Blogging

Travelling from Canberra to Delhi

Why am I going to Delhi?

I’m currently travelling to Delhi for work. Poliovirus containment is a part of what I do at work. The World Health Organization’s global effort to eradicate polio (the disease, as opposed to containing poliovirus, the microorganism that causes polio) also includes poliovirus containment. The distinction is important, it’s important to eradicate the disease and contain the ætiological agent.

Australia has been polio-free for decades and we’re well advanced in poliovirus containment.


Please do me a favour

I think I’ve managed to work out how to use e-mail lists for sending post notifications and newsletters. I’d love it if you would sign up using the ‘form’ in the sidebar (if you’re using a laptop or desktop) or at the bottom of the post (if you’re using a mobile device).


What preparation is needed?

Spending time in Delhi had me thinking about potential travel-related health problems I might encounter. In addition, if you visit the smart traveller site hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, you’ll see there are some important statements about India.

It’s important to speak with a travel doctor, even for work-related travel. That’s what I did. January and February are low-risk times in terms of mosquito-borne infections, especially if I’m mainly going to be in a building with other health professionals. It’s winter so I’ll be in long sleeves and trousers the whole time.

Eating street food isn’t on the agenda because I won’t have an opportunity. I arrived late the night before the meeting and the schedule is packed for all the days I’m in Delhi.

Eating cooked hotel food is part of my staying healthy plan. I have a colleague who is Indian and she returns to the northern parts regularly to visit family and she told me to eat deep fried food. Exactly the opposite of the nutritional advice she shares with me each Friday at the hospital.

One of the problems that India is experiencing is widespread antimicrobial resistance. So much so, that the usual antimicrobials for diseases like typhoid fever are no longer useful.

Canberra to Sydney

I flew Qantas in a Dash 8. There was a snack. It was a little container of a savoury dip and biscuits along with a small piece of apple and coconut cake. I also drank a Bundaberg ginger beer.

Border control at Sydney International Airport

Fortunately, there weren’t a lot of people trying to cross over into the secure zone. For some reason, there was an apparent randomness to queue allocation and while some people went through unhindered after the electronic assessment I was directed to speak with an Australian Border Force officer. He was very friendly and processed my paperwork very quickly.

One poor Englishman though had to say goodbye to his pocket knife. He was remonstrating with security about how other countries let him travel with it but this was to no avail to the private security contractors at Sydney International Airport. 

Dinner

Dinner at the airport was good. I had a caramelised lamb shoulder and chickpeas and then a small deconstructed pavlova.

 

Caramelised lamb shoulder with chickpeas parsley salad and garlic yogurt | Qantas First Class Lounge Delhi Gary Lum
Caramelised lamb shoulder with chickpeas parsley salad and garlic yoghurt | Qantas First Class Lounge [Click for a better view]
Pavlova with cherry nectarines and raspberry | Sydney Airport Qantas First Class Lounge Delhi Gary Lum
Pavlova with cherry nectarines and raspberry | Sydney Airport Qantas First Class Lounge [click for a better view]

Sydney to Kuala Lumpur

I flew Malaysia Airlines on MH140. The flight left on time and soon after take-off, we enjoyed some Malaysian satay, some smoked salmon and then a piece of beef. I also had a piece of cheesecake.

MH140 Malaysian Satay Delhi Gary Lum
MH140 Malaysian Satay

MH140 Smoked salmon entree Delhi Gary Lum
MH140 Smoked salmon entree [click for a better view]
MH140 Beef main course Delhi Gary Lum
MH140 Beef main course [click for a better view]
MH140 Cheesecake dessert Delhi Gary Lum
MH140 Cheesecake dessert [Click for a better view]
The flight was turbulent most of the way and it got worse over the Top End and as we approached Malaysia. I really didn’t sleep. I deliberately didn’t try to stimulate myself with my iPad or iPhone. I’d downloaded a heap of podcasts and I had a couple of books but I basically tried to keep my eyes closed.

