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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2009 23:21:10 GMT
Every now and then, one has the perfect meal. For me, it has little to do with the quality of the food (although the minimum acceptable level would be 'good') but everything to do with the atmosphere and setting.
In my case, just about every perfect meal has taken place on holiday in tropical settings, but I can readily imagine perfect meals occurring in front of a roaring fire at a mountain chalet, or even a local picnic in a grassy park.
I had a number of unforgettable meals in Hoi An, Vietnam, on outdoor terrasses overlooking the river at night, seen through a tropical downpour. A surprising one was at a tex-mex restaurant in Indonesia, with candlelit tables around a pond and bats circling above. And one time in Mauritius, it was the first time I had seen phosphorescent surf. It crashed on the beach just a few meters from the tables, and the sky was full of a million stars that I had never seen.
Any other perfect meal memories out there?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2009 3:13:07 GMT
In 2000 I went to Istanbul with a friend. On one of the days that we split up to tour on our own I took the Eminounou(sp) ferry to visit the tiny Princes Islands off the Bosphorus and Sea of Marmara. On one of the islands I disembarked,rented a bicycle and rode all around the island. I don't recall seeing any autos, maybe only carriages. It was very hilly and the houses overlooking the water were like beautiful large summer cottages. I rode back down to the shore and looked for a place to lunch. I wanted to avoid the places in the village itself so I set out further along the coastline. I can across this small shack with outdoor tables and what appeared to be local folk (always a good sign)
eating platters of seafood and the like. I ordered by pointing to the platters at a nearby table. After a long wait and a couple of cold Effes I noticed a man gutting fish to the side of the shack. A little while later my platter arrived with a pile of these perfectly fried tiny fish. I lingered over my perfect meal and after some time a group of ladies at the next table motioned for me to join them. They were playing SCRABBLE and offered me up some tiles.
Problem was they were playing in Turkish and I didn't know sufficient enough words to join in. They giggled a lot but made me feel totally welcome. We had coffee and splendid desserts and I didn't ever want to leave that wonderful spot. I deceided if I ever had the money to return that is where I wanted to retire to.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 8, 2009 6:20:24 GMT
Ah, that reminds me of a meal in Aqaba, Jordan. We had left early that morning for a private trip to Wadi Rum (the fabulous red cliffs from Lawrence of Arabia) and returned in mid-afternoon having lived a little more adventure than we had bargained for. We settled onto an outdoor table shaded by some vines and had a wonderful feast composed from pointing at what the other people were eating. A big mezze platter was composed for us, accompanied with some grilled meats, and nothing could have been more perfect at that moment.
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Post by gringalais on Feb 9, 2009 18:23:38 GMT
We had a great one when we went up to the desert last year. In the national park where we stayed, there is a small fishermen's cove. There was only one basic restaurant there with a menu that was limited to the catch of the day, so we had breaded fried fish, salad and rice with some white wine. The fish was excellent, so fresh, and the view and atmosphere were wonderful, overlooking the cove with colorful fishing boats and pelicans.
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Post by grecian on Feb 9, 2009 20:43:48 GMT
Sorry as this is a 'short' reply..
I still remember the Beef Wellington but 8 Miles from Exeter about 28 years ago...Incredible..
Fresh fish on Koh Chang was a bit Special...
The 2" steaks in Cape Town were better!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 9, 2009 20:46:06 GMT
Awww... the soft spot in my heart was almost hoping that you would say that Spag Bol with Geeky Junior last night was the perfect meal.
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Post by bixaorellana on Feb 10, 2009 2:21:33 GMT
All this talk of fish, which I love ......
My sister & I spent some time in the Yucatán about four years ago in the summertime. We took a day trip to Celestún on the Gulf of Mexico to see the flamingos. This involved a cramped van ride, a wait on the hot beach admiring all the souvenir objects that can be produced with a religious impulse, sea shells, Christmas bulbs and electrical wiring, then a bouncy ride in a motorized skiff out to where the flamingos were. Our teen captain was quite sensitive, and cut the motor a ways out in order not to alarm the birds, of which there were fewer than we'd hoped. No matter, on the way back he took us through some mangrove to a cenote, where we all got out and swam -- bliss!
We arrived back at the beach starving. This was the classic beach town from before t-shirt mania took over every strip of land near the sea. There were just a few sun-bleached motels and some eateries directly on the sandy beach. We chose one, immediately guzzling a couple of icy beers and ordering from the limited menu -- the standard filet in mojo de ajo. The food was not that much better than indifferent, our sweet waiter -- a ninth grader -- was more interested in horsing around with his friends than in bringing the many beers we required & we were hot and sand covered. Still, as we gazed over the flat Gulf, ate fish with our fingers, & laughed over how bad we looked, we enjoyed perfect contentment.
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LouisXIV
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L'estat c'est moi.
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Post by LouisXIV on Mar 25, 2009 1:43:09 GMT
On one of my trips to France I was taking the train from Paris to Nantes to spend the weekend with my friend. He picked me up at the train station in Nantes and on the drive to his home he said, "Guess what we are having for dinner tonight?". Since he knew me well I said, "moules frites". And he then said, "Yes and this morning I went to the garden and dug up the potatoes myself". Hmmm, what a great meal.
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Post by Jazz on Mar 30, 2009 1:16:58 GMT
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Post by hwinpp on Mar 30, 2009 7:02:18 GMT
That's the kind of swimming I like! Give me a waterfall with a pool and some rocks anytime over the beach. Nice pics, Jazz!
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Post by spindrift on Mar 30, 2009 11:21:33 GMT
I expect that every meal will be perfect next week at Chateau Baz.
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Post by mockchoc on Apr 7, 2009 1:00:38 GMT
That looks amazing hwinpp.
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Post by hwinpp on Apr 7, 2009 6:44:30 GMT
I think you mean Jazz, MC ;D
I agree with you, it is amazing.
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Post by mockchoc on Apr 8, 2009 6:32:23 GMT
Yes correct.
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