A Trip to the Plant Nursery, Abu Gosh

On Saturday we took a day trip to visit some friends and used the opportunity to pick up some plants for our new apartment at the plant nursery Shtiley Har in Abu Gosh. They have a great array of plants for the indoor and outdoor and a knowledgeable and helpful staff.

Our Cart with a selection of plants and herbs soon to be in our new home.

A Day on Ben Yehuda Street

Lately, in our ventures out and about, we were surprised to find many new shopping and dining options on the lesser known Ben Yehuda street. This street, the unpopular older brother of Dizengoff, once known only for double parking and retail stores now has many new (and "ancient") boutiques and restaurants amid a French and American clientele. We went out on a mission to rediscover this long forgotten stretch of Tel Aviv and found what we think is the next best thing.

Gallery 74 at no. 74 (Ben Yehuda st.) is an old antique store that seems to have always been. Yet somehow every time we pass by the store window we glaze over the