The flight was turbulent enough that breakfast wasn’t served. The flight landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at about 3.40 am. It was dark but warm (26 °C).

Kuala Lumpur for ten hours

My next flight, MH190 didn’t leave KUL until 4 pm in the afternoon I spent a pleasant day in the airport reading work papers and walking around. Free Wi-Fi is marvellous. I’m so grateful I brought an ‘English’ power adapter as well as the Type C adaptor for India.

Kuala Lumpur to Delhi

MH190 left Kuala Lumpur on time and the flight arrive in Delhi a little early. It was a comfortable flight with a little turbulence on approach to Delhi.

Me on board MH190 Delhi Gary Lum
Me on board MH190

Again, the food started with some satay followed by a small salad and then a round of beef with vegetables. The beef was nice. Not very tender, but it had a nice flavour.

Malaysia Airlines MH190 satay Delhi Gary Lum
Malaysia Airlines MH190 satay [click for a better view]
Malaysia Airlines MH190 Grouper and vegetables Delhi Gary Lum
Malaysia Airlines MH190 Grouper and vegetables [click for a better view]

First impressions of Delhi

Getting off the aeroplane was trouble-free. I’d packed three small bags and had no check in luggage so I didn’t have to wait at a carousel hoping that my bags hadn’t got lost. Delhi airport immigration area has a specific line for diplomats and official passport holders. I got straight in and out in less than one minute. My best experience ever.

As I moved through I could see long lines of people wanting to buy rupee. I’d been told I could get by with my personal credit card so I elected not to wait in line.

WHO takes personal security very seriously so whenever a delegate lands there is someone to meet them and arrange transport to the hotel. This was no different and it worked well.

India celebrated republic day on 26 January, the same date as Australia day. As I drove past all the government buildings they were lit up beautifully in white light bulbs.

The Imperial Hotel

The meeting is at the Imperial Hotel in the middle of New Delhi. It’s an older building, built in the early 1900s in an Art Deco style. It’s very comfortable.

Room 265 The Imperial. After a long flight a bed is good. Delhi Gary Lum
Room 265 The Imperial. After a long flight a bed is good. [click for a better view]
The food in the hotel restaurants has been very nice. You’ll see examples in my social media feeds.

I’ll catch you later.

Parting words

I regularly post photographs of food to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Please feel free to connect with me on any social media platform.
I also have a podcast. It’s not food related but each show is short and it’s named Medical Fun Facts. You can find it in the iTunes podcast store as well as Stitcher. A show drops every Monday and Tuesday. It has a little cynicism, a little scepticism and occasionally some sarcasm.

Christmas 2016 greetings from Yummy Lummy

Merry Christmas dear readers

If you don’t celebrate Christmas, I hope you’re enjoying whatever it is you celebrate.

If you don’t celebrate at all, I wish you a safe and peaceful day.

I just wanted to share a piece of art that my friend Jennifer did for me to celebrate Christmas.

I hope whatever you’re eating today is as tasty as I reckon this barbeque pig would taste after slowing turning and cooking for a few hours.

Looking back over 2016

This year (2016) has been pretty good for me. It started with a holiday in Hong Kong with my daughters. It was the best holiday ever. I really loved spending nine nights there and spending time with my girls. We did a lot of things including a lot of shopping. For me, the highlight was the food. OMG! I ate so much.

Work has been very fulfilling and very rewarding. I tend not to write much about work, but I am fortunate to have excellent and very supportive bosses right up to the secretary of the department. I’ve also loved being able to continue practising medicine in ACT Pathology at The Canberra Hospital. I have the perfect balance work wise.

I’m also experiencing a great balance in life too. As well as blogging here at Yummy Lummy, I’ve started a YouTube channel with some videos on the food I eat. If you have watched them I hope you enjoy them. I’d love it if you would leave comments, like the videos and subscribe.

