If you’ve ever lamented not being able to indulge in the odd dinner party while abroad then fret no longer: you can dine with not one, but three different families on Rarotonga’s Progressive Dinner Tour, stopping at different houses for your starter, main and dessert. From cool tiled terraces overlooking the hills to tables lined up on the front lawn of old colonial houses and spreads laid on in back gardens where the ocean laps the shore, the magical mystery tour promises a different house (and experience) each time.
While every family will showcase their own signature dishes, it’s unlikely you’ll hit the hay without sampling ika mata, a raw, white fish dish that’s marinated with coconut cream and ‘cooked’ with lemon juice; violet rounds of dense yet creamy taro; and platters full of tropical fresh fruit, perfect for cutting through Rarotonga’s balmy climes. All while listening to the mellifluous sounds of your designated drivers playing the ukulele. And as one host pointed out, the tour offers access to the heart of a Rarotonga you mightn’t have seen before: “We know you have come here to eat local food, to talk to locals. It’s not always genuine in the hotels, but we – we are genuine.”
If eating dinner in the extension of a stranger’s living room sounds unappealing then Tupuna’s might not be the restaurant for you. But if the prospect of devouring home-cooked fare with your feet in the sand lights your fire then read on.
The only independent restaurant on the island to offer fine dining, Tupuna’s is a masterclass in casual culinary decadence. The chilli lime fish – an updated take on local classic ika mata – is a house special. Chunks of lime-doused raw fish fill a coconut shell, adorned with a side of the Cooks’ ubiquitous arrowroot fries – dense, nutty shards with crisp edges and rich, buttery centres.
Fish is always the flavour of the day in this tropical archipelago, and the plump fillets of freshly grilled wahoo and tuna (the catch of the day), served with a medley of charred, caramelised and slightly bitter root vegetables, won’t disappoint.
There’s a cosy country kitchen vibe, with a colour palette of creamy yellows and cool orange, and a warm clutter of bits and pieces: pans dangle from the ceiling; paintings of idyllic seascapes line the walls, illuminated by tea lights; glasses and teapots knock shoulders on shelves next to cookbooks and a blackboard scrawled with specials.
If the portions prove too huge to handle then three-legged Soda, the resident moggy, will likely lend a helping paw.
Deep in the vast Sharqiya Sands, in Oman’s north-eastern corner, lies a community that has lived in much the same way for centuries. The Bedouins of this remote desert region herd, farm and fish their way to survival, bedding down in makeshift tents woven from goat’s hair that rustle in the desert breeze. Most locals reside near Al Huyawah, a natural oasis near the border of the desert, where tribesmen gather during late summer to pluck ripe yellow dates from palms.
Experiencing the famed local hospitality first-hand can be hard without an invite, but on some tours – such as Swagman’s Deluxe Oman – it’s part of the deal. You’ll break unleavened Omani bread with a nomadic family, enjoying a lunch cooked over licking flames that’s as delicious as it is simple. Often nothing more than coarse sea salt coats whole fish or plump chickens, though some dishes can be more intricate: saloonat, for example, is a stew of fragrant spices, lime, chicken and vegetables. Drink bitter coffee from small cups and scoop up hunks of fish and pilaf with your fingers, while admiring the golden emptiness beyond the tent’s tarp.
Bet you didn’t know Ireland has cracking cuisine. With a population of just 4.5 million, it punches well above its weight when it comes to creating delicious things to put in your mouth – and we’re not just talking about whiskey and Guinness. Sink your fangs into artisanal produce on a tasting trail through Dublin, the country’s cool capital city. Throughout the morning you’ll learn about the history of its thriving gastronomic scene and sample a generous assortment of products – think cheese from cows who graze on Ireland’s famous rolling hills, bagels loaded with Burren smoked salmon, silky chocolate and refreshing cold-pressed juices. Wash down plump oysters with a glass of white wine and, in true Irish style, enjoy a nip of something stronger in one of the city’s many excellent pubs.
Forget crowded supermarket aisles and checkout queues. At the Phong Dien floating market grocery shopping is a delight, not a downer. From dawn, the Hau River heaves with small rowboats laden with fresh fruit, vegetables and fish from producers in the Mekong Delta food bowl.
Haggle over a bunch of bananas and grab a meal at one of the floating ‘restaurants’ on this remarkable river of trade. The market is smaller than its touristy big cousin at nearby Can Tho, and offers a more intimate experience with fewer motorised boats.
Spectre, the latest instalment in the James Bond franchise, offered Daniel Craig a license to chill. Sky-high restaurant ice Q has some of the best views ever seen from an architecturally inspired glass box, but for the Sam Mendes-directed movie it transformed from haute cuisine hot spot into the mountaintop lair of Christoph Waltz’s villain Blofeld. Situated more than 3000 metres up on the summit of Gaislachkogl in the Austrian resort town of Sölden, the neighbouring snow-covered peaks and glacial tunnel also played host to one of the film’s main action scenes – no spoilers intended. But now that Hollywood has packed up and gone home, hitting the slopes on skis or a board, followed by drinks overlooking Ötztal Alps, is definitely not to be missed.
If you’re suffering from asthma, consider joining the thousands of pilgrims who gather every year at Hyderabad in India to take part in a mass fish-guzzling ceremony. The Bathini Mrugasira Fish are stuffed with a special secret medicinal paste, apparently given to a local family by a holy man more than 150 years ago. The family continues to administer the herbal cure to patients for free, claiming their asthma will be cured after just three years’ of treatment.
You might not think you’d discover a real gourmet treat in a tiny Irish beach town, but creamy gold awaits those who venture to Strandhill in County Sligo. The folks at seaside Mammy Johnston’s have been making gelato for three generations and now its chief ice-cream churner, Neil Byrne, has struck gold in the home of gelato.
At Italy’s Sigep Rimini trade show, which brings artisan bakers, gelato makers and coffee connoisseurs together, he picked up an award for the best honeycomb-flavoured gelato. Seems like these two countries share more than just the first letter of their names.
Few experiences make us cry: the death of a loved one, a Budweiser commercial during the Super Bowl, and Will Horowitz’s Pops Pastrami sandwich. The recipe, an updated version of his grandfather’s original concoction, includes house-smoked pastrami, buttermilk-cured pickles and a healthy dose of fresh dill, along with some extra napkins to wipe up your tears of happiness, I mean, your mouth.
You’ll find this delicacy at the East Village delicatessen, Harry & Ida’s Meat and Supply Co, and if you feel the need to weep a little longer in the privacy of your hotel or home, they sell pastrami by the pound, too.
The sandwich tastes even better served with a slice of history.
Ditch the butter chicken and get ready to forget everything you thought you knew about Indian food – right in the heart of downtown Bangkok. Head chef Gaggan Anand has put together a refreshing culinary experience unlike any other you’ll find in this vibrant city. Situated in a stately, whitewashed colonial mansion, Gaggan Restaurant specialises in progressive Indian cuisine – an innovative seasonal approach to the regional dishes and street food of Anand’s homeland.
Enjoy a meal in the bright, airy dining room, from the four-seat ‘library’ full of cookbooks or at the exclusive chef’s table with an intimate view of the kitchen. It may feel cheeky seeking out Indian food in a city full of local delights, but a meal at Gaggan is not to be missed.
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