Christmas Cocktail Tasting at Cafe 21

Lets face it cocktails are trendy and us girls, especially, love them. You can’t beat some of the ‘classics’. A cosmopolitan is definitely one of a girl’s many best friends. However, it’s always intriguing to read a bar or restaurant’s cocktail menu that has incorporated fresh and creative ideas alongside everybody’s favourites. 

Café 21 offers you favourites such as; Cosmopolitan, Bloody Mary, Long Island Ice Tea, Mojito, Bellini etc. as well as something a little more unique to them. In fitting with the launch of the new James Bond film there have recently been three 007 cocktails to choose from; Skyfall, Severine and Silva. 

But now as it approaches December, more rapidly than most people would probably like, it was time to start thinking about the Christmas cocktails for customers to enjoy throughout December. Like last year, Café 21 staff were invited to a cocktail tasting in which they had to taste eight cocktails and rate each out of 10 in terms of appearance, taste and seasonality. The cocktails that received the highest scores would become the Café 21 Christmas cocktails.

The first was Spiced Apple Cooler. This was served on the rocks and consisted of; Kings ginger liqueur, calvados, apple juice, lemon juice, vanilla syrup and cinnamon. It was garnished with orange zest and an apple fan. This seemed to be a favourite amongst everyone. It tasted like chilled mulled cider or a liquid apple pie. I think it would appeal more to a male, especially in terms of appearance. It was given 25/30.

The second was Spiced Orange Fizz. This was served in a champagne flute and consisted of; Grand Marnier, Campari, orange juice, crushed clove and Morton Estate. It was garnished with a swirl of orange peel. I’m not a huge fan of orange so this cocktail didn’t appeal to me whatsoever. I liked the appearance and the subtle taste of clove as I associate cloves with Christmas, but that was it. It was bitter in taste and had quite a sour finish. It also wasn’t fizzy enough. It was given 18/30.

The third was Winter Flame. This was served in a martini glass, my favourite cocktail glass. It consisted of; Malamado fortified Malbec, crème de mure, blackberries, raspberries and cranberry juice. It was garnished with orange peel. I really liked this one as it tasted like chilled mulled wine and therefore, felt very seasonal as mulled wine is something I associate with both Christmas and winter in general. It was given 24/30.

The fourth was Ruby Fizz. This was served in a champagne flute and consisted of; Chambord, pomegranate juice and Morton Estate. It was garnished with pomegranate seeds which floated in the glass and created a lovely effect. It was quite similar to a Kir Royale. It was very sharp and dry and lacked in flavour a little. It was suggested than cranberries would be more appropriate than pomegranates as they’re more seasonal. It was given 24/30.

The fifth was Winter Cosmo. I got excited when I saw this one on the list. This was served in a martini glass, obviously, and consisted of; vodka, Cointreau, cranberry juice, lime, rosemary and sugar syrup. It was garnished with a rosemary sprig and a cranberry. I absolutely loved the appearance. This is definitely a cocktail for the ladies! The colour of it was a gorgeous pale pink and the rosemary sprig was a simple but effective garnish. The rosemary flavour was very subtle and perhaps could have done with being a little more apparent. The vodka dominated the cocktail but it was very refreshing. A great twist on a Cosmo! It was given 26/30.

The sixth was Gingerbread Mojito. I thought the Winter Cosmo was good but this just trampled all over it. It was served in a highball and consisted of; Bacardi white rum, gingerbread syrup, stem ginger syrup, lime, mint and soda water. It was garnished with a spring of mint, a piece of gingerbread and a dusting of icing sugar. It just looked the absolute bee’s knees. The gingerbread and icing sugar gave it that seasonal feel. If one of these arrived on a bar or table in front of you, you’d be impressed. I was sceptical about lime and mint being partnered with ginger but it was totally drinkable. The gingerbread syrup gave it a ginger spice and the stem ginger syrup gave it that extra little kick. It was so drinkable that after everyone had tasted it I drank the rest. I could happily spend an entire evening drinking just gingerbread mojitos. Like the Cosmo it was really refreshing. This was a hit with everyone. It was a really great twist on a mojito. It was given 27/30.