Podcasting is fun

The other thing I’ve started this year is a podcast named Medical Fun Facts. It’s a great outlet for my sense of humour coupled with my professional interest as opposed to my food interests.

Work has been great

Work has seen me visit Manila and Helsinki this year for various aspects of the work I do.

I love reading other blogs

I’ve also been enjoying reading blogs from quite a lot of bloggers.

I’d like to shout out to my friends who I share comments with and who regularly comment on Yummy Lummy.

Jennifer over at Little Monster Girl NSFW

Lorraine over at Not Quite Nigella

Rebecca over at A Lover’s Musing NSFW

Sarah over at Travels with Choppy

Mabel over at Mabel Kwong

My Hawaiian brother the Mouse at Live2EatEat2Live

Tim over at Off Center and Not Even

Irene over at Irene Design

Karen over at Back Road Journal

Julie at Jules Strawberry. Julie is a really funny Texan who is now in California and she has really great adventures. 

So I hope you had a good 2016. Did you start something new? Did you stop anything? What has been your highlight for 2016?

For 2017, I hope to do much of the same, working, blogging, YouTube and podcasting, and of course eating! What are you planning for 2017?

I’d love it if you followed me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Please subscribe to my YouTube channel and please check out my podcast and subscribe via iTunes.

Catch you soon.

PS. One thing I do mourn now at Christmas is that my favourite Christmas song, viz., Six White Boomers, is now dead to me because of the criminal behaviour of Rolf Harris toward women (the link opens an NSFW photograph). 

Fun food on the Sandgate mudflats at low tide

It’s been a quiet week. Last weekend I was down with a head cold, you know, ManFlu. I ended up working from home on Monday because I was really congested and coughing badly. I’m still coughing but at least I feel okay in my head.

Work was busy with a heap of small or medium sized tasks that just had to be done. Wednesday though was a bad one. Wednesday morning, I woke up at 1 am with something on my mind and I just couldn’t get back to sleep. Coupled with the head cold it meant I felt like a zombie while I was at work. I suppose it doesn’t matter in the scheme of things because Wednesday’s productivity across the globe was probably down slightly because it coincided with the US presidential election. Yummy Lummy isn’t a place for political commentary so all I’ll say is that I made sure I had a nice meal while I was watching the television reporting of the results including the victory and concession speeches.


I’d like to put in a plug for my new podcasting venture. Please check out Medical Fun Facts at https://drgarylum.com/blog/


The highlight for me this week was flying to Brisbane on Friday night and spending the weekend with my daughters and my parents.

The flight from Canberra to Brisbane started well. I got a seat in the exit row and had a meal of meatballs and mashed potato.

2016-11-11_19-00-51_015_gary_lum 2016-11-11_19-17-27_014_gary_lum

Meatballs with mashed potato
Meatballs with mashed potato

On landing the doors opened and a wave of humidity travelled backwards and hugged me like a child runs up to greet you at an airport and grabs you around your legs. Best feeling in the world!

Ms19 was working Friday night so after arriving at my parents’ place I suggested to Miss15 that we go see Ms19 and get ice cream. Ms21 couldn’t join us, so it was just me and Miss15.

I had a nice caramel condensed milk ice cream with a Ferrero Rocher crushed into it.

Caramel condensed milk with Ferrero Rocher
Caramel condensed milk with Ferrero Rocher

After a pretty crappy sleep (I don’t travel with my CPAP machine) we went and had breakfast at The Groove Train in Chermside.

I had a nice granola which I think did something to really stimulate my gastrocolic reflex because my irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) went crazy. It’s a good thing I was close to a clean toilet.

2016-11-12_09-27-40_010_gary_lum

Now that Ms19 has retired from gymnastics we’re not totally bound to a sports schedule. Miss15 had a gymnastics evaluation from 2.30 to 5.30 pm and Ms21 was working so what to do between 11 and 1.30? We ended up taking a short drive to Sandgate and walking from the swimming pool to the big jetty and back. All up it’s about a 5 km walk. It was really warm and overcast and it was low tide. The sea breeze was really nice. The smell from the mudflats though wasn’t that good. In fact, it was pretty rank. That part of Sandgate with a view of the water and the sea breeze is really nice. The low tide smell though would make me think twice about living there unless I could keep the house fresh.

