May-June Favourites

EAT

In true Japanese fashion, Chaco Bar is hole-in-the-wall tiny but massive on tasty dishes and yakitori (skewered meat & veg cooked over charcoal). Since stumbling upon it, it’s quickly made my list of favourites. The grilled rice balls with chashew are a comforting order and you can’t go wrong with their excellent, zingy green plum punch.

An honorary mention to Restaurant Hubert‘s Melon En Surprise. I ordered this dish whilst sitting at the bar after hearing elaborate, fantastical descriptions from a friend. It did not disappoint – a frozen half melon, presented on a bed of ice, with a smooth, even, white filling. Dig in and you’re hit with popping balls of finger lime, sorrel jelly and juicy spheres of melon flesh. All of this, submerged in young coconut sorbet. It’s as quirky and delightful as it sounds, and reminded me a lot of a Korean patbingsu. I recommend grabbing an aperitif at the bar and cleansing your palette with this refreshing dessert. Perfect for a bit of pre-dinner fun, or anytime you’re feeling like something out of the ordinary.

HEALTH

The cold has been following me around a lot this year, so I’m trying my best to boost my immune system. I’ve given a fair few supplements a go, but was really keen when I saw Loving Earth’s Gubinge Powder at my friend’s store, Luna Beauty & Apothecary. Gubinge (better known as Kakadu Plum) is a potent source of Vitamin C and its powder can be (mostly) dissolved in water or added to other drinks. The profits from this product are sent to the Nyul Nyul Aboriginal community who harvest the fruits, which is excellent to know when trying a new product. I won’t lie, the powder tastes mostly like earth, but it has a slight tang at the end which I’m coming to like. I’ve drunk a teaspoon of it in water on most days and can report that my immune system has been going well. This will have to be one that I test over a long period, but in the mean time I’m looking forward to giving it a go in recipes as well.

LOCALE

A local asked me, whilst on a beach in the Yasawa Islands of Fiji, if I’d visited before. When I answered no, he replied: what took you so long? Indeed, what took me so long… #paradise #islandlife #thePacificIsTerrific

LIFE LESSON

I’ve been cat/house sitting recently and being in someone else’s house has taught me one thing: central heating and a dishwasher can radically increase your quality of life. I intend to acquire both at the earliest possible opportunity.