Lunch @ Bella Italia, Aberdeen, Scotland

After spending the morning down at Doonies Farm, we took a drove down to Aberdeen Beach and then to Queens Link Leisure Park for lunch.

Since the kids were craving pizza, we decided to try Bella Italia. Furthermore, they were offering a great lunch deal (one course for £6.99 or two course for £9.49) and an even better deal for kids (from the Kids Menu £7.95 for 3 courses plus drink).  We had a huge breakfast earlier in the morning,  so we opted for one 2-course meal and one kids meal and there was plenty to go around.

For the adults, we went for the Calamari, tender squid coated in a light batter served with garlic mayonnaise. It was delicious; hot, light and crispy.

For our mains, we could choose between pizza, calzone, pasta, piadina (folded Italian flatbread sandwiches) or salads. We went for the Pepperoni Piccante, a thin crust pizza with generous toppings of Italian pepperoni, green chilli and mozzarella. The chilli definitely gave it a spicy kick. The pizza was well-made so I definitely enjoyed it.

For the kids, they started off with a mocktail called the Pink OJ which is basically orange juice and blackcurrant cordial served on the side. The kids get to pour in the cordial themselves and watch the colour change, so that's some cool interactive dining for them. Before long, their starter of Cheesy Garlic Bread aka flatbread with oozy garlic butter and mozzarella cheese arrives. The bread was soft, warm and smelt absolutely lovely.

The kids had the Margarita Pizza and they polished the whole thing off between the two of them. And finally for dessert, they get to choose a scoop of gelato, from various flavours displayed at the gelato cart. The gelato comes from Pippo Callipo from Pizzo in Italy. Rich and creamy, this definitely was a lovely end to our meal here.

Service was good. The portions were just nice for us for a light lunch and considering we paid under £20, I would say it's excellent value for money.

Lunch menu

Kids Menu

Price: Total bill £17.44.

location: Bella italia, Unit 6, Queens Link Leisure Park, Aberdeen, AB24 5EN, Scotland, United Kingdom.

Tel:+44 1224 592253



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All About Wagyu: Guest Chef Christopher Millar at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur

The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur's #GuestChefAtTheLibrary series is back, this time with award-winning Australian Guest Chef Christopher Millar, who is set to enthrall the palates of guests and gourmands at The Library with an exquisite six-course modern Australian cuisine dinner from 31 October until 4 November 2017.

Chef Millar puts Wagyu beef firmly in the spotlight, while maintaining the very high standards that have become synonymous with this Guest Chef series. 

Chef Millar is currently Executive Chef of the acclaimed Stellar at 1-Altitude in Singapore, which is renowned for serving sumptuous Tajima Wagyu beef flown in exclusively from Australia. For this five-day promotion at The Library, Chef Millar will be using the Sanchoku Wagyu with a marbling score of 8-9, produced by internationally acclaimed beef producer Stanbroke from Western Australia. 

Chef Millar delights from the very start, with his signature Sturia Caviar on a Creme Fraiche Cracker, impeccably paired with the Canard-Duchene Cuvee Leonie Brut champagne. Air dried beef is sandwiched between light, crisp crackers and topped with sustainable caviar for a luxurious touch.

Next, Chef Millar presents the Wagyu Tri Tip Tataki, which has been marinated with togarashi (Japanese seven-spice powder) and served with truffle mascarpone, olive soil as well as two types of radish, the black radish from France and pink pickled radish. Thinly shaved truffle crown the dish, giving it a lovely earthy flavour. We had this with the Roustabout Pemberton Pinot Noir.

From land to sea, our next course showcases the Flavours from Loch Fyne. Salmon and oysters are ethically sourced from the clean waters of Loch Fyne in Scotland. Chef Millar takes the salmon and makes a gravlax, lightly curing it with premium Rock Rose gin, sugar, salt and dill for about 4 hours. It is then served with oyster, avocado foam with fresh wasabi, grilled avocado, ikura and sesame cracker. This seafood dish is paired with the Alkoomi Black Label Chardonnay. 

Rock Rose Gin Marinated Salmon, Oyster, Avocado, Ikura

My favourite dish of the afternoon was the Wagyu Petit Tender, cooked over the coals and served with sea urchin and Paris mash. Chef Millar goes around to each table and grates fresh wasabi over the meat. The subtle spiciness of the wasabi complements the rich, flavourful meat.  This looks deceptively simple, yet is big on flavour, and pairs wonderfully with the robust Dandelion Menagerie of the Barossa GSM.

An expertly executed braised beef cheek is a beautiful thing. A case in point is the Picked and Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek, that we had here yesterday. The beef cheek has been brined with pink salt and then refreshed in ice water before braising in red wine. Texturally the meat was dreamy; tender yet gelatinous, without being too soft. It was beef cheek elevated to the next level.

The braised beef cheek is served with roasted cauliflower cream with porcini sauce and powder. It was an absolute delight to eat, with clean plates all around. This was paired with the Alkoomi Black Label Cabernet Sauvignon.

We thoroughly enjoyed our Wagyu journey with Chef Millar, a great showcase of different cuts of Wagyu. We end our meal with the sublime Sable of Mango and Lime Curd; delicate shortbread pastry topped with refreshing mango ice cream, fresh mango, mango gel and crunchy granola crumble. Our dessert course was paired with the sweet Graacher Himmelreich Riesling Spatlese.

Available from October 31 to November 4 from 7pm until 11pm, the six-course dinner is priced at RM350 per person with an option of wine pairing at RM500 per person. For reservations and enquiries, please call +60 3 2142 8000 or email dining@ritzcarlton.com.my.

Location: The Library, Level 1, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, 168 Jalan Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-2142 8000

GPS Coordinates: 3.146901, 101.715438

Website: http://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/malaysia/kuala-lumpur




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