2016-11-12_11-27-14_009_gary_lum

After a pretty good walk, we went to the Sandgate fishmonger and bought some potato scallops with crumbed squid. Like most good shops, especially in Queensland, when you ask for some potato scallops you inevitably get n+1 with n being the number of scallops you ask for. These potato scallops were really nice. The crumbed squid was also really good. If you’re visiting Sandgate and want a nice takeaway deep fried meal, I can recommend the Sandgate Fishmonger.

Potato scallops and crumbed calamari
Potato scallops and crumbed calamari
Sandgate fishmonger
Sandgate fishmonger
Potato scallops and crumbed calamari
Potato scallops and crumbed calamari

After taking Miss15 to gymnastics, Ms19 and I had been thinking about going out for a milkshake somewhere. As it turned out we were pretty full from lunch and the weather put on a show which made driving less than ideal. Brisbane was treated to a really nice thunderstorm. The rain was heavy, the thunder was loud and the sky almost went black. I love this sort of weather. The rain lasted about 45 minutes and afterwards the air freshened and the heat was gone. Perfect subtropical weather. You can’t ask for better.

For dinner, we went to Thr3e Restaurant in the Kedron-Wavell RSL club. This is a cheap and cheerful buffet affair with upgrades. I had a nice seafood platter and Mum and Dad had a bucket of prawns.

Seafood platter
Seafood platter
Seafood platter
Seafood platter
Buffet plate
Buffet plate

We all went to bed feeling fairly sated.

Sunday broke with a brilliant warm and moist morning. Mum and Dad had planned a big breakfast. We had bacon, sausages, pikelets, fried eggs and cooked tomatoes. It’s always good having breakfast with my daughters and parents.

Bacon, sausage, tomato, egg and pikelet at Wheller on the Park #breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone #bne #brisbane
Bacon, sausage, tomato, egg and pikelet at Wheller on the Park
#breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone #bne #brisbane
Maply syrup and bacon on a pikelet
Maply syrup and bacon on a pikelet
These plates are older than me
These plates are older than me

I’m now back in Canberra where it is cold, windy and wet. I wish I was back with my daughters in Brisbane.

A shout out to friends with Facebook pages

A shout out to friends with Facebook pages

It’s been a little while since I last posted anything here. I wanted this post to be a shout out to some friends’ Facebook pages and a roundup of what has happened for me in the last week. If you have Facebook pages please feel free to leave a link to them in the comments below.

I’d like to mention a couple of European blogging friends.


Ana Calin

The first is Ana Calin. Ana is an author of suspense fiction and she has a passion for psychology. Ana regularly shares psychological profile questionnaires which are fun to take and learn from. For example, Ana will share a photograph or painting and ask her readers to look at a short selection of possible captions. You need to make your choice quickly without spending too much time ‘thinking’ it through. Down the page is a list of possible interpretations.

Ana is an active responder to comments so if you want an interactive blogger Ana is great. She also has a Facebook page.



Medical Fun Facts Podcast

Okay so here is a little bit of self-promotion. A friend at work inspired me to start a podcast on medical fun facts. This started when my friend, let’s call her KMV, was working in a short-term task force and I’d visit from time to time in my role as a medical adviser. Because I like to tell stories, KMV asked for a medical fun fact each time I visited. That was a while back and now KMV is in another area and we’re working together on one or two pieces of policy work.

low-res-copy-cropped

So MFF started as a podcast on my ‘professional’ webpage and KMV suggested putting it up on iTunes. It turns out it is dead easy if you’re using a Squarespace site to load a podcast and have it submitted to the iTunes podcast store.

