scandinavia's Art of Cuisine Is Best Represented In Copenhagen

Restaurant Sletten                     The best restaurant in our trip to Denmark, in my opinion, is Restaurant Sletten, which lies next to a beautiful marina with many boats waiting for Summer to come. It is a house-like restaurant located in a quaint harbour-side town called Humlebæk, which reminds me of The Hamptons or Cape Cod in the US.  We were on our way to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and happened to learn of this restaurant in the vicinity.             A travel package at the train station in Copenhagen includes a return train ticket as well as entrance to the museum, something to consider while trying to save money on transportation while travelling and eating in Denmark.        We were hit with the gifts of the sea right as our menus opened. The oysters on the half shell presented in 3 ways with different mignonettes provided a platform for the chef to play with colors. The dish looks as if it was a painting and the plate like a canvas for the artists to display their food.           The best dish of this trip was their steak tartare. It was simply something I could not forget! Imagine the best cuts of steak shielded under a floral display of micro-herbs and pickled root vegetables and sweet and sour pearl onions. Then a tarragon snow storm hit the horizon and landed on top of the fauna to provide protection with a sprinkle of the most perfect croutons imaginable.  I know what you are thinking, but I truly had an euphoric moment of surprise and enlightenment when I dug into this dish, which opened up all my senses and nothing around me mattered! I urge everyone in Denmark to journey here for this experience. 
   The mains were also innovative with great flavor, texture and presentation. One honorable mention was their cod and langoustine mousseline with was a unique way of cooking fish and langoustines together in one formed shape. Also the sweet breads with tapioca and charred onions. 
Den Gule Cottage                    There are 2 quaint little colorful cottages along the seaside area of Klampenborg, Denmark and we ended up at Den Gule Cottage or The Yellow Cottage for a long lunch on a peachy day. In a perfect life, I'd stop by their affiliated Restaurant Den Røde Cottage or The Red Cottage, which is conveniently further down the meadow to sample the dinner fair, but that calls for another trip that I cannot currently afford :O Judging from the exterior, you'd think there are not many seats in this little cottage, but the space is used quite well after an observation inside.                  I chose a snack to start my meal with a chilled glass of Spanish Cava to loosen my appetite after the journey. The decor is minimal but the cottage really gives off a countryside atmosphere that cannot be replicated in the bustling city. I really enjoyed the greenery all around this cottage.             Of all the restaurants on this trip, I think the bread at Den Gule Cottage was the most memorable. I loved how there were 2 different kinds of homemade bread and one was made from Danish Beer and even the butter was dress with pumpkin seeds and sea salt. Another memorable moment was how the chef de cuisine finished the main course with a tableside sauce while explaining how he hand picked these beautiful edible weeds from the garden this morning and pointed them out on my sweet breads. 

These dishes were presented with care and I especially loved the cod fish filet with rugbrød crisps, apples and roasted cauliflower. The apples were a great pairing to this dish along with how this fish was perfectly flaky and broke apart with ease on my fork! The dessert reminded me of a yogurt-granola mix with some stewed plums I would possibly make at home fro breakfast but the petit fours were exquisitely paired with a perfect cup of double expresso!   Restaurant Relæ            When one fails at getting a reservation at NOMA more than 3 months prior to our arrival, one becomes desperate and search for the next best thing in town! Even being demoted to second place in the World, NOMA still has the Scandinavians and the rest of the world intrigued. As for the next best thing, it's either a hit or a miss. Restaurant Relae was our first choice after NOMA, which taught us to never trust online reviews.          Chef Puglisi had been a sous-chef at NOMA as well as El Bulli in the past, as well as the honored Michelin Starred man on the block that they deem a capable chef in Copenhagen under 30, clearly stated in his book that was laid out on our table. Overall, the dishes were too technical for my taste, the cooking skills were formidable but if I had a choice, I'd choose to taste the real textures and flavors of food instead of overworked dishes with no nutrients left to offer.         The sourdough bread course was ultimately the best of the lot and show a ton of care on its execution. A remarkable dish was the celeriac pasta that utilized thin celeriac slices, first dried then rehydrated to create a distinct chewy texture. It mimicked a very large piece of pasta made al dente and was finished off with Hagvus, a Danish cheese and a sprinkle of coffee grinds.             As far as other dishes go, the mushroom medley had great texture and flavor and it was paired with raw sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes), walnuts and all julienned quite finely served on a cold plate. Even though it was small, I was quite blown away by the mushroom sauce that blended everything together.        A signature dish was the long-baked potato purée, finished with bread crumbs, dried citrus fruits and a caramelized butter. The dish smell like cracker jacks! This dish apparently had been on the menu since the beginning and was also printed in the cookbook. I do much appreciate the time it took to bake this potato, but on the other hand, there are many other things they could have done with potatoes, citrus fruits and bread to make this a far more interesting plate rather than have much of it stuck to my teeth.      The main course was a slow poached chicken over parsnip puree and shaved raw parsnips on top then finished with white sesame seeds. While everything was a bit bland and the raw parsnips was bitter. The chicken was the only thing that redeemed it being perfectly cooked and seasoned. The pairing could have been more crowd pleasing if the parsnips were possibly blanched and the sesame seeds possibly toasted.               We were offered 2 desserts, of which I enjoyed the first one more so than the second. It was a lemon curd frozen yogurt with egg yolk and a shaving of sweet dehydrated egg yolks on top. The almond cookie in the middle gave a good crunchy texture to pair with the custard.  A bit too sweet but overall, I loved the concept.     There are so many more trips to come and so many more foods to experience. It's a hard life being "A Dietitian On Vacation"! Stay tuned for posts on Holland:)

