Photo: Le Manoir

Raymond Blanc’s contemporary classic hotel is set in elegant gardens in the Oxfordshire countryside and provides an idyllic setting in which to savour his magical cuisine. Dishes to delight the palate are created from the freshest of foods, using as many organic products as possible and vegetables from the Manoir’s garden when in season.

Each of the 32 rooms and suites at Le Manoir has been designed individually to suit every taste. From the exotic Opium and sensual Mon Plaisir to the cool Snow Queen and sleek Vettriano, interior designers Emily Todhunter, Michael Priest and Trevillion have created a wealth of ambience in the beautiful and spacious rooms of Le Manoir.

The modern French menu at the two-Michelin starred Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons restaurant has been described as ‘a twist of imaginative genius’ and the cuisine is undoubtedly the focus of every guest’s visit.

Bon Vivant’s members receive a complimentary upgrade, a glass of champagne on arrival and complimentary continental breakfast. To take advantage of this offer, please visit www.bonvivant.co.uk or email info@bonvivant.co.uk.

I am pretty sure that I enjoyed the greatest blowjob in the history of man last night. Well….I guess I say that every time The Hoover comes over. I’ve just never had any woman pay as much enthusiastic attention to my ball sack and my ‘taint’ as she does.

She actually gets off on sucking my dick. I can tell because she always leaves a huge wet spot on my bed after sucking my dick. You can fake moaning and wiggling, but you can’t fake a wet pussy. The girl just loves to suck dick!

And just for giggles, I tried to slip my dong up her ass last night just to see if she would object. I’m really not that into to ass fucking, but I do like the euphoria of getting women to submit to whatever my sexual whims are. Maybe I am a sick pervert….so sue me.

Nonetheless, The Hoover grimaced and I could tell that she did not enjoy it…but she took it like a champ and never complained. Being the nice guy that I am, I only fucked her dirt chute for a minute or two.

I can tell you that most Thai girls do not like taking it up the ass. If you’re in ass fucking, you should go visit the Eden Club on Soi 7/1. They REQUIRE that you take at least 2 women and many of them will take it up the ass. I have not been to the Eden Club but my understanding is that you are presented with a lineup of 20-30 girls. The ones that take it up the ass are lined up on one side of a yellow line and the non-butt fuckers are on the other side.

Since The Hoover sucked the life out of my last night, I was very hungry when I woke up today so I thought I’d hit a lunch buffet at the FuramaXclusive hotel. For only 235 baht (inclusive of VAT tax and tip), you get a great buffet. I’ve never eaten dinner there but it is reasonably priced at 295 baht.

Today they had 3 types of soups (miso, Tom Yum Goong, seafood chowder), sushi, duck in green curry, mushroom-stuffed pork chops, calamari in garlic sauce, parmigiana chicken, beef tips in burgundy sauce, salad bar, as well as a cooked-to-order pasta station. The alfredo sauce at the cooked-to-order station is especially good.

The FuramaXclusive hotel is just down the street from Soi Cowboy on Asoke so you can go stuff your face before you go stuff some go-go dancers box.

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Kasa
Neighborhood: Castro
4001 18th St
(between Hartford St & Noe St)
San Francisco, CA 94114

Rated: ♣♣

So, over the weekend, K and I decided to try a new place for the blog. We found Kasa in the Castro and read it’s the best authentic Indian food under $15.

The scene:

What was off-putting about Kasa was the Panda Express style food bins. Who knows how long food has been sitting there.

To order, you first choose if you want a Thali (plate) or a Kati roll (think Indian burrito). If you get the Thali, you get a choice of 2 different curries. The Kati roll contains one kind of curry but is wrapped in a buttery roti (thin bread) with marinated onions and chutney. I have never seen anything like that before and at $4.50 each, you can’t go wrong.

The food:

I got the Thali ($10.95) with the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Ghobi Aloo. K got 2 Kati rolls – one with Chicken Tikka Masala, one with Karahi Paneer (Indian cheese). The total came to $22.

Thali – I actually wasn’t too impressed with this. The plate was huge, but there really wasn’t much of the Chicken Tikka Masala or the Ghobi Aloo on it. The server was carefully assembling the curries in the small divider portion of the 24″ plate. I felt kind of ripped off since I was paying $10.95 for this. There wasn’t even enough rice for the small amount of curry. A majority of the plate was covered with different kinds of salads that I didn’t even touch. There was chutney, red onion salad, a mix of raw veggies, and lentils. The lentils were great, but I was still hungry after my meal.