If you want to listen and read each show head on over to https://drgarylum.com/blog/ and check it out. Now remember the emphasis is on fun which can also mean frivolous but facts are facts. These are short snippets of information with a little jargon, some strine and hopefully a laugh every now and then. So far I have ten shows on the blog.

Do you like listening to podcasts on your iOS device? Head over to the iTunes store and subscribe. The link is https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/blog-gary-lum/id1170771102

I’d love it if you subscribed if you like what you hear. Please also rate (5 stars would be great) and review in the iTunes store. If you do, it helps iTunes rank the podcast higher so others can find it. Thank you.

You can also get the shows at the Facebook Page. Please like it and you’ll receive a notification with each new episode.


Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates

My dear friends Peter and Li Peng are going gang busters with their handmade chocolate business, Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates.

I’m in a very fortunate position to see them every so often and I get to sample chocolate. If you live in or near Canberra you’ll be able to find Peter and Li Peng at various markets. You’ll also find their products in various outlets around Canberra. If you don’t live near Canberra, you can still try their award winning chocolate by putting an order in through their website.

Award winning Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates Gary Lum
Award winning Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates | The “Silk Road” Rocky road is to die for. It’s amazing. 

They have a Facebook page and you should read the reviews.

If you like chocolate, you need to get onto this straight away!

Both Peter and Li Peng are talented in the kitchen too. Last night we had a meal which started with salt and pepper squid, then a massive steam boat (no photographs, I was too busy talking and eating), then a gorgeous tiramisu which was followed by homemade baklava.

Peter's delicious salt and pepper squid Gary Lum
Peter’s delicious salt and pepper squid
Peter's Tiramisu Gary Lum
Peter’s Tiramisu. It was delicious.

My weekly roundup

I had a really big week. It started with a publication in the Medical Journal of Australia. I also gave evidence at a Senate hearing in Sydney. On Friday I started experiencing the symptoms of man flu.

Here’s what I ate and some other stuff too!

Almond crusted custard filled croissant from Ricardo's cafe and patisserie, Jamison #afternoontea #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Almond crusted custard filled croissant from Ricardo’s cafe and patisserie, Jamison
#afternoontea #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Best way to start Monday morning. Urban Bean Espresso Bar #coffee #canberra #cbr #woden #iphone
Best way to start Monday morning. Urban Bean Espresso Bar #coffee
#canberra #cbr #woden #iphone
Cheesy streaky bacon wrapped Chicken Maryland on quinoa rice with baby broccoli and avocado
Cheesy streaky bacon wrapped Chicken Maryland on quinoa rice with baby broccoli and avocado
Chicken, bacon and avocado sandwich from Urban Bean Espresso Bar #lunch #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone
Chicken, bacon and avocado sandwich from Urban Bean Espresso Bar
#lunch #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone
Public art at Canberra Airport
Public art at Canberra Airport
Coffee at Canberra Airport
Coffee at Canberra Airport
Yoghurt at Canberra Airport
Yoghurt at Canberra Airport
Payday #coffee from Urban Bean Espresso Bar and reading George Korch one of my favourite people. #lovemyjob #canberra #cbr #woden #iphone
Payday #coffee from Urban Bean Espresso Bar and reading George Korch one of my favourite people.
#lovemyjob #canberra #cbr #woden #iphone
#PayDay potato scallops for the win #lovemyjob #iphone #lunch #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood Gary Lum
#PayDay potato scallops for the win
#lovemyjob #iphone #lunch #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood
Slowly cooked oyster blade steak with potato chips and avocado #dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Slowly cooked oyster blade steak with potato chips and avocado
#dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Seafood basket with chips and gravy from The Canberra Hospital tuck shop Gary Lum
Seafood basket with chips and gravy from The Canberra Hospital tuck shop
Apple and walnut scroll
Apple and walnut scroll
Steak and cheese sandwich for #nationalsandwichday #TGIF #dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Steak and cheese sandwich for #nationalsandwichday #TGIF
#dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
#ManFlu Cheesy scrambled eggs with streaky bacon Saturday morning edition #breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
#ManFlu Cheesy scrambled eggs with streaky bacon Saturday morning edition
#breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Christmas tree at Westfield Belconnen. It seems way too early for this. Gary Lum
Christmas tree at Westfield Belconnen. It seems way too early for this.
Perfect Saturday morning coffee from Everbean Espresso Bar Gary Lum
Perfect Saturday morning coffee from Everbean Espresso Bar
Crispy streaky bacon and fried eggs Gary Lum
Crispy streaky bacon and fried eggs
#ManFlu Drinking #Coffee and working at Everbean Espresso Bar #morningtea #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone Gary Lum
#ManFlu Drinking #Coffee and working at Everbean Espresso Bar
#morningtea #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone
Award winning Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates Gary Lum
Award winning Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates
I'm standing on Beissel Street looking towards Lake Ginninderra and there is a car park in between despite the sign. Gary Lum
I’m standing on Beissel Street looking towards Lake Ginninderra and there is a car park in between despite the sign.