Travel Post: Denmark Episode 1 - The Danishes Are Losing To The Smørrebrød!

                In Denmark the famous daytime food was in fact a perfect daytime food for everyone, even for those of you who cannot pronounce it properly. The Smørrebrød, or in English, it would be known as the Danish open-faced sandwich! 

          Café Norden  was conveniently located at the center of Copenhagen and provided such a great atmosphere for people to just stop in and order food to share. The Smørrebrød platter was a sight to see! Crispy skin on roasted pork with red sauerkraut and apples, shrimp and eggs with a creamy avocado puree and liver pate with crispy bacon bits all served over Rugbrød or Danish rye bread! The plate was so grand I really gawked at just its mere size. Quantity in this case was balanced with quality. Any I enjoyed every bite of this dish including the last chocolate truffle, which conveniently served as dessert:) 

         Another platter well worth mentioning was their Norden Tapas, which we ordered on a second visit near the end of our stay! I am still thinking about this dish long after we left! There was basically a compilation of all their menu favorites, some mixed salads, mini smørrebrøds with liver paté and smoked salmon and a nice shot of medium bodied Danish beer. The best thing was the Danish medium bodied blue cheese smothered with honey, walnuts and blueberries. The strawberry dessert didn't quite need to be there as everything else was sufficient, but it was the finale, that we needed, to give us a red light to stop us from eating so much! 

           It was amazing how we managed to stand up after such a meal, but it was onward with our sightseeing adventures we went until we saw the next yummy thing worthy of stopping. That moment came when the journey brought us to these sausage street carts all over the city. I just had to get a Danish hot dog and in this case was a Pølse served with ketchup and mustard. This was the ultimate sausage, the casing snapped perfectly and the meat was juicy and flavourful. I couldn't have asked for a better snack than this! 

          There are just so many goodeats and good findings when you walk around a city on foot. It was out of luck when we stumbled into a cute neighborhood after visiting the Design Museum of Denmark, to walk into Café Toldboden for lunch.

            It was no doubt that everyone was crazy about the open-faced sandwiches, but just when we arrived in town, the Lumpfish Roe just happened to be in prime season. April is a time for Lumpfish to lay their eggs in Denmark and the restaurants would be the best place to sample it on, none other than, a Danish Smørrebrød! 

           I really enjoyed the decor and nautical atmosphere of Café Toldboden and it was run by a lady with her parents cooking in the kitchen. There, you can really experience true Danish hospitality with the whole family working to run a beautiful restaurant together! There was no better way to take it all in than to wash it down with a pint of local Carlsberg beer! We even visited the Carlsberg Museum where they showcased their proud national beverage! 

         There's just so much to cover about Denmark, our next episode will be about their fine dining scene, cause I just needed to give you another reason to visit the Danes with their innovative Scandinavian cuisine!!! 

Travel Post: A Dietitian On Vacation and It All Starts in Norway!

              We have so much in common, you and I, we both love to eat! If not, you wouldn't be reading this blog. Everyone deserves a break once in a while and I decided to take mine now! I am starting my 2015 Europe gastronomy adventure in Oslo, Norway where there's still time left for you to hit the ski slopes before I begin this degustation experience.  I will now become, "A Dietitian on Vacation", until I return home! This means, I can eat whatever I want because the energy I will burn during my travels will pretty much balance out by the amount of food I eat! 

               The Thon Opera Hotel was directly adjacent the central train station in Oslo and it was a convenient place to get around town. The best thing is that the buffet breakfast was included and of course, as a dietitian on vacation, I ate my heart out and almost left it at the scene with all the pickled herring, smoked salmon and smoked mackerel. It was the coldest I've been for a while, probably since I left the bone chilling winters of New York for the subtropical climate of Hong Kong. Thank God for central heating here! 

                One restaurant that people recommended was Lofoten, Oslo's own waterfront gem that has been somewhat of an institution since the early 1990's. Lofoten is a restaurant that's been under the same owner for over 2 decades and it is still a good place for good food. Lofoten is named after the famed Norwegian fishing islands where nature and seafood meet at its best and they definitely put fish as their star on the menu. 

                The first thing you see as you entered the restaurant is the semi-open kitchen. The chefs were very busy already when we walked inside and we immediately sat down and browsed the menu. I chose a 5 course menu as well as a bottle of local brewed beer and was hungry as a pig! First course, seared whale meat with cauliflower purée and finished with a sesame and micro greens. 
                I know I may have offended some animal activists but I actually never had it before and I am really curious about its taste and texture! Just this once, I promise! It actually was very much like red meat with a fishy taste, I was quite intrigued. 
          The following course comprised of a very generous portion of red beet soup and a drizzle of cream. Simple and delicious. 

    The main course was a perfectly seared piece of pollock, but the sides were not well executed, which made this dish a bit on the disappointing side. I was served the end of the asparagus, which was inedible and also the artichoke was very chewy as the inedible leaves comprised of 90% of it. We did voice it to our server, but she wasn't of much help and apologized on the behalf of her chef. The other sides, a croquette of pollock meat, was quite tender and juicy and the fried kale was cooked well, but the whole dish was overly salted and didn't hit the spot. 
       Our cheese course was pretty interesting. Norwegian cheeses of course, and both pungent. One was harder and more aged than the other and the one in the middle was rubbed with a bit of charcoal, I could taste the remnants. These cheeses were served with a tomato and chili jam along with some honey and homemade cranberry bread. That jam was pretty much the highlight of the meal and I really wanted to make some when I get back home. 
        As for dessert, an elegant bowl of chocolate mouse and vanilla mouse with meringue and chocolate crisps with a few raspberries finish the meal. I would have opted for another ending, but it wasn't my choice to make. I was very full by the end of the evening and ready for another day of sight seeing the following morning. 

         On the following day, we stumbled across a restaurant right behind the Cathedral, which was more of a café serving a decent lunch. The menu was pretty profound for such a small place but one thing that popped out was the reindeer steak! I know, you'd think Rudolph right? ...I am not a cruel person! Rudolph would not have been so dumb to get caught and then be eaten by me! Anyhow, if you have ever eaten venison, it's just like it and for those of you who haven't, it's like a steak with a slight gamey thought. 
      That's it for Oslo now, next stop, Denmark! 

Pancakes for a Cause!

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            Do you count your blessings? 
I have so many things to be thankful for that there are not enough fingers or toes amongst the number of people that surround me have to count. There are many ways to give back to the community and it's not just by giving money but also your time and abilities. 
        Pancake Day 2015 was put on by my favorite charity and non-profit organization, Feeding Hong Kong, 樂餉社 at the University of Hong Kong's Haking Wong Podium.  Once again, they are the bridge between the food and beverage industry with the hungry people of this city that we call "The Pearl of the East". There are hungry people who cannot afford a meal and Feeding Hong Kong is a food bank that redistributes surplus food to those in need. 
          This day was equipped with many activities including a pancake relay that had participants toss and run with pancakes for charity. I was there with my pancakes with ingredients donated by Pizza Express and we were on a roll to sell pancakes by donation. I even had a handsome boy sous-chef giving me help with the distribution. 
           Thanks to the generous donations, we were able to serve up many fruit toppings with a spread of sauces made from strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, mixed berries, as well as lemon and sugar with a dollop of Crème fraîche. The donation box slowly but surely filled up during the event and as we were wrapping up, a continuous line formed with hungry bystanders. 

           I am very honored to be a part of this event again this second year in the running, and it felt great being able to use my skills to help out a charity that really provides a service for a need in Hong Kong. Check out the Hong Kong Cable TV coverage of this event here: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=929294630435754&fref=nf

Feeding Hong Kong One Step at a Time

             As a way to spread healthy eating and cooking, we need to start young and I believe that many families in such a fast paced city do not focus enough on the importance of doing it at home.  There are more ways to contribute for a cause than just buying a ticket to an Equestrian Event at the Longines Masters Grand Slam that occurred at the Asia World Expo this past February. 
               I had the opportunity to work with Feeding Hong Kong 樂餉社,  to host a healthy cooking demo for young kids who attended the Grand Slam with their parents.  Feeding Hong Kong is the food bank in Hong Kong that redistributes surplus food to people in need. There are so many times that I have taken my food for granted and do not think twice how many people are starving in this city and in other places around the world. Working with a charity like this one, helps the first world connect with the third as they work to raise awareness about poverty and food insecurity in Hong Kong as well as promote healthy eating and nutrition education to the most vulnerable groups in the city. 
        We created vegetable summer rolls together with a asian peanut dipping sauce. 
The ingredients were colorful and easy to identify. The kids were very excited to play with their own share. 

        I always love to have each and every participant have a chance to make their own so they were encouraged to come up closer to me to have a better chance to interact with me and each other. 
        With the help of our amazing volunteers, we were able to make sure everyone had their share of creating a fun, colorful and delicious summer roll for themselves. 
     My favorite part was watching these kids eat their summer rolls. I had so much fun teaching them! I hopefully gave them motivation to initiate helping in the kitchen more often in their homes. Through this experience, we successfully provided a fun-filled nutritional education afternoon to 12 individuals of the future generation. Changes happen one step at a time!