The seventh was Espresso Martini. This is a particular favourite of mine. It was served in a martini glass and consisted of; vodka, Kahlua, creme de cacao and espresso shot. It was garnished with 3 coffee beans. It tastes like sweet iced coffee, something I love to drink in summer. However, it’s much classier and is an after dinner alternative to a liqueur coffee. It was criticised for not being seasonal but who cares? It's a cocktail that needs to be on the menu at Christmas if not all year round. Espresso Martinis are so easy to drink as they don't taste alcoholic. Hence why, on occasion, I’ve been known to drink a few too many of these after dinner. It was given 22/30.

The eighth and final one was Winter Wonderland. This was the one everyone was looking forward to. The ingredients read like a shopping list. It was basically a dessert in a glass. It was served on the rocks and consisted of; Baileys, Kahlua, Frangelico, amaretto, white rum, vanilla sugar and cream. It was garnished with whipped cream, a cinnamon stick and grated chocolate. I absolutely love creamy liqueurs so I adored this cocktail. It was lusciously sweet and creamy. No room for a dessert? Just have one of these and all your sweet needs will be met. Although, I have to say I wasn’t sure about the squirty cream on top. It really was a little bit of a wonderland so the name is definitely appropriate. It was given 28/30.

My favourites were; Gingerbread Mojito, Winter Cosmo, Spiced Apple Cooler, Espresso Martini and Winter Wonderland. However, if I had to choose just three I would choose:

1. Gingerbread Mojito

2. Winter Cosmo

3. Winter Wonderland

The winners as voted by the Café 21 staff were:

1. Winter Wonderland – 28/30

2. Gingerbread Mojito – 27/30

3. Winter Cosmo – 26/30

4. Spiced Apple Cooler – 25/30

The least favourite cocktail was the Spiced Orange Fizz. The above cocktails and Espresso Martini will be featured on the Café 21 Christmas cocktail menu for 2012. They will be making an appearance at the beginning of December so make sure you pop in over the festive period and enjoy a seasonal cocktail in the bar or before, alongside or after what I can guarantee will be a fabulous lunch or dinner.

My Seven Day Cleanse

 My second piece of published work - page 12:

http://issuu.com/michaelabuzalaf/docs/november_master_single_page

Situated on Grove Business Park on the beautiful Alscot Estate, just outside Stratford upon Avon, is Motus Training, a specialist personal training, nutrition and lifestyle consultancy business.

Darren Putt, founder of Motus Training, and his team create bespoke fat loss, health and lifestyle programmes. Darren is one of the UK’s leading experts using a unique technique called BioSignature Modulation, a cutting edge fat-loss and health assessment method developed by world renowned strength coach Charles Poliquin.

BioSignature is a system, based on thirty years of research, showing that where people store their body fat is an indication of their hormonal profile. In order to lose weight from these problem areas individuals need to correct their hormonal imbalances through specific steps such as; nutrition, training, lifestyle modifications and a supplementation protocol.

After a thorough consultation with Darren in which I was provided with my unique biological signature he recommended I undergo a seven day nutritional cleanse protocol under his personal supervision. This is something he has done himself three times and has used with many clients. The cleanse is based upon a protocol designed by Doctor Robert Rakowski, clinic director of the Natural Medicine Centre in Houston, Texas. Dr Rakowski is one of the world’s leading experts on nutrition and functional medicine and uses such techniques to help people ranging from elite professional athletes to children and to treating critically ill patients with a variety of cancers, inflammatory conditions and autoimmune diseases. Dr Rakowski’s protocols were modified by Charles Poliquin to work alongside his BioSignature Modulation assessment tool.

The cleanse procedure is not a ‘fast’ or standard low-calorie ‘detox’. Many people actually consume more calories, fat and carbohydrates than they do following their normal diet. It detoxifies and nourishes the body by flooding it with nutrients in order to promote healthy functioning. It allows your organs to be rested and replenished meaning they perform more efficiently when you resume your normal dietary routine. It improves performance both physically and mentally. People undergo the cleanse regime for a number of reasons; fresh start, to break through a plateau with training or weight loss and also people who suffer from health problems involving digestion like IBS. Many people see improvement in sleep, energy levels, mental clarity and mood, pain threshold and even sex drive. People emerge from the seven days feeling leaner and stronger and most importantly healthier and happier. On average people experience a weight loss of 5lbs and a body fat loss of 2%.

