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TRAVEL
Travelling Foodie’s
Bucket List
STORY BY ANNA HOWARD
Like ticking off historic icons?
Adventurous foodies scour the globe
in search of tantalising new flavours
and culinary experiences.
While some find joy slurping noodles while crouched
on tiny stools in the bustling backstreets of Southeast
Asia, others treat themselves to refined meals
dished out by Michelin-starred chefs. Either way, the
pleasure of travel is often in the eating. Take a seat
at some of the world’s best tables for a sensory feast
encompassing flavour, heritage and culture.
Dinner Under The Stars
In Uluru, Australia
Find yourself in the dunes of the
desert, against a backdrop of Uluru’s
surprisingly rugged face. The hues
of sunset: reds, oranges, blues and
purples are reflected in the iridescent
shimmer of sparkling wine flutes
clinking among dining companions.
Taste your way through bite-size
morsels of crocodile, damper and
desert lime; then onto capsicum
mousse with bush tomato chutney,
and before long, the sun disappears
and you take your place at a white
tablecloth-clad setting.
The dulcet sounds of didgeridoos echo
as local Anangu people act out legends
and lore, and then, dinner is served.
Bush tucker at its finest, your taste
buds tingle with inspired Australian
fare, including barramundi in coconut
and lemon aspen dressing, and
crocodile Caesar salad complemented
by drops from stellar Australian
wine label, Lorimer by De Bortoli
Wines. Then all goes eerily quiet as
you gaze to the heavens and listen
to the resident astrologist decode
the wonders of the Milky Way and
beyond. Embrace the best of the Red
Centre in four magical hours under
a sparkling outback sky; the award-
winning Sounds of Silence dinner is
a Northern Territory evening beyond
comparison.
A Galaxy Of Michelin
Starts In Napa Valley
With its green sprawl of chateau-like
homes, country estates and lush
vineyards, Napa Valley is the epitome
of wine country. This northern
California holiday hotspot calls to
epicureans and oenophiles alike with
the promise of decadent drops and
gourmet grub.
Its culinary pedigree is world class.
Prestigious Michelin stars, 11 in
fact, have found their way to seven
restaurants in the region for inspired,
progressive and of course, delicious
food. Yountville, the town who has
claimed the most Michelin stars per
capita, is home to the famed French
Laundry, attributed to great US chef,
Thomas Keller.
French techniques combined with
local flare and fresh Californian
influences deliver a truly indulgent
multi-sensory tasting menu
experience. Three Michelin stars and
a slew of other awards ensure a meal
here is one to remember – just make
sure to book at least three months in
advance. Visitors can even walk the
restaurant’s culinary gardens, where
chefs gather produce for the night’s
menu.
For a meal with a view, head to the
lovely terrace of The Restaurant at
Aberge de Solil in Rutherford. If you
can tear your eyes away from the
views of the Silverado Trail, you’ll
discover eye-popping plates of veal
sweetbreads with creamed gem
lettuce and Liberty Farm duck with
apricots and Marcona almonds.
Leisurely Lunches In Lyon
Never mind the delicate haute cuisine
and prix fixe lunches of Paris, Lyon is
the true food capital of France.
With a picture-perfect setting on
the Rhone and Saone rivers, Lyon is
celebrated for its revolutionary use
of local produce and international
influences. Whether you’re traipsing
a marketplace or nestling into a
humble eatery, Lyonnaise cuisine
has a heavy emphasis on meat,
and master charcutieres take the
nose-to-tail approach very seriously
in their creations. Many who
specialise in adventurous palates can
try delicacies such as andouillette, a
course sausage made from pork offal,
while others may prefer to stick with
Lyonnaise classics such as coq au vin,
a chicken stew.
With one of the highest
concentrations of restaurants per
capita in France, the city is peppered
with humble ‘bouchons’ where the
focus isn’t exclusively on the meal
itself, but on establishing personal
connections in a relaxed setting of
homey décor, cosy bar stools and tiny
tables nestled side by side. In Lyon,
lunch is the order du jour, and often
turns into a half-day affair – leisurely,
lingering, full of conversation and
never-ending carafes of vino.