I finally found wi-fi here in England! (Sound of Guinness glasses clanking)Anyway….holidays. Yeah. The key is to shed all inhibitions and allow yourself to be totally immersed in whatever new experience that comes your way, and not have any preconceived notions. And this applies to everything, not just holidays, doesn’t it? Putting aside repetitions (like the black and white P.Ramlee movies that they keep showing on telly every year) and telling yourself that you will enjoy every moment like it’s a new experience. And then, after experiencing that mind blowing moment, you want to shout it out to the whole world and you hope that somebody, anybody, will listen.

My next few posts may not be about Malaysian food or restaurants, but I’d like to share them with you anyway, because really, good food should always be celebrated.

We had timed our visit to Stonehenge (in the Wiltshire county) to coincide with lunch. The reason was obvious. (Hint: makan!)

The proprietors of The George and Dragon personally served us, and that made all the difference as they knew what they were serving and what to recommend. The comfortably furnished 14th century gastropub (it started off as a meeting house which later became a public house) was a perfect destination for us to warm ourselves up after enjoying the historic Stonehenge.

The breads were lovely. We all agreed that the cheese and jalapeno bread was the best; bursting with flavour, a little spicy and went marvelously with the butter. We were also served olive bread and brown bread for those who preferred less spicy bread. What a treat!

Aaah. Fresh sardines, fried till a little crispy and served with aioli sauce. Aioli has a texture similar to mayonnaise and is probably similar to mayonnaise except for the addition of a couple of other ingredients (eg. garlic). By itself, the sardine was good. With the aioli, it was spectacular. Of course, there were the constant murmurs on the side by the non-sardine eaters (Msiagirl and Bald Eagle) asking me to chew and swallow the bones!

Bald Eagle and Msiagirl both chose the beef carpaccio. The rocket and parmesan went well with the tender beef slices.

For our mains, Msiagirl and I both had the cod fillet with parsley mash. Sadly, I forgot to photograph it; perhaps it indicated my excitement at seeing such a tantalising dish. Bald Eagle’s Lobster and Crayfish Tartlet, despite it’s simple appearance, was exploding with flavours from the shellfish.

We were served a variety of side dishes, from crispy potatoes with onions, and ratatouille…….

….to cheesy cauliflower……

….to a green salad. They were all generous helpings.

And to top it all off, we had homemade vanilla, kiwifruit & chocolate chip and strawberries & champagne icecream made by the proprietor’s mother-in-law!

Thank you, Msiagirl & family for hosting us these couple of days, for showing us around your lovely city and for sharing your lives with us.

The George & Dragon
High Street Rowde Devizes
Wiltshire SN10 2AN

Telephone: 01380 723053

Website: Click here.