I’d been training for the Birmingham half marathon which took place on Sunday 21st October but I needed to train harder to achieve my goal, a time under two hours. I had successfully lost 18lbs but had started to reach a plateau and I’d also been suffering from urticaria since April. All of the above reasons are why I agreed to undergo the cleanse protocol. Darren had never supervised somebody suffering from urticaria so we were both intrigued to see what the outcome would be. We were hoping that the anti-inflammatory powers would help. In order to control my urticaria I was taking a combination of three tablets a day, two of which I had to take twice a day. For the purposes of the cleanse programme I decided I would stop taking all of these tablets.

The cleanse procedure consists of seven days of consuming ‘medical food’ shakes (which taste surprisingly nice), supplements according to your personal hormonal profile and your choice of a different vegetable each day which you can eat unlimited amounts of. It also requires you to drink plenty of water. Now this may seem a little daunting but you quickly adapt to the routine and believe me it’s worth every second.

I was warned that day one and two would be the hardest. I found day one to four hard! I experienced severe food cravings (every advert or television programme involved food), disturbed sleep, dizziness and tiredness. Also, on day one and two my urticaria flared nastily. However, by day five and six the hard part was over and I was beginning to feel the positive effects of the cleanse protocol. My tiredness had disappeared and I was feeling far more motivated and energetic and could notice the difference in my ability to concentrate. On the seventh and final day I was almost over-flowing with energy and motivation. The change in my mood was phenomenal. I could also see improvements to the condition of my skin, especially skin around my nails which had been quite dry, and hair. I experienced a body fat loss of  3% and a weight loss of 6lbs. However, the most important outcome of the cleanse regime was that after months of pumping my body with antihistamines my urticaria had finally vanished. Completely! This was an outcome that was hoped for but not entirely expected but shows the huge systemic health benefits of the cleanse programme.

My first day back on my normal dietary routine felt like Christmas day and my birthday all rolled into one. I chose to begin my day with an ‘unorthodox breakfast’ of lamb’s liver’s, smoked bacon and onions. Disgusting you might think? But so much better for your body than cereal or toast! Darren warned me I may experience a ‘euphoric feeling’. I didn’t. However, what I did experience was running my fastest ever mile of six and a half minutes! I was blown away by the change in my performance.

A week on it was clear the cleanse protocol was continuing to have a positive impact. I’d lost another 4lbs and my physical performance continued to improve. I ran a 12 mile training run in one hour thirty eight minutes meaning I was well on target to run the Birmingham half marathon in under two hours. I ended up running the 13.1 miles in a time of one hour, forty eight minutes and twenty eight seconds. I smashed my personal best by twenty minutes!

It is clear that the cleanse protocol produces a healthier individual with enhanced physical and mental performance. I would recommend it to anyone struggling with similar issues to those that I was or to anyone who simply wants to look and feel better and improve their quality of life.

If you would like to know more about the nutritional cleanse protocol then contact Darren Putt.

Website: www.motustraining.co.uk

Email: darren@motustraining.co.uk

Telephone: 07736 324456
Twitter: @MotusTraining
Facebook: Motus Training Studio

Afternoon Tea at Jesmond Dene House - 22/10/12

Assorted Finger Sandwiches - coronation chicken, Neil Robson’s smoked salmon and cucumber, free-range egg and cress and mature cheddar and apple pickle.

Mini Scones - plain, fruit and cheese with jam and clotted cream. They were beautiful scones but the cheese was definitely my favourite.

Selection of Pastries - Chocolate financier with white chocolate and blackberry crémeux, chantilly cream profiterole, plum and szechuan pepper cheesecake macaroon and lemon meringue pie. Every pastry was a delight but if I HAD to choose a favourite I think it would be the lemon meringue pie, closely followed by the profiterole, which was to die for. 

Dinner at The Chef's Dozen - 15/09/2012

17 month old 'The Chef's Dozen' is located at Longbarn Village just outside of Alcester. 

Both the location and the layout of the restaurant came as a surprise. Longbarn Village is situated in the middle of the countryside down a driveway that looks like it leads to a farmyard, suitably fitting as The Chef's Dozen is situated within a restored Tudor farm building. The restaurant itself is relatively small. However, unlike most restaurants nowadays who simply just want to maximise cover numbers and therefore, cram as many tables in as possible, it is overly spacious. The room we were seated in only had five tables. I found this created a really relaxing atmosphere. Although, some might find it a little intense or awkward. 

