Matty Somewhere

Classic Bouillabaisse and Tartare de Thon Rouge at Bistro Pernod, Marseille, France.

It’s been weeks since I’ve posted, I have been on the road again, well, actually on planes, trains and a cruise (which I will post about later) and one of the cruise ports of call was Marseille in France. I am with my dear friend of many years Brett, an Australian who is now a…

Farmers Market at Le Sherpa, Kathmandu, Nepal.

The Farmers Market at Le Sherpa in Kathmandu is open every Saturday morning. Its a buzzing place with locals and ex-pats milling around, catching up for a coffee, and buying fresh from the farm vegetables and artisan products not readily available in the supermarkets of Nepal. While local markets often connect people to the locality,…

Fijian Fare at Nadina Restaurant, Nadi, Fiji.

Nadina Restaurant is located in Port Denarau, Nadi, Fiji. The menu is traditional Fijian and something I was very excited to try! Typical Fijian fare is a mixture of fish and seafood, root vegetables such as taro, and sometimes has Indian influences. Let me say, everything we tried did not disappoint! Full disclosure, this post…

The Crown Grill on the Grand Princess

One of the speciality restaurants on the Grand Princess (and many Princess ships) is the Crown Grill. As the cruise line’s premium steakhouse, prime grade steaks and chops and the finest seafood feature on the menu. The restaurant has a cover charge however, we ate gratis thanks to an inclusion with our fare on our…

Grand Princess – Adelaide to Melbourne Short Cruise

Short cruises are a great way to experience life at sea. Now, I would prefer a longer one (with many sea days), but this is all I can get away for. I am with my dear friend Jessie for this cruise from Adelaide to Melbourne with a call at Kangaroo Island. Jessie and I used…

Mabu Mabu – Big Esso, Federation Square, Melbourne.

Some international cuisines may be a primary or at least a secondary attraction to a destination – France, Italy, Japan, Thailand, Indonesia – don’t you think of the wonderful food you will have if you were to travel to these places? While it is estimated only 26% of people who have never visited associate Australia…

Madame Wu’s – Brisbane.

Madame Wu’s is a fabulous contemporary Asian fusion restaurant at the Eagle St Pier along Brisbane’s waterfront. The al fresco dining area has fantastic views of Story Bridge, the food great value as well as delicious! Brisbane has really grown up since I was last there. It’s looking great and has a fantastic restaurant scene….

The 30,000 Meals they Serve Everyday at Sikh Gurudwara Shri Bangla Sahib – New Delhi.

One of the first places our guide in New Delhi took us to was Sikh Gurudwara Shri Bangla Sahib. It is one of the largest Sikh Gurudwara’s, a place of worship for those of the Sikh faith, in the world. Here they serve 30,000 meals a day (up to 50,000 on a Sunday) to anyone…

The Maharaja Mac at McDonalds India.

I had been living in Nepal for some months and there is no McDonalds there. Boohoo. Poor me. I had this craving for a Big Mac, or a Cheeseburger, or a sausage McMuffin (red meat anyone?) and the fries, oh I was missing Macca’s fries. When I flew to India for a few days I…

Hellenika at the Calile Hotel – Fortitude Valley, Brisbane.

Hellenika is located at the Calile Hotel in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane. The ‘Valley’ as it is colloquially known, has come a long way in recent years. Hellenika is in the James Street precinct full of lovely restaurants, hotels and shops. This is the place to be seen! While in Brisbane catching up with friends…

Virgin Australia Lounge – Sydney Domestic Airport.

The Virgin Australia Lounge at Sydney Domestic Airport, Terminal 2 was, in my opinion, a great way to spend an hour or so before a flight. Flying business class from Sydney to Brisbane afforded me a few hours in the Virgin Australia Lounge. It was Boxing Day, so everyone seemed in a festive mood, couples…

Wait Just a Mo:Mo… What is a Nepali Mo:Mo?

One of the most common Nepali food staples is the Mo:Mo and while I was in Nepal I ate a lot of these. Served as a snack, a main dish or even a dessert, there are a wide varieties of fillings, the most common being vegetable, chicken or buffalo. Steamed or fried, they can be…

Indigo Airlines – Kathmandu to New Delhi – Airbus a320.

My friends Jen and Harry, and I, decided to head from Kathmandu to New Delhi for a few days. Airlines such as Air India, Vistara and Nepal Airlines all operate the route but the best fare was on little known (to me) Indigo Airlines. We were certainly impressed with this airline! Introduction I was quite…

Nourish by Avata – Vegetarian Restaurant – Kathmandu, Nepal.

Full disclosure here – I am a carnivore. While I have tried many times to go vegetarian, or even pescatarian but I have found some restaurants to be very lacking in their herbivore offerings. And what is the point of only having one choice of a vegetarian meal? Of course countries like India and Nepal…

Plane Spotters Package at the Rydges Sydney Airport Hotel.

I had an early flight from Sydney to Singapore and onto Kathmandu. As I live around 75 minutes from the airport (and not wanting to rely on Sydney’s public transport…) I decided to have a pre-departure night near the airport. I checked out many hotels, and while this is a little on the higher cost…

Fun at West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Canada – Day Three!

It’s our last day at the super-mall and although we are all getting a little ‘malled-out’ we are still in for surprises! Breakfast at De Dutch De Dutch is a British Columbian chain with is only store outside the province in Edmonton, Alberta. We’re here for breakfast, think the classics, eggs benny and French toast….

Fun at West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Canada – Day Two!

We start the day at a North American classic restaurant – Denny’s! The it’s time for some mini golf and a zip around GalaxyLand at West Edmonton Mall. Breakfast at Denny’s! It’s time for breakfast and we head to Denny’s located near the West Edmonton Mall. Denny’s it’s my go-to when I am in North…

Fun at West Edmonton Mall, Edmonton, Canada – Day One!

A waterpark, amusement park, seal & penguin shows, ice skating rink, mini-golf, over 800 stores, 100 eating venues spread over 5.3 million square feet with visitation of around 30 million people per year – Welcome to West Edmonton Mall, the largest mall in North America! They say it takes one hour and a half to…

The Poutine and Mac n’ Cheese Stuffed Burgers at N9NA, Calgary, Canada.

My nephew and I were watching the food network when the Canadian show You Gotta Eat Here comes on. They’re in Calgary and talking about a restaurant called N9na. They mention a poutine stuffed burger and a mac n’ cheese stuffed burger, we look at each other and we say ‘we gotta eat here!‘ Located…

Dark Table, Calgary, Canada.

Dark Table is one of those experiences that you need to try to truly understand it. The servers are sight impaired, legally blind, and the dining room is in complete darkness. Up to 70% of people who are blind in Canada face unemployment and this restaurant not only employs the sight impaired, but gives the…

Royal Oak Hotel, Balmain, Sydney.

I’ve recently spent a few weeks looking after a dear friend’s house and her gorgeous kitty Clover, in Balmain, right on Sydney Harbour. My new local go-to was just a few hundred metres away – the Royal Oak Hotel. Balmain is a quick 11 minute ferry ride from Circular Quay, under the harbour bridge, and…