1.
I learnt a new word.
Sitting at the Kop end of the Anfield stadium, I am moved to tears as I listen to grown men croon all their favourite tunes, surprisingly in harmony, as they wave their scarves in the air. There is a certain camaraderie amongst these hardcore supporters that move me.
And then the game between Liverpool and Spurs starts. Soon after the 12th minute first goal, I hear gradually ascending sounds around me.
“Fockit!”, he mumbles.
Mmmmm. Sounds like some type of British food. Probably in the same genre as Spotted Dick.
“Fockit, lads!!”, his voice is filled with frustration, his expression grim.
Aaah. I blush. A little. This is British expletive at its best. Around me, more murmurs of “fockit” are exclaimed.
To think that Liverpool almost lost that game. They made Spurs look good that day. Fockit.
2.
Thankfully, there was reason to cheer that night. Liverpool scored an equaliser at injury time.
So we got back, changed into fresh clothes, and headed for stunning Albert Dock which houses Tate Liverpool and several other museums as well as some of the nicest (and most expensive) restaurants in Liverpool.
Est Est Est, an Italian restaurant, captured our attention almost immediately. Many of the restaurants along the dock were hardly filled, but we were amazed at how crowded Est Est Est was. We didn’t make any reservations, so they gave us a little device that would blink like an X’mas decoration when a table was ready for us. We spent the half hour wait at the bar enjoying a jug of June bug – a delightful concoction of banana liquor, Midori, Koko Kano, fresh lemon sours mix and pineapple juice.
We had almost finished the jug when our electronic device blinked furiously, and so we tottered off after the waitress who led us to our table. It was still very crowded; half of Liverpool must have been there that night! And the noise would have made a Chinese restaurant here in Malaysia look tame. Such boisterous conversation all around me. I bet it was all that wine that they were consuming. Loud conversations can mean only one thing – that the patrons were happy. And happy patrons equals great food. Or at least, we hoped!
Feeling somewhat unsteady at this point, I was quite happy to see my starter arrive soon after we gave our order. My gigantic piece of aubergine baked with tomato and mozarella was enough to fill my stomach and my only complaint was that it lacked salt. But that was easily rectified by sprinkling a little salt on it. Bald Eagle’s field mushrooms roasted with italian sausages was a rustic dish that was full of flavour. Certainly a good start to our meal.
The mains took a little longer to arrive, and by this point, I had photographed the olive oil on my table at least 15 times. I didn’t despair, though, when the mains were finally set down before us. My pan-fried organic salmon fillet was cooked to perfection! The flesh was moist and not overly flaky and it went wonderfully with the side dish consisting of mashed potatoes which derived its flavouring from the crushed olives and sundried tomatoes – both tart in flavour and contrasting wonderfully with the bland taste of potatoes. I savoured every mouthful with a sigh of contentment.
Bald Eagle’s main was equally good. His slow braised lamb shoulder was extremely tender. This dish was served with grilled polenta, braised vegetables and red wine jus.
Est Est Est
Edward Pavillion, Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4AF
Tel: 0870 40 12 125
1. i was kinda (on+off)on the look out for some malaysian lads when the game was streamed. damn, spurs was so near but yet so far…what happened!!?? fockit!
2. ‘organic salmon’ as in swim in the streams of the hyde park?? lol. and i thot italien fare comprises of ‘spaghetti’ and ‘pizza’….errr, gelato and ravioli…lol. kiddin!
haha watching a premier league match is a must when u visit UK..i betrayed arsenal and watched a Man Utd match and i cant forget it till now..
I’d kill for a jug of June Bug now… And it’s 10 in the morning. And I’m at my gym! I so have my priorities all screwed up… or do I? 😉
It’s brilliant having you back, dear. *hugs*
love the way you write..could almost feel the atmosphere there :). hungry now just reading about the food.
YNWA… can’t help but feel envious, you managed to get tickets to a home game and watched it from the KOP end… fuah !!!!