The idea behind chef Richard Craven's menu is simple, the customer is in control. You create your own tasting menu from the dozen (hence The Chef's Dozen) seasonal dishes he imaginatively creates using fresh and local ingredients. He cooks every dish himself as he is the only chef working in the glass walled kitchen which is viewable from the restaurant. It all creates an experience that feels very unique. 

On a Saturday evening you can only opt for 5 or 7 courses. 5 courses is £38 and 7 courses is £50. The menu is a written in a no nonsense sort of way that matches the style of the restaurant, 10 words maximum, which leaves you feeling a little intrigued. There were 13 dishes on the menu that night as grouse had been added as a seasonal extra. We just couldn't decide on 7, everything sounded so delicious. I could have eaten all 13! Luckily, Solanche, Richard's lovely wife who runs front of house came to the rescue and let us have 8. 

Amuse bouche - Chicken liver parfait, damson and ginger crumble. 

This was a lovely little start to the meal. Full of flavour and texture. Rich, smooth parfait contrasted with sweet damson and the crunch of the ginger crumble. 

Milk loaf with butter and pork dripping (made green using spinach).

 I've never had pork dripping before but I loved it. It tastes just like pork scratchings! It made for an interesting alternative to flavoured butter or olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  

Ox heart tartare with tarragon, bone marrow and hay-smoked duck yolk. 

Katie chose this as her first starter as she is a huge offal fan. I love steak tartare so was intrigued to see how it would compare. It was beautiful but just incredibly rich.

Courgette with goat's cheese, thyme, lemon curd, raspberries and bitter chocolate. 

This was my first starter and it was exquisite. With each mouthful you got the creaminess of the goat's cheese contrasted with the sharpness of the raspberries and the bitterness of the courgette and chocolate. A very clever creation.

Hand-dived scallop with hare, green cobnut, turnip and sorrel. 

This was my favourite starter. It contained such a contrast of flavours. A sweet, meaty scallop perfectly cooked contrasted with a piece of pink, rich, gamey hare, little pieces of hare black pudding (something I've never tried) and bitter turnip and sour sorrel. This, plus the added texture element of the green cobnut created a wonderful dish. Unfortunately my camera threw a wobbly here, hence the difference in the quality of the image.

Gilthead bream with winkles, sea purslane, salt and vinegar new potato and curry sauce.

We weren't particularly enamoured by this dish. The fish was cooked beautifully and there was a balance of flavours between salt and vinegar. It just didn't have a wow factor.

Paddock farm tamworth pork with swede, earl grey and prune.

Again, we weren't particularly astounded by this dish. It consisted of pork belly and pork loin. The fat on the pork belly wasn't as crispy as I like it. Our favourite part of this dish was the swede dauphinoise which were lovely. 

Roe deer with Scottish girolles, beetroot and blackcurrant

Again, we weren't particularly fascinated by this dish. The roe deer was flavoursome and cooked perfectly. However, the other flavours were a little bland.

Grouse with sweetcorn, smoked bacon, redcurrants and bread sauce.

This was my favourite main course even if it did initially confuse us. What we thought was bread sauce powder was actually smoked bacon. The idea behind this was to create different textures of bread. Therefore, you had smoked bacon powdery crumbs, crunchy croutons and smooth bread sauce which was green, hence the confusion. This was because it had been made with thyme.The grouse itself was gorgeous. Again beautifully cooked. The redcurrants gave a sharp little burst of sweetness which cut through the rich game flavour. This dish was full of different flavours and textures and I loved the colours in it.

'Marmite and Mini Cheddars'

Out of the 12 courses we ate this was my favourite. It's amazing how something so simple can be so tasty. It just reminded me of home. It was like a miniature version of a favourite comfort food of mine and my Dad's. Cheese on toast! It was a deep fried ball of gooey cheddar sat on a pear puree with a little drizzle of marmite. I've been served dried pear with cheese before but who would have thought pear would work so well with cheese AND marmite? Such a clever and effective little dish!

Blackberry tart with ginger and meringue.

This was kindly given to us by Richard as another extra course. Katie really liked this but I wasn't bowled over by it. It was a de-constructed blackberry tart. When you put all the separate elements together it's meant to taste like the whole thing. Tailor's in Warwick do this with a Black Forest Gateaux and it's amazing. However, this just didn't have the same effect. Plus, I wasn't sure where the meringue was? Although I must say, blackberry and ginger compliment each other particularly well. 