Blogs and dogs

It’s been a while since I’ve done a link love post here on Yummy Lummy.

I want to share some link love with two bloggers for whom there is a canine connection. Both own dogs and one blogs about her dog every day. The other blogs about a couple of webcomics she writes and she has a dog. I know this may be a tenuous connection but I needed a hook for the title and I communicate with each of them nearly every day through social media.

Jennifer P

The first blogger is Jennifer P. I’ve mentioned Jennifer a few times previously on Yummy Lummy. Jennifer is an independent author of fiction for children and teens as well as the creator of a couple of webcomics. She is very artistic.

Sarah and Choppy

The second blogger is Sarah. Sarah likes to travel with her dog Choppy. Although of late, Sarah and Choppy have limited their travel to daily walks.

The nice thing is that Jennifer and Sarah know each other.

The Canine Connection

So what’s the canine connection with Jennifer I hear you ask? Jennifer has recently started posting to Instagram and she has a great Vimeo channel. A recent video (on her Patreon site) was of her dog, Siggi going on a walk. Siggi has this bright blue illuminated collar which he wears to increase his visibility on footpaths. Jennifer has mentioned that sometimes cyclists ride on footpaths and it sounds like little Siggi can be easily missed. The collar is like a high visibility jacket.

Webcomics

Jennifer has a couple of webcomics and derives some money from a patreon account and the sale of webcomic-related merchandise. One of the comics, viz., Little Monster Girl is not safe for work NSFW. There’s nothing particularly offensive about LMG except it’s about Zela a little monster girl and her adventures in her comic realm. The thing that makes LMG NSFW is that she’s usually topless and she has large boobs. Then there is Lulu, Lulu has no knees and she has even larger boobs.

Jennifer’s other webcomic is titled There’s Something Wrong with Everyone. This is a quirky funny comic on Tapastic. This is safe for work SFW and is a bit of fun.

If you like a funny quirky read I can recommend both webcomics. Don’t expect too much from either comic and everything will be okay.

The Adventures of Choppy

So Sarah has a dog, viz., Choppy (F) and a cat, viz., Schooner (M) [BTW Jennifer has a cat too, viz., Mr Ashe]. Choppy features in four blog genres.

  1. Where’s Choppy? In these posts Sarah shoots a photograph of a scene with Choppy in it. It’s usually not obvious where Choppy is. It’s the reader’s task to find Choppy. Sarah usually follows up within a few days with the location.
  2. Howlidays are basically memes where Sarah hangs a sign around Choppy’s neck with a funny quote or slogan. Sarah also writes on a card and places it in front of Schooner’s fore paws. I’m guessing Schooner won’t let anything hang around his neck. The words on the card are usually a smart reply to the words on the sign around Choppy’s neck. Sometimes there are outtakes suggesting Schooner is very much his own cat. I’m hoping for some video violence in the future to add some excitement!
  3. Dog walk challenges are daily posts with a photograph of at least Choppy or a scene on Sarah’s walks plus some walk statistics.
  4. Corny dog jobs are irregular, associated often with holidays, but consist of up to a handful of memes featuring Choppy, usually in some fancy dress and jokes written in meme form. Most of these will give you a giggle, some make cause you to scratch your head and occasionally you will LMAO.