Not much into football either.. but just the same.. the food looks yummy..! food does get the better of me.. hhahaa!!
ktx: when don’t you try out Il Tempio in November. Chef Papa will make something very special for you.
see you when you get back lemongrass, remember to share all your photos.
k.t.x: too bad abt the spurs, hor. hehehe. wei, time to support a winning team lar. 😛
nipples: some ppl would kill to watch a man utd game live too. hehe.
kenny mah: i gotta get some of those ingredients (where da hell does one get banana liquor?? i so ulu lar)…one day we have cocktail party, k. 😀
sc: coming from u, that’s seriously a compliment, girl! thank you.
bernsy: we were lucky. Our friends who had season tickets kinda forced their kids to give up their tickets for us. Or else, where got chance to watch the game from the Kop end wan. hehe.
mama bok: hahaha. well, one of the best things abt my vacation was the food, so i totally get ya!
henry: you can see some of my vacation pics on my flickr account..I’ve loaded them there already. 🙂
Mmm…Fockit…Fukuya…new F words I learnt! LOL!
I love it how you intersperse your atmosphere pic with your food pics, both equally gorgeous. I did feel like I was there! Well at least Spurs didn’t lose like usual :P!
Banana liquor huh? You’d think you could get plenty of that in KL!
I wonder how many centuries I have to save in order to eat and sleep in England. Bad… bad idea to read your post.
wmw: yeah, it’s wonderful, isn’t it? 😉
msiagirl: we were wondering how Mr G would react about the almost sure win for Spurs. hehe.
teckiee: aiyah, no need to save up that long wan la. If you plan well enough, you’ll be able to save a lot in certain areas, eg. transportation, coz the earlier you book, the cheaper your tickets are.
drooling over this post of yours…, gosh I am so homesick…not malaysia but uk. Got to say that salmon you had, you can’t get them in KL, somehow may due to freshness, the texture of the fish is so different. If you are there, do not miss the cod fish, wild golden trout, rainbow trout, sole and halibut! I really miss having them!
yay! my turn! 😉 hehehe 😉 In Bahrain at the moment in transit, with wifi would you believe. Enjoying it while I can. See you soon hun. And thanks for dropping by the other day! 🙂
BBO: I think you’re right…the salmon is quite different from what you can get over here. What a pity!
Just: Yay…I can’t wait to hear of your adventures! Not fair how easily you can get wi-fi!
I guess i will not hv chance to visit England just like you…so the only way is to read yr blog! Can’t wait to see more!!
I must ask Hubby to visit your blog now!!!!!
LOL, what a word!
that must be really nice to watch it live!!!!!! and 18 times on da olive oil??? O_o lol…. that must be really long that you have waited…. anyways, da eggplant really looks yummy…… how i wish to have a bite right now!
I think Mr G is used to being depressed about football! I have to admire his loyalty though:) yeah and I notice you got aubergine, what – one way so that bald eagle won’t eat your food ah?
thoz u were still in dublin with that est stuporover then thoz again we were seeing double shadows
until we saw that mispelt word,time and time again, Long live liverpool(lll) & LL !
No pixes for me.. fockit!! I’m gonna go cook my own brinjals… LOL
such a fockin’ pity we couldn’t meet!! LOLOLOL
jackson: you want more? Cannnnn….!
precious pea: I got more pics of the Liverpool team. Can share with ur hubby. 😛
jason: fockit? Yeah…love it. Remind me to pronounce it correctly for u the next time I see u. 😛
meiyen: oh yeah, I loved watching the game live. And the pleasant dinner after that was the icing on the cake…even tho the mains took forever to come!
msiagirl: Bald Eagle was “gracious” enough to let me order aubergine. LOL. I guess he knows how deprived I am since I can’t cook it at home!
team bsg: my posts are like time travel. One moment you’re in dublin, the next in Liverpool, and then, it’s Ireland again. 😀
kat: what the fock…where got country don’t allow flickr wan? Aiyoh…move lar. 😛
Well, sometimes happy patrons means cheap drinks, but I’m glad that this time it was the food. =)