Ferreira Café – An Almont Tart that Outshined Everything Else

After eating so much French food, I decided to dine at a Portuguese restaurant to change things up a bit. Ferreira Café opens out onto the sidewalk under a cobalt blue awning and has a chic Mediterranean vibe. Unfortunately, the restaurant's host wasn’t very personable, and the wait staff seemed scattered. At least I found the food to be enjoyable as it got progressively better with each dish…

Portuguese-style Oysters (cooked with chorizo, cheese, and tomato sauce) – I usually prefer oysters raw, but thought “When in Rome…” After trying the Portuguese-style oysters, I still think they are better raw. The toppings completely overwhelmed the oysters, and all I could taste was salty tomato sauce. The only way I could even tell there was an oyster in there was the slight oceany taste on the finish.
Fleur de Sel Roasted Sardines with Tapenade – nicely roasted, plump sardines with just the right amount of salt and olive oil. Simple and appetizing.
Porcini-crusted Roasted Black Cod on a Port Reduction and Mashed Potatoes – beautifully cooked piece of cod…perfectly even, super moist, and served at the right temperature. A feat given its enormous size. I expected an earthy flavor from the crust, but couldn’t taste the porcini and thought the fish needed a tad more salt.
Grilled Giant Tiger Prawns with Tomato Risotto – I’m always a sucker for big, juicy prawns and these did not disappoint. I also loved the tangy tomato risotto. It was delightfully light and vibrant for a risotto. A fantastic pairing with the prawns.
Almond Tart with Port-poached Pears – the best part of the meal. This almond tart was AWESOME! I can’t remember when I’ve had an almond tart *this* good. I loved the combination of the brittle crust with the warm, sweet almond filling and the ripe poached pears. The pear sorbet was also a welcome addition and a smooth palate cleanser. Since Ferreira Café boasts the largest collection of ports in North America, I had to get a glass with dessert. I can’t remember the name of the port I had, but I recall being pleasantly surprised at how light it was and how well it complemented the almond tart.

While the seafood was good at Ferreira Café, I will forever remember it for its amazing almond tart.

BITE METER: Ferreira Café – 3.0 bites (out of 5)

Red Crawfish – Feast for Forty Bucks

Living in the Bay Area, one of the foods that I miss most is crawfish. Unfortunately, good crawfish joints are quite rare out here. So I was thrilled when B’s aunt told me about Red Crawfish last year. Since it’s crawfish season once again, I went back to here to chow down. The taste and quality of their crawfish is a bit inconsistent, but their set dinner specials are GREAT deals and hard to resist.

For $40, you can easily fill up 2 people with:
- Garlic Bread
- Sweet potato fries
- 3 lbs of crawfish
- Garlic noodles
- Beignets and vanilla ice cream

Beware of squirting crawfish sauce - a bib is a must!

The crawfish were smaller than expected and cooked in too much oil; nevertheless, I still enjoyed biting into these spicy little critters.
I love how they batter their sweet potato fries. Just a sprinkle of salt and cayenne pepper would’ve made them perfect.
You can never go wrong with garlic noodles..such buttery goodness. Just don’t kiss anyone afterwards!
My friends also ordered a Dungeness crab. I was impressed by the huge size and freshness…will definitely have to get myself one next time!
Basically, don't expect a nice place or spectacular service, but do expect good food at a great price.

BITE METER: Red Crawfish – 3.5 bites (out of 5)

Exotic Foods of Sydney’s Asian Markets

These large, brownish-purplish crustaceans are Mud Crabs (aka: mangrove crabs), which I had the pleasure of eating a few days before.
One of the largest species of crab in the world, this Tasmanian Giant Crab was literally twice the size of my head! They average 20-30 pounds each…now that is a LOT of crab meat. I will definitely have to feast on one next time I’m in Australia.
The Kona Crab is probably the strangest looking crustacean I’ve ever seen. I wonder how it tastes…although it doesn’t look very appetizing to me.
These Mangosteens were gorgeous! Bright purple and lime green, they are my mom’s favorite fruit. The inside is white and fleshy…super sweet when eaten fresh, but they turn sour very quickly if you don’t get eat them in their prime.
I first had Rambutans during a trip to Vietnam. They are funky looking, but sweet and juicy on the inside…like a larger version of the lychee fruit.
I thought these Kiwiberries were so exotic…until I later saw them at the Whole Foods in Boston (no idea how I missed them until now)! Anyways, I had never seen them before this trip and thought they were cute. They tasted exactly like a tiny kiwi.

Sightseeing in Sydney

I took my mom on a trip to Australia for some quality mother-daughter time. This was the first visit for either of us, so we spent a lot of time sightseeing…and of course, eating! We mostly ate Asian cuisine because it’s my mom’s preference, and I have to say the Asian food in Sydney rivals (if not surpasses) that of most other cities outside of Asia.