Chocolate with English strawberries and salted caramel.

Chocolate and salted caramel, to me, is a perfect marriage. The salty caramel cut through the rich chocolate and the juicy strawberries added sweetness. The added extra of a little popping candy created a bit of a party in my mouth. Again it was a perfectly pleasant pudding but I've had far more impressive chocolate desserts. My current favourite being The Horse and Groom's chocolate, caramel and peanut torte. 

12 courses later and we were done!

My favourites courses were definitely the goat's cheese, the scallop, the grouse and the marmite and mini cheddars.

The Chef's Dozen isn't pretentious. I felt utterly relaxed whilst we ate, so much so that we were there for nearly four hours! However, we did spend a good 30/45 minutes talking to Richard and Solanche. They make a wonderful partnership. Solanche makes a warm and welcoming host and it is clear she is just as knowledgeable as her husband when it comes to food. Richard has had a wealth of experience. He worked under Emily Watkins, former sous chef of Heston's Fat Duck, at the Kingham Plough and was sous chef himself at The Tasting Room in South Africa. 

Richard serves fresh, seasonal food that's beautifully cooked and presented. His portion sizes are spot on. I didn't leave feeling uncomfortably full. It is clear than Richard is a superb chef who can be creative with food.  It amazes me that he does it all by himself. That's a big job for one man. However, I did feel that some of his dishes were lacking that wow factor. I was expecting to be stunned by every course and unfortunately wasn't. Maybe my expectations were too high. 

The Chef's Dozen is probably one of the best restaurants Warwickshire has to offer. However, the food isn't worthy of a Michelin star as some people on Trip Advisor have commented. It is definitely a restaurant to put on your 'to visit' list though! 

Choccywoccydoodah and Terre a Terre - 08/09/2012

After a typical student afternoon of lying on the sofa watching back to back episodes of Choccywoccydoodah Tegan and I decided that we HAD to go to the shop itself.  So that was it, we booked train tickets to Brighton so we could go and taste a Choccywoccydoodah milkshake and a piece of their much talked about cake.  

We couldn’t have picked a better day for our visit as the sun well and truly had its hat on. I managed to go for a quick paddle in the sea but unfortunately we didn’t have time to take full advantage of the sunshine by the seafront as we were only in Brighton for a few hours. We’d specifically come to visit Choccywoccydoodah. That was our mission! My parents thought we were mad going all the way to Brighton just to eat some cake but I had a feeling it would be worth it. How wrong I was!

We found the shop and our excitement soon vanished and turned into disappointment as the cakes on display were nowhere near as impressive as they looked on the television. Nothing in the shop really took my fancy other than a huge white chocolate popcorn bar which was too big to carry and probably would have melted. I decided to buy some truffles which included; gin, white rum, mocha, champagne and strawberry, cherry and marzipan and hazelnut praline. I was expecting them to be put into one of their nice red boxes displayed in the cabinet but instead got given them in a poxy little plastic bag. Tegan and I played the truffle guessing game on the train on the way home. None of the flavours were particularly definite. I have had a lot nicer truffles. Yet another disappointment!

We were hoping to be more impressed by the café which is just down the road from the shop. There’s lots to choose from; milkshakes, hot chocolate, chocolate dipping pots, sundaes and of course cake. I went for a Belgian chocolate truffle milkshake and Tegan opted for a peanut butter milkshake. They were okay but again not the best. Tegan couldn’t have any cake as none of it was gluten free. I decided to go all out on the chocolate front so chose the white chocolate truffle cake. A huge slice of cake appeared in front of me served with ice-cream, chocolate sauce and raspberry coulis. The cake was dry and sickly and the ice-cream and sauce was just unnecessary. I ended up leaving half of it.

After having visited Choccywoccydoodah I really don’t understand what all the fuss is about.

We decided to shake off our discontent by finding somewhere nice to have lunch. We stumbled upon Terre a Terre. You could easily walk straight past this wonderful little place which is exactly what I did. However, luckily Tegan spotted it. It’s a short walk from the seafront near The Lanes. It’s a vegetarian restaurant and the majority of their dishes are also gluten free which was perfect for Tegan. I’m not opposed to vegetarian food and I was intrigued to put myself in Tegan’s shoes and see what it was like to experience a completely gluten free meal. We managed to get a table in their tiny but lovely outside area.  They had an interesting  cocktail list from which I ordered a rhubarb gin and tonic and an 'elderbubble'. 