Kati Rolls – I took a bite of K’s and it was pretty good. I don’t eat onions or whatever’s in the chutney, but it tasted pretty good to me. At Kasa, it seems like the kati rolls are the way to go. The Karahi Paneer tasted very similar to fresh mozzarella. I’ve never had Indian cheese before, so it was an interesting experience. For the big eaters out there, you can definitely get full on 2 Kati Rolls for $9 total rather than the $11 plate.

Mango Lassi – I’ve never had Mango Lassi before and decided that night to try it. Wow, it is definitely not my cup of tea. It’ s like drinking a heavy yogurt with a hint of mango flavor and a strong taste of spices that seem like they shouldn’t even be mixed with a sweet delicious fruit.

Despite the rave reviews on 7×7 and Yelp, I don’t think I’ll be coming back to Kasa. I might just be too picky of an eater to really enjoy what they serve.

After mocking Cafetasia (85 Avenue A between 5th & 6th streets) earlier for being ‘just another’ Thai restaurant on the Ave., I went there today with a friend for some Happy Hour (more like Happy Day! 12:30-5pm) food.  I can’t remember the name of the spot that used to be here, but Cafetasia did a really damn good job with the remodel.  It was pretty empty, but I could imagine this place would be jumping on a busy night. We sat down & ordered a $2 Sapporo draft (no, that’s NOT a typo; $2!) while we looked through the menu.

We started with the Spring Rolls (forgot to take a picture) which were nothing like I’ve ever had.  I’m used to Spring Rolls being very crispy, but the ’shell’ on these were more doughy (I immediately thought doughnut) & they were served on top of a sticky sweet sauce (which was pretty good).  I just couldn’t get my head around the dough texture though.  NOT what I had expected.

I opted for the grilled salmon with 3 flavor sauce (I got the sweet & spicy but I couldn’t identify the third, sour maybe?)  I like my salmon a bit on the medium side, but I wasn’t going to complain here.  There were plenty of vegetables & the sauce had a little bit of heat to it, not too overpowering.

got the vegetable red curry, a spicy coconut-based broth again with loads of veggies including a very strange Thai eggplant (at least that’s how our waitress described it) that he seemed to like.  I tried some of the broth.  Really spicy with a hint of sweetness, pretty damn good!  I’m going to try to see if I can replicate this at home (minus the funky vegetables which I’m sure I’ll never find).

Our meal came out to less than $20, not bad at all.  I’m just glad to have somewhere new to go to for lunch!

I was stumped for breakfast this morning.  What does one eat aside from the usual yogurt, fruit, granola, toast?  Even these healthier choices fall in the Eliminations Diet’s “Avoid” list.   Being in a rush with no groceries didn’t allow time to be creative, so I did what I do best and grazed.

It came down to: one egg with avocado, a rice cake with hemp seed butter, blueberries and two large carrots.  Yes, carrots.  Ever seen anyone eat a carrot muffin for breakfast?  I figured this isn’t much different.   After my smorgasbord of foods, I was satiated.  Plus, I found a new ‘friend’ for breakfast – a fried eggs and avocado.   I’m telling ya, it was surprisingly tasty, plus the flavours and textures work so well together.   I tend to crave textures more than flavours on occasion – so things that crunchy (granola), velvety (ice cream), chewy (dried fruits).   Am I the only one?

For lunch it was a simple salad with sprouts from Uncle George’s Place at St. Lawrence Market.  I discovered this hidden gem this summer during one of my weekly excursions to the market.  It’s tucked away in the back corner on the bottom floor so easy to miss.    When I first crossed paths with “George” I was drawn in by the samples of seeds with tails.  I ended up chatting with one of the guys behind the counter for a good 30 minutes and he gave me the health spiel on sprouts.   I’ve been investing $4 for the ancient sprout mix (with the yummy homemade red pepper dressing) ever since.   

The background on…

SPROUTS

Sprouts are one of the most alive and potent sources of antioxidants, minerals, proteins and enzymes.   To explain this simply (after all, I’m no expert)…in the seed state, nutrients are readily available in concentrated amounts.  However, once the full grown plants are harvested and shipped, many of these nutrients are lost. 

How sprouting works?

