Have you missed me over the past six months? I didn't think I missed blogging but I've had a few interesting food experiences this week that I feel compelled to share with the world. So here I am again in all my gustatory glory.
I'm always on the look out for interesting food experiences and enjoy discussing food with people I meet - particularly immigrants. Immigrants love talking about their culinary culture and often seem surprised and delighted that a Kiwi gives a damn.
Late last year I had to travel on business and ended up using the services of a Fijian Indian taxi driver for the week I was coming and going. During one of our numerous trips to / from the airport he told me about a small food hall down a driveway in Stoddard Rd (Mt Roskill), which has an outlet serving Fijian Indian food. According to him, the food is very authentic - particularly "Fish in Lolo". Not long afterwards I got talking to one of my client's (Fijian Indian) employees who told me Fijian Indian food is more subtle and refined than Indian Indian food. Like the taxi driver, she also extolled the food hall's virtues and sung the praises of their Fish in Lolo.
Over the past few months I've eaten there several times. The food hall is indeed small - only three outlets (Fijian Indian, Sri Lankan and a Malalysian place hidden round the back by the butcher). The Malaysian place wasn't any good - the most gobsmackingly bland laksa and beef rendang I've ever eaten.
I've had food from the Fijian Indian place several times, but the Fish in Lolo was never "on" when I called in. The other things I've tried are, as my client's employee said, like Indian Indian food only less chilli spiced and more subtle. Nice enough but - to be honest - I think I prefer the grunty king hit of an Indian Indian Indian curry. But then again, subtlety was never one of my strong points.
This week I broke new ground and headed for the Sri Lankan place, zeroing in on the unprepossessingly named "lump rice".
And what a charming experience it was. The outlet's owner is an engaging man who is clearly passionate about Sri Lankan cuisine. Apparently lump rice is a favourite comfort food for preganant Sri Lankans. They wrap it in banana leaves and heat it over the embers of a fire, whereupon the banana leaf aroma infuses the food. Fortunately non expectant Kiwis are allowed to eat it too.
The lump rice arrived invitingly wrapped inside a fresh banana leaf. Inside was a selection of rice, lamb curry, aubergine curry, coconut sambal and a boiled egg. And it was delicious; delicately spiced (in every sense) and tasty. I totally get its comfort-giving appeal.
My friends and I also hit the Fish in Lolo jackpot...at last. But unfortunately it wasn't a golden experience. Fish in Lolo is a large lump of battered (?) fried fish in a thin, mild coconut curry. That in itself was all okay, but what wasn't so great was the curry's dominating stock cube flavour. Not good. And I could taste it for hours afterwards.
You can find the food hall, and a great Indian supermarket at Moshims, 64 Stoddard Rd, Mt Roskill (click on the map to enlarge the view):
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