Reading the menu was a little like reading a shopping list. I felt out of breath by the time I’d finished reading. I didn’t understand what half the ingredients were but everything sounded fantastic and I was left feeling intrigued and excited about the food we were about to eat.

What appeared in front of us was fresh, creative and delicious vegetarian and gluten free food!

For starters we ordered ‘Delicious Double Dunkers’ - kalamata krush (smashed kalamata olives blended with capers and basil and extra virgin olive oil) hummus, zhuganoush (smoked aubergine) and smoked tomatoes with hibiscus, amchur, nori salt dusted puffed rice seaweed crackers. The smoked tomatoes were delicious and the crackers were really tasty. They made a nice change to bread and were just as nice if not nicer.

For mains Tegan went for ‘Terra a Tiffin’ - cauliflower and ginger bhaji with fresh coconut green chilli curry leaf chutney, tamarind relish with channa rasam, deep fried chick peas served with nimbu bhat cardamom brown onion lemon saffron baked basmati rice, confit brinjal pickle, chilli slivers, tangy lime and Mumbai mix spice dust dressing.

I went for their 'Hilbeh Hash Rosti' – crispy fried potato, onion and garlic rosti topped with Sussex Slipcote sheep’s cheese, Moroccan mince of almonds, sultanas, green olives, parsley, dill and mint. Finished with butter bean, wine, thyme arthichoke liquor sauce, pomegranate sumac spice oil and fenugreek hilbeh hash. It was such an unusual dish. I don't think I've ever had anything quite like it. It was just over-flowing with so many incredible flavours.

We also ordered a portion of their 'Truffle Chips' which were seasoned chunky chips tossed in grated Grana Padano, truffle oil and leaf parsley with lemon garlic herby mayonnaise. They were incredible chips! We couldn’t finish them all so they kindly boxed them up for us and we took them home and ate them cold later. They were just as good!

I wish I hadn’t bothered filling myself up with the piece of Choccywoccydoodah cake and had instead left room for pudding at Terre a Terre. They all sounded yummy and a little bit different. I especially liked the sound of their 'Frangipane Sizzle Dates' with mint tea granita and lemon and mint pomegranate gazpacho as well as their 'Salt Caramel Chocolate Churros'.

I’m not vegetarian and I’m not gluten free but I really want to go back to Terre a Terre. If you’re a vegetarian you simply must go.

Lunch at Gilgamesh - 09/09/2012

I'd never been to Camden but now I have I can understand why so many people love the place. It oozes cool. You almost don't feel like you're in London. No one was in a rush. It was a hot day and everyone was happy perusing the endless market stalls, tucking into every type of street food you could imagine and lapping up the sunshine in bars by the lock. There is something for everyone in Camden hence why it brings together such a diversity of people.

In amongst the hustle and bustle of Stables Market in Camden you find Gilgamesh, a trendy Pan-Asian restaurant. An escalator ascends you away from the buzz of Camden's markets to an impressive restaurant consisting of 15,000 square feet. It is full of hand carved chairs and tables. Two Gilgamesh statues watch over you as you eat and you can't help but gaze at the sheer magnitude of Gilgamesh. It really is quite a vision.

Tegan's Mum and I decided to share some sashimi, small dishes and dim sum. The salmon sashimi was just beautiful and I loved how it arrived. I particularly liked the Pomello Banh Trang and the Gilgamesh fried rice. I definitely want to go back and try more.   

Salmon sashimi and Chef's selection of sashimi (served over dry ice)

Edamame beans with salt

Gilgamesh fried rice - prawns, crab, roast pork, peas and spring onion 

Crispy squid with garlic chips, fresh chilli, shallots and served with adjud sauce on the side

Pomello Banh Trang - fresh pomello, caramel peanut sauce, coriander, basil and toasted                                                             coconut  wrapped in rice paper rolls

Son-in-Law Eggs - crispy eggs topped with chilli jam, fresh chillies and coriander

Steamed Chilean seabass, king prawn and crab open top dumpling

We also had Prawn Har Gau - a steamed prawn dumpling with garlic chives but I must have forgotten to photograph it, oops! We wanted to try Chicken Foie Gras Gyoza - a Japanese dumpling pan fried until crispy with black vinegar dressing but unfortunately they didn't have it.