Cappucino in Italy

I am not a huge coffee enthusiast but even in Italy, I convert to the morning ritual - cappuccino and cornetto for breakfast while standing at the bar! Why pay a higher price to sit down? Last time I was in Italy, I was 19 years old but I still remember the aromatic cappuccinos which has eluded me in every country I've lived in. I'm not sure if it's the machines, the coffee, the water, the process but I find it tough to find a comparable product. Fast forward June 2013 and I return to Italy - almost 20 years since I first visited. The cappuccinos were just as I remembered - creamy, aromatic and always presented at the perfect temperature for drinking. One sip and you wonder how Starbucks ever got so popular. On my return to Boston, I tried a number of different places but only one coffee shop got close - the independent Simon's coffee shop in Cambridge.

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La Dispensa, Rome

Birthday dinners are always loaded with high expectations and my 39th in Rome would be no exception. Fortunately, La Dispensa in Rome met them. After a disappointing restaurant referral the previous evening, our host suggested La Dispensa for their amazing black truffle carbonara. The restaurant was situated in Prati by the Tiber river. It was cosy but modern - with mint green walls and small tea candles at every table. The menu was a simple portable black board which the wait staff carted round to every table, patiently explaining the specials for the day. Extra brownie points as they patiently explained every dish in English on the menu for us!

The appetizer

We started with a smoked bufala mozzarella with prosciutto parma. We knew we were onto a winner when we tasted the prosciutto - it was the best we had in Rome so far.

For our pasta mains, I had the black truffle carbonara and Paul had the turbot with local tomatoes. The black truffle carbonara had all the signatures of a great dish - perfect pasta, the unami after-taste but it was just a tad too salty.

Pasta with turbot and 3 types of tomatoes

Paul's pasta dish was heavenly though - with three different type of tomatoes, it had an incredible natural sweetness which I could never duplicate at home. We finished an incredible dinner with the best tiramisu I have ever had...and I have had a lot of them!

My 39th birthday 

Taste in London

My sister was fairly excited to discover I would in London during the Taste of London food festival - a 2 day extravaganza where many top chefs set up stalls and dish out select dishes and bites for "crowns" - the festival's currency. Although I don't think I ate any stand-out dishes, the event was fun and a glutton's playground. From cooking demonstrations to product placements, it's best tackled as a group where you can pool together your "crowns" and try more dishes.

Arriving at the event

Fresh oysters

Making Thai ice lollies

Fruit sculpture

Introduction to the Ting soda!