Choppy is a very forgiving girl and I often wonder about the relationship between her and Sarah!

Social media

You can find Sarah, Schooner and Choppy on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

You can find Jennifer and sometimes Siggi and Mr Asche on Instagram, Twitter and Twitter.

So what have I been up to over the last week?

I know you want to know what I’ve eaten and what else I’ve photographed this week!

Last night I caught up with a friend from the Northern Territory. She’s now a rural and remote general practitioner but when I knew her she was an excellent medical laboratory scientist who I worked with across the NT. She was in town for the Rural Medicine Australia conference. About nine of us dined at Aubergine. The reservation was set for 8.30 pm. That’s the time I go to bed. I was surprised I stayed awake but it was a fantastic night. I had so much fun. The food was also fantastic. We had a four-course meal plus canapes.

  1. Salad of local asparagus, crispy quail egg, grilled avocado and toasted buckwheat.
  2. Lamb rump and sweetbreads, broad beans, black garlic and celtuce.
  3. Beef rib eye, mustard butter, cippolini onion, pumpkin and zucchini.
  4. Brown butter ice cream, almond praline, and frozen lemon myrtle milk.

No photographs because I was too busy talking and eating.

Black swans and cygnets on Lake Ginninderra #canberra #belconnen #lakeginninderra #sonyalpha #lightroom #aurorahdr #hdr Gary Lum
Black swans and cygnets on Lake Ginninderra
#canberra #belconnen #lakeginninderra #sonyalpha #lightroom #aurorahdr #hdr
Budgerigar on Lake Ginninderra #visitcanberra #canberra #belconnen #lakeginninderra #sonyalpha #lightroom #aurorahdr #hdr Gary Lum
Juvenile red rumped parrot on Lake Ginninderra #visitcanberra #canberra #belconnen #lakeginninderra #sonyalpha #lightroom #aurorahdr #hdr
Lake Ginninderra in HDR Gary Lum
Lake Ginninderra in HDR
Lake Ginninderra in HDR #canberra #belconnen #lakeginninderra #cbr #visitcanberra #sonyalpha #lightroom #aurorahdr #hdr Gary Lum
Lake Ginninderra in HDR
#canberra #belconnen #lakeginninderra #cbr #visitcanberra #sonyalpha #lightroom #aurorahdr #hdr
Crispy streaky bacon and fried wasabi sesame seeded eggs with Worcestershire sauce #breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Crispy streaky bacon and fried wasabi sesame seeded eggs with Worcestershire sauce
#breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
A pair of black swans and cygnets on Lake Ginninderra. I wonder if it is a cob and pen. Gary Lum
A pair of black swans and cygnets on Lake Ginninderra. I wonder if it is a cob and pen.
A pair of black swans and cygnets near Lake Ginninderra. I wonder if it is a cob and pen. #lakeginninderra #belconnen #canberra #cbr #visitcanberra #igerscanberra #australia #hdr #sonyalpha Gary Lum
A pair of black swans and cygnets near Lake Ginninderra. I wonder if it is a cob and pen.
#lakeginninderra #belconnen #canberra #cbr #visitcanberra #igerscanberra #australia #hdr #sonyalpha
Lake Ginninderra HDR Gary Lum
Lake Ginninderra HDR
#CloudPorn over #LakeGinninderra #belconnen #canberra #cbr #visitcanberra #igerscanberra #australia #hdr #sonyalpha Gary Lum
#CloudPorn over #LakeGinninderra #belconnen #canberra #cbr #visitcanberra #igerscanberra #australia #hdr #sonyalpha
Lake Ginninderra HDR Gary Lum
Lake Ginninderra HDR
Saturday morning coffee at Everbean Espresso Bar Gary Lum
Saturday morning coffee at Everbean Espresso Bar
Streaky bacon, fried eggs and cheese #breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Streaky bacon, fried eggs and cheese
#breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Rare Scotch rib eye fillet steak with chips and pepper sauce at the Canberra Southern Cross Club, Jamison #dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone Gary Lum
Rare Scotch rib eye fillet steak with chips and pepper sauce at the Canberra Southern Cross Club, Jamison
#dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone
Vanilla ice cream and salted caramel topping #dessert #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Vanilla ice cream and salted caramel topping
