Mackerel + South Australian wine in Bloomsbury.

Mackerel + South Australian wine in Bloomsbury.

Husni’s dinner parties are always amazing. We always used to head over to Prahran Market, pick up some amazing ingredients and then go back to his and cook up a feast – our last big dinner party was on Election night, which we soothed tensions with a Beef Wellington and Blood Orange Curd tarts.

So when Husni moved into his new place in Bloomsbury here in London, and all his things arrived from Australia, we knew it was time for another housewarming. His old house in South Yarra in Melbourne had a fabulous housewarming, with waiters and champagne and multiple courses that we slaved away on for a few days. A few musicians from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra set up in his lounge.

This time it was a lunch, and he cooked us mackerel, steak and a pile of amazing starters and sides. The wine flowed, and as we all met each other we realised Husni has been gathering Aussie friends – while few of us knew each other, we were majority Australians (or at least married to one!).
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California cuisine + lunch at one of the world’s top restaurants.

California cuisine + lunch at one of the world’s top restaurants.

Alice Waters has been called the mother of American food. Her restaurant, Chez Panisse, open in Berkeley since 1971, has been said to have pioneered Californian cuisine. As a supporter of organics for the past forty years, she has had a great influence on the local area and its focus on organic, local produce.

Chez Panisse was consistently ranked amongst the World’s 50 Best Restaurants from 2002 – 2008, and Waters is said to have been one of the most influential players in the food scene of the past 50 years.

We had reservations at Chez Panisse for lunch. We got to the gorgeous Frank Lloyd Wright style building, with an abundance of rich woods and a beautiful huge overhanging tree. I got the obligatory tourist photo underneath the Chez Panisse sign, but we then went on to walk in for lunch.
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