little miss may

F O R N .

No, it’s not a “dirty” word. Or maybe it is. “Forn” is the term coined by our angeles quite a few moons back. It’s a cross between Food + Porn, which is what it is… food porn. Brilliant, I must say.

I’ve missed a few Friday Forns, so here are 4 to make up for lost weeks!

1. Seafood indulgence at Botanical Gardens

One sunny afternoon, when the weather was still warm and balmy, we went to the fish market and bought a kilo of prawns plus half a dozen (or was it more?) of fresh Tasmanian oysters to enjoy at the Botanical Gardens. Ah yes, with a nice bottle of white to cleanse the palette, of course. We peeled and tucked into the prawns at a leisurely pace, slurping away at the wine and oysters. There were pesky birds trying to sneak up for a bite or two, but no no, all they got were waves from our hands, shoo-ing them away.

2. Ryo’s Noodles

This is THE place to go for Japanese ramen, so I’ve been told last year when I first arrived. Since then I’ve been dying to try it out and see what all the fuss was about. We got our chance a couple of weeks ago when the queue was just starting (people wait for ages outside the bright orange building for a seat; only 20 odd available at any one time).

I had the original ramen noodles in pork soup; he had the miso soup version. Yep, they really are worth the wait! Delicious to slurp down especially on a cold winter’s day or night. They had a special dish called “rice ball with roast pork” of which they made only 10 pieces a day, but we gave it a miss that night. It’s just down the road where I live; I’m pretty sure another visit will be warranted soon.

3. Homemade shepherd’s pie

I haven’t had shepherd’s pie in ages, since I left home. Had the sudden craving for one after watching an episode of Ramsey’s Kitchen where he made a really scrumptious version for an Irish family restaurant.

Looked up some recipes online, and the one I used had the highest rating by far. Lean beef cooked with onions and mixed vege in beef stock, layered with mashed carrots and potatoes, baked for another 20 minutes or so in the oven. The taste and texture - oh so YUM!

4. La Renaissance Courtyard Cafe

Dropped by this quaint and lovely patisserie at the Rocks for breakfast one Saturday morning. The apple turnover and jesuit was to faint for. They also served the most delicious assortment of cakes, all made to perfection, with exquisite flavours bursting in your mouth at every bite. They aren’t exactly cheap (about $5 for a small slice), but oh they’re so worth every cent.

Yes, definitely more forn coming soon.