 Sprouting is the process in which a seed, nut or legume becomes a plant.  By soaking lentils, sesame or sunflower seeds in water for varying lengths of time, the sprouting process begins.  Nutrients in the seeds (proteins, fats and carbohydrates) are then partially broken down, making it easier for our body to digest and absorb them.   They say sprouting can easily be done at home, but I’d rather leave it to the experts.    

Uncle George’s Place also sells FABULOUS dips all made from sprouts – beet hummus is my favourite.  It’s getting so popular, they’re selling out before I get there on some weekends.  In hindsight, I should have kept this place to myself  

AJI SAI

My day only got better when I met my girlfriend Selena for dinner AND realized that I can still eat SUSHI!   I almost cried tears of joy.   I LOVE sushi.  My last meal would be sushi.   I would choose sushi over chocolate any day.  Ok, I think I made my point. 

So, we ended up at Aji Sai for AYCE (All You Can Eat) sushi.  Been there multiple times, but not enough.  I knew it was too good to be true when I remembered that soy sauce was wheat-based.  Err!  Sushi without soy sauce is like…a fried egg without avocado!  But I survived with plain maki for the night.  The good news is that I could actually TASTE the fish. 

Location:  467 Queen St W, Toronto (west of Spadina)

The Menu: Massive for an AYCE place.  I challenge you to try it all.   Go for the green tea ice cream for dessert (and have one for me, since dairy is a no-go for 3 weeks)

Our Order:  I can’t remember them all but here goes – Aji Sai roll, Excellent roll, Tuna/Mango roll, Salmon/Snapper roll, Wakame salad.  I know I’m missing a few, but honestly, they’re all great.  Excellent roll was up there if you like tempura and butterfish. 

The Damage:  $18.99 each for AYCE. 

You should go if:

• You’re feeling adventurous with your sushi
• You’ve got an appetite and are prepared to get your money’s worth
• The rice to fish ratio is important (this place does it right with less rice, more fish)

College towns = loyal restaurant fans, pre-Yelp and Facebook. Dinner means different things to different people. Especially college students. This weekend I took a walk down memory lane in UCSB’s Isla Vista neighborhood. Spending time at Woodstock’s and Freebirds made all the Chico food memories come flooding back. Back then we returned to our favorite places time after time, and this was before Yelp reviews and Facebook fans!

Here are some of my favorite Chico restaurants. Many can be found in college towns all over the state. What are you favorites?

• Kona’s Deli – The spongy bread and paper-thin, freshly sliced deli meat still calls my name to this day. While the style may be too light for hard core Carl’s Jr. meat-on-meat types, it’s the perfect balance of delicate bread, meat, condiments and shredded lettuce. Kona’s, why can’t you be in my neighborhood now?! (Available in SLO and Chico)
• Woodstock’s – While the sauce is a little spicy for my taste, this is a classic pizza joint where I’ve spent many a late night in Chico, Davis, and SB. Brings back memories of sisterly dinners at the Sigma Kappa house, too! (Chico, Davis, SB, Santa Cruz, SD, SLO, you name it)
• Tres Hombres – Most birthday celebrations, reunions and dates were spent over shrimp quesadillas and mango daquiri’s at Tres Hombres in Chico. They have the best chips and salsa while you wait! (Chico and Petaluma, apparently)

Suddenly I’m hungry for a midnight dinner! Weird.

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Too many times I’ve seen the sun come up through bloodshot eyes this week. Might be time for some Lentils. This will of course only make sense to fans of the classic Australian band Mental as Anything. Sent through by the mysterious “Mangal DayDreamer” from St. Kilda, Victoria. Live it up..

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for the lack of activity. Both of the writers for KalamaFood have been extremely busy and have not be able to review all of the proposed restaurants in Kzoo. With that said, things have slowed a little and we can get back into a groove.

Rustica is a new European style restaurant occupying the space that used to be Sprout. Taking the place of an old favorite should not, in any way, foreshadow the quality of a completely new establishment. However, I could not help but hope that it can stand up to the previous occupant.

Like some of the other restaurants in Kalamazoo, Rustica draws from local farms and produce vendors. This support for local growers and sustainability does score points as it means fresher and in the end, better tasting. I do wonder though, how much of the menu is made up of locally procured ingredients (aside from the local ingredient highlight prix fixe offering).