#dessert #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Fried chicken and roast vegetables from the Canberra Hospital's staff cafeteria Gary Lum
Fried chicken and roast vegetables from the Canberra Hospital’s staff cafeteria
Roast sesame Chicken Maryland with avocado and potato chips #dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Roast sesame Chicken Maryland with avocado and potato chips
#dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Really delicious mildly spicy payday butter chicken with Jasmine rice from Urban Bean Espresso Bar #lunch #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone Gary Lum
Really delicious mildly spicy payday butter chicken with Jasmine rice from Urban Bean Espresso Bar
#lunch #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #iphone
Payday #coffee because specialist microbiologists do it with culture and sensitivity #coffee #tired #fatigue #science #medicine #pathology #truth Gary Lum
Payday #coffee because specialist microbiologists do it with culture and sensitivity
#coffee #tired #fatigue #science #medicine #pathology #truth
Public art in Woden on a cloudy Thursday morning Gary Lum
Public art in Woden on a cloudy Thursday morning
I really needed a good #coffee from Urban Bean Espresso Bar and a good read about the science of immunisation #coffee #immunisation #vaccination #science #vaccines #truth #medicine Gary Lum
I really needed a good #coffee from Urban Bean Espresso Bar and a good read about the science of immunisation
#coffee #immunisation #vaccination #science #vaccines #truth #medicine
Preparing for a big day at work. Black pepper Spam with cheese and wasabi sesame seeds #breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Preparing for a big day at work. Black pepper Spam with cheese and wasabi sesame seeds
#breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Queensland nut (Macadamia sp) and lemon myrtle Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates #snack #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Queensland nut (Macadamia sp) and lemon myrtle Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates
#snack #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Baked wasabi sesame seed salmon, pickled jalapeño pepper fennel salad and avocado #dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Baked wasabi sesame seed salmon, pickled jalapeño pepper fennel salad and avocado
#dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates black and white sesame milk #chocolate #snack #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Jasper and Myrtle Chocolates black and white sesame milk #chocolate
#snack #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Baked salmon, streaky bacon, baby broccoli, asparagus and pickled jalapeño peppers #dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Baked salmon, streaky bacon, baby broccoli, asparagus and pickled jalapeño peppers
#dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Slowly roasted rump with nutty kale coleslaw and garlic aioli #dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Slowly roasted rump with nutty kale coleslaw and garlic aioli
#dinner #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
If you really like dark chocolate. I highly recommend Jasper and Myrtle 80% PNG Dark Chocolate #smooth #rich #snack #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
If you really like dark chocolate. I highly recommend Jasper and Myrtle 80% PNG Dark Chocolate
#smooth #rich #snack #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Crispy cheesy fried noodles with garlic prawns and pickled jalapeño peppers #lunch #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Crispy cheesy fried noodles with garlic prawns and pickled jalapeño peppers
#lunch #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Breakfast lamb sausage and black pepper spam #breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon Gary Lum
Breakfast lamb sausage and black pepper spam
#breakfast #yummylummy #foodporn #yummy #delicious #instafood #nikon
Here's me opening a can of black pepper Spam while wearing my Spam Hawaii T-shirt Gary Lum
Here’s me opening a can of black pepper Spam while wearing my Spam Hawaii T-shirt