Sydney Harbour Bridge
The stunning Sydney Opera House
My mom has always wanted to eat giant abalone, so we had lunch at Golden Century, one of Sydney’s top Chinese seafood restaurants. It’s pricey, but well worth it. We started off with a bowl of dried scallop soup. Then we had Mud Crab with Ginger & Scallions. I’m a huge crustacean fan and was excited about trying something new. The Mud Crab was EXCELLENT – like a cross between Dungeness crab, stone crab, and blue crab…it was large, yet the meat was succulent and sweet.
Steamed Giant Abalone – more tender and delicate than any abalone I’ve ever had. Beautifully prepared, it reminded me of thinly sliced squid, only sweeter and less chewy. I also didn’t know abalone meat could be white – all the other abalone I’ve had was smaller with a light beige colored meat. This abalone tasted totally different.
Darling Harbour
We then stopped for a “snack” at Din Tai Fung. Originated in Taiwan, Din Tai Fung is famous for their dumplings and has people lined up at their locations all over the world. The quality of their Sydney location is a bit inconsistent, although their dumplings are still superior to other restaurant’s that I’ve been to. The steamed pork dumplings (their most popular) weren’t as juicy, like it had been sitting around for a few minutes too long. However, their steamed crab and pork dumplings were SUBLIME! They were bursting with hot juice from the perfectly steamed crab and pork, and the wrapping was fine and satin-like (pictured). We had also ordered the steamed mashed red bean buns for dessert, but they forgot our order (boo!) and we had to get going.
We had dinner in Cabramatta, the predominantly Vietnamese part of town. I forget the name of the restaurant, but they’re oysters rocked! Plump and luscious with lots of flavor – cooked with black bean sauce (on right) and ginger and scallions (on left).
Recommendation: You MUST also try the pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) in Cabramatta. I had it here for lunch during another day, and it’s seriously the BEST PHO I’ve had (outside of Vietnam). Don’t get the chicken pho, go with the traditional beef pho…the broth had so many layers of rich flavor and heaping with slices of tender beef.

BITE METER: Golden Century – 4.0 bites (out of 5)
BITE METER: Din Tai Fung – 3.7 bites (out of 5)

Neptune Oyster – Where Seafood is King

Neptune Oyster is a no frills restaurant where the focus is on serving great seafood. It’s a narrow, rectangular shaped restaurant with a few tables/banquettes alongside the bar – the space is very tight so get ready to know your neighbors. The dark brown wood, the white tiled walls, and cozy, red booths give it an old East Coast bar/bistro feel.

They don’t take reservations and are quite popular, so B and I came early (before 6pm) to try to beat the rush. Unfortunately, there was already a crowd, and we had to wait 30 minutes.

New England Clam Chowder – not as thick or buttery as most new England clam chowders, but still very hearty and the seafood flavors were much more distinct in this chowder. I could really taste the clams, which were large and tender. The firm chunks of potatoes and celery also added a nice contrast to the texture.

Oysters and Sea Urchin – they have one of the largest oyster selections I’ve ever seen, and I appreciated the helpful descriptions listed on their menu for each oyster (e.g. nutty finish, sweet pea taste, salty, sweet, size, etc). The Wellfleet and Kusshi oysters were my favorite, although the Kusshis weren’t as plump or crisp as the ones I had at Zuni Cafe in San Francisco. Sea urchin was good, but wasn’t that creamy.
Warm Buttered Lobster Roll – heaping with warm, sweet buttery meat from a 1 ½ lobster in a toasted roll…straightforward and perfectly executed. It’s also served with a generous portion of fries - because the fat from all the butter isn’t unhealthy enough, of course. :-)
Lobster Stroganoff with Wild Mushrooms – again, they don’t skimp on their seafood here…there was more lobster than pasta in this stroganoff. And because they use crème fraiche instead of sour cream, the sauce was less tangy and enhanced the sweetness of the lobster meat. The egg noodles were delicate, while the flavors were rich and earthy. Admittedly, I thought the dish could have used a little more salt or something else to perk it up. It’s a huge portion, so I got kind of bored half-way through it - although B loved this stroganoff and happily finished the rest.
Overall, I really liked the unfussy personality and plethora of seafood at Neptune Oyster. I will definitely be coming back to check out their Fish Taco Sundays and Lobster Spaghettini Mondays.

BITE METER: Neptune’s Oyster – 3.5 bites (out of 5.0)

Ogunquit, Maine

After too much time spent on airplanes the past few weeks, I decided to take a day trip to Ogunquit, Maine -- it's only a 1 1/2 hour drive from Boston. It was nice to get out of the city and be rejuvinated by the fresh ocean air. Ogunquit is a charming town right on the coast of Maine. I would highly recommend it for a casual day trip -- waterfront dining with good, well-priced seafood and a scenic walk along the coastline (Marginal Way). Our first stop was Barnacle Billy's. It was exactly what I was looking for -- a casual place where I could sit outside, munch on fresh seafood, and enjoy the view. It's located in the heart of Perkins Cove and overlooks a small dock. I started off with steamed Wellfleet clams...delicious! These clams were surprisingly large and juicy (I'd been disappointed by puny mussels and clams recently at other places. If they're not in season and you don't have a good supply, then don't serve them). Then came my lobster roll...the *best* lobster roll I've had to-date! The bun was nicely toasted, it was overflowing with fresh lobster, and the sweet flavor of the lobster wasn't overwhelmed by mayo. The fries also came out super hot and crispy, just like I like them. The only disappointing part of the meal was the crab roll, which B ordered. The crab roll was pretty bland, so I recommend you stick with the clams and lobster rolls. After lunch, we took a walk down Marginal Way. It's a cliff-top path along the rocky shore. The trail is a little over a mile long with several benches to sit and enjoy your surroundings along the way. I was surprised to see a huge, sprawling beach at the end of the path. I have found beaches in New England to be on narrow strips of sand, but this one was enormous and packed with people-- it felt like we were in Fort Lauderdale or something. I prefer the more quiet side of the path/town away from the crowds, near Perkins Cove. Tip: If you're in the Ogunquit area, you should also stop by Stonewall Kitchen. Their headquarters are in York, a neighboring town. It's fun to go through the flagship store and sample their specialty foods. I've always been a big fan of their Wild Maine Blueberry Jam. After lots of sampling, I also picked up some Red Pepper Jelly, Champagne Shallot Mustard, and Balsamic Fig Dressing -- I loved the unique and great flavor combinations of these items.

Bite Meter: Barnacle Billy's - 3.5 bites (out of 5)