Walking up to Rustica, it is unassuming (due to the browns and tans of the exterior) and fits nicely with the rest of the buildings on Mall St. The interior is dimly lit with table top candles dotting providing most of the ambiance. The layout is the same as Sprout, but the “bar” area has tables for 2 rather than a bar facing the open kitchen and the “bench” along the left side of the room is gone with tables that can be pushed together for larger parties. There is also a wine bar area at the rear of the room on the left.

The tables are covered with brown kraft paper (easier to replace than linen after every patron) which somehow fits well with the decor and does not seem tacky as one might believe. Heavy flatware, clean stemware, and black linen round out the intial presentation. Tables are far enough apart to facilitate private conversation given the space constraints.

Service was good on each visit with quick seating by the hostess. The servers were polite and knowledgeable about the menu. The house manager was also visible and does check with each table regarding the service and meal. Normally, this is simply a nice touch, but for a smaller establishment, it becomes almost a necessity. An improvement would be the server providing more in the way of wine pairing with the items ordered. With the extensive wine list, they could recommend pairings to help the less savvy.

The menu is a hodge podge of cuisines spanning the most popular European cuisines (Italy, France, and Spain). They also have a prix fixe offering (which I assume is rotating or changes regularly) in addition to their regular menu. Having tried several items from the “firsts” (appetizers), “mains” (entrees featuring meat or seafood), the prix fixe featuring pork, and several desserts; I have to say that execution was pretty good for the most part. There were a few items that fell short, however:

The Sauteed Bay Scallops were a little overcooked and the lemon parsley risotto was one dimensional and overpowering (too much lemon), doing little to highlight the sweetness of the scallops. The other item is the Crispy Skinned Duck Breast and Leg Confit. I am not sure where they get their idea of confit from, but this certainly was not confit. To confit anything is to cure it and then poach in fat (preferably duck or goose) at around 180 degrees for anywhere up to 10 hours.

When I ordered the Crispy Skinned Duck Breast and Leg Confit, I was asked the level of doneness I desired (medium rare was the chef’s suggestion, apparently). Obviously, something that has been confitéd is very much past well done, which the leg (closer to medium than medium rare) was not. I have not had the opportunity to try anything else that claims to have some sort of confitéd component on the “mains” portion of the menu, but I am now suspicious. It seems a poorly intentioned ruse to seem more “European” as it is time consuming to produce duck confit. But it is a risky gamble to hope the patrons are not familiar with the concept of confit. But then again, we are in Kalamazoo.

The Baked Market Fresh Fish in parchment paper was a little dry and uninspired. Really? Common place and if you are going to serve it, at least knock it out of the park.

I rarely order desserts as they tend to be out of a box, bag, or freezer for most restaurants. While I have my doubts about some of the dessert items at Rustica, I recognized that some would probably be made in house. Of those I tried, they ranged from unremarkable to interesting. The Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie and the Michigan Apple Crisp fell into the former category. Nothing fancy or mindblowing, but done well and satisfying. The Lemon Polenta Cake fell into the latter with almonds and honey drizzled around the plate. I would have really enjoyed the Lemon Polenta Cake if there wasn’t so much zest/lemon syrup (I am not sure which it was) that the initial bite had way too much zing and almost tasted like soap. Subsequent bites were better and I am not sure whether I was used to it or whether it actually got better.

Overall, the experience was good and I will be returning to try more of the menu. Aside from the items noted, the food is well executed and service is superb. A dinner for 2 will run around $75 if you choose to sample their wine selection and $60 otherwise.

Rustica

236 S. Kalamazoo Mall
Kalamazoo, MI 49007

-Hungry Wanderer

While strolling the Venice boardwalk on Sunday my Dad and I decided to stop for a hot dog at Jody Maroni’s.

Being Chicagoians, we take our hot dogs seriously and high discerning standards. Dad got one but in true Chicago fashion only got mustard and onion.

I was a little less by the book. I had the works: onions, relish, ketchup, and mustard. It was such a good hot dog! Totally grilled to perfection with a great combo of ingredients.

The fries were also so amazing. They were fried to perfection and also salted within an inch of their life.

mmmm. topped the whole thing off with a diet coke.

Nothing like strolling along on a lazy Sunday with a nice diet coke!

Also, an exciting announcement. Yesterday was the busiest day on left coast contessa with the largest number of hits coming on my health post. So glad ya’ll liked my before pic so much. I should post bloated before shots of me more often