The Best Dish Consommé Writers Have Ever Eaten Abroad

With the current pandemic still restricting, well, everything - we have to get a little creative in order to fulfil our travel dreams for 2020 - and what better way than through our love for good food. I don’t know about you, but the majority of my travel itenary is built around what I can eat, when and where - and some of the best memories are stumbling across a hidden street food cart on the idyl streets in Malaysia or stuffing the biggest Instagrammable burger in my face in Vegas. Food brings the world together - so, while the world is taking a little hiatus, I thought I’d quiz the Consommé team on the best meal they have ever eaten and see if we can spark those travel bugs to fly again — even if it’s just through the medium of the internet, for now.

Dessert a la Roma

Our Food and Drinks writer Kirsten remembers the best dessert she has ever encountered in Rome.

This is THE best dessert I have ever ever had. We went into a restaurant in Rome, no where near the town centre, down a street somewhere near our hotel and our hotel was far out! But this was worth it. I think the staff were confused why us two were in there as it was the kind of place locals would sit all day. But honestly it was so sweet and so creamy. There was layers of thin sponge cake with so much creme and these wormy looking bits of marzipan on the outside. It looked like a bowl of spaghetti which made me more intrigued to find out how it tasted, nothing like spaghetti, thankfully. I saw it in the cabinet as I walked in the restaurant and you know when you get that feeling. Yup, that was my dessert.

Kirsten Flegg

The Spiced Octopus

Features writer Ryan’s palate is more favoured towards our British cuisine, but this meal in Croatia was one to remember.

Sitting on the harbour in Dubrovnik, Croatia’s Old town looking out at the ships on the Adriatic like some sort of extra in Game of Thrones, we found a little restaurant with amazing local food and music to match. I ate so much seafood that holiday; in pastas, Oysters and so much Calamari. On the menu at Poklisar was this unbelievable  stewed Octopus with spices and boiled potatoes. It doesn’t sound like much but on the last day of a holiday to come across a dish so well executed was great! It even made me think about it for the entire flight home. Imagine a Seafood Bombay potato and you wouldn’t be far off. Back in Blightly all I could get hold of at short notice was Squid, it got my creative juices flowing and it has become one of my all time favourites. Although a winner it certainly doesn’t taste as good without the warm evening Adriatic air, the local music or a large Ice cold lager. Ah well, 2 out of 4 isn’t bad!

Ryan Caston

Something off-off menu

Our Editor Amanda isn’t normally one to follow the menu to its exact - forever getting in the chef’s good books and going off menu. The best way to explore somewhere new, especially Milan.

I had a very preconceived notion of what Milan was. To me, it was a cold hard industrialised city known for its fast fashion and not much else – but I could not have been more wrong. Milan is immersed deep within the depths of the cultural world with something exciting around every corner but what surprised me the most was the food. It’s hyper-local food scene is what drew me into the throws of the cities ever winding streets; where I discovered its best-kept secret - it was home to over 20 Michelin Starred Restaurants and the birth place of the festive treat panettone. I think a petition to put Milan on the culinary map is long overdue – especially when I got to dine on traditional dishes with a fine dining spin at Sette Cucina Urbana under the power of a carb-loving four-generational strong head chef who gave me the ultimate experience in going off-menu with a specially crafted beef carpaccio with shaved fennel and a winterberry and mushroom salad, just for us. Oh boy.

Amanda Bootes

The White Pizza That Got Away

Food writer Adam will never forget when he first fell in love in Italy and longs for its taste, every day.

I will always remember having a white pizza in Rome. Right in the centre of the city, a few hundred yards away from that famous fountain, was this little Al fresco restaurant full of locals. I'd never had a white pizza before, so figured it try it. Firstly, it was HUGE. Secondly, it was so simple - just dough, garlic, mozzarella, parmesan, potato and porcini mushrooms. Perfectly seasoned, with just a bit of pepper and fresh basil on top, too. It's been around 8-9 years, and I still long for that pizza.

Adam Cailler