Taco Night - experimental beef eating

Tacos (and more)
Home cooking


After my stint at Montezumas earlier this week, I swore off Mexican food for at least a month. Oh how quickly we forget. It didn’t take me long to overlook this vow and last night we decided to make some tacos. Originally it was going to be a pot of veggie-packed chili but I chose to complicate things and insisted on a taco night.



We stocked up at Coles and it ended up being quite a lot of groceries. It was pretty obvious at that point that the amount we were going to cook up wouldn’t be a ‘light meal for 2’. When everything was unpacked, Byron wished longingly for a larger stock pot.

Montezumas at Mount Gravatt

Montezumas, Mt Gravatt
http://www.montezumas.com.au/



I’m undecided about Mexican food. I don’t know what ‘authentic’ Mexican is but what we’re lead to believe (from fast food joints and supermarket products) is that their cuisine is predominantly based on cheese, tomato and wraps. Which isn’t all a bad thing. I’ve never been one to turn my nose up at processed junk food; for health reasons maybe but I can readily admit there’s often a time and place in my life when nothing hits the spot as well as something meaty oozing with cheese.



And that’s basically what Montezumas is. I’ve been several times now and I usually go for one of the combination meals. As the name suggests, this is a plate with a few items on it and it’s great for the undecided.

Turkish belly dancing to cure the wet weather blues

Mado Cafe and Restaurant
http://madorestaurant.com.au/



What a newly appointed license-holder doesn't need is non-stop raining and the resultant slippery roads. I managed to slip into the back of a ute and while their car was fine, the front of mine got a bit squished.

Sigh.

I wasn't really in the mood to go out for dinner last night but because Hien volunteered to drive, I took the opportunity to tag along and be a passenger (very grateful).

Stormy skies at Southbank

We were wet, muddy and in my case, also cranky so we were undecided on where to go. After choosing Southbank parklands as the destination of choice, we circled for ages to find a park.

China post 6: Trans China at the EXPO

2010 World Expo in Shanghai - food from across China and elsewhere in the world



One huge factor behind why we chose to go to Shanghai this year was to visit the World Expo. I find that no one really knows that I'm talking about when I mention it. Maybe Expo is one of those things that's huge in the host country but nowhere else. In any case, Chinese people are going bonkers over it and there are huge crowds flocking the pavilions daily.

Sea of people waiting to get in

We were told that there's no way you can have a 'thorough' experience at the Expo in just one day. Some said it would take months. Well we only had one day allocated so we decided to compromise but not going inside any pavilions that required queuing up.

Instead, we focused on the architecture (nothing short of breathtaking) and food (der).

China post 5: Riverside

Riverside



On our last full day in Shanghai, mum decided we should travel out a bit to do a day tour. She had a friend with a car and we all took a ride to Zu Jia Jiao, which is a small tourist village about 1-2hrs out from Shanghai.

Looks like a painting

It’s a tourist site labelled ‘ancient village’ because that’s the appeal of the town. You pay a small fee to get in and once inside, are surrounded by old architecture and old streets.

This is a river city, by which I mean several small to medium-sized streams run through the city and boating down these streams is a popular mode of transport. There are also ancient-style bridges crossing the streams for pedestrians.

China post 4: The Shanghai city streets - vendors and hole in the wall eateries

Shanghainese Street Food



Given the cost:enjoyment analysis we put our dining experiences through, I'd have to say that Shanghainese street food delivers.

Breakfast is served

We reserved this for breakfast time where dad would march out at dawn and select a few items from the different vendors available (and there are always many available) before coming back and sharing his bounty.

China post 3: Traditional and gourmet – dad shows us Chinese fine food

Chinese delicacies



This trip was the first time dad and I went back to China together. He was determined to show me some traditional gourmet Chinese food.

When I go to Shanghai, I’m attracted to ‘trendy’ chain restaurants that are furnished nicely and have big photo menus with English descriptions. Dad knows this and said he wanted me to try stuff that I would not order myself.

Mum took us to a restaurant called Shanghai Number 1 (which raised my expectations somewhat).


I love these kinds of restaurants in China because the menus are huge. This one was extra awesome because it had texts about the history of Shanghai with accompanying photos.

China post 2: Out in the country

My quick farm stay and good, old-fashioned cookery



There’s an island off Shanghai called Chong Ming that’s recently had a bridge and underwater tunnel constructed onto it so there’s direct transport to the mainland. The island is less ‘developed’ than Shanghai city and as a result, much of the export is agricultural. There are built-up areas that represent the ‘city’ of Chong Ming and if you diverge further out, you’re immersed by fertile farmland.

China post 1: The mile high food club

Plane Cuisine



I’m starting my holiday posts with a bit about what I ate on the way there. My opinion about plane food has always been ‘keep that away from me’. Usually, I’m so nauseous I can’t even stand the smell of hot food on the plane.



For some reason, on the way to China this year, I had a HUGE appetite. Dad was sitting beside me and time after time, I was finishing my meals before him. I say ‘on the way to’ because on my return flight, the old air-sickness kicked in and I could do no more than open a few biscuit packets and shove dishes around on the tray.

Back in the AUD

I flew home yesterday and got back to clinic today. Due to not being able to sleep on the plane and then being too excited last night, I have gone for about 60 hours without sleep so far. The plan was to take a nap when I got home but why is it that I'm always DYING FOR SLEEP during the day and as soon as I'm in bed, I get distracted by the millions of things I have to do? Like... update my blog.

First glimpse of Queensland through the clouds

I'll separate my China trip into a few sections that are more FYI then specific restaurant reviews. My goal is to make things interesting, talk about food, a bit about culture (according to mum and dad) and maybe give you a few ideas if you're heading to China any time.

I managed to spend the whole holiday loading my guts with edible goods (of course, now I'll pay for it :P).

Lots of good times spent drinking...(btw that's a 1L stein)

... and eating (well technically sipping here)...



If nothing else, I took a stack of piccies so it makes for nice eye candy.

Enjoy my posts as they come. I'll then get promptly back to further Brisbane reviews.

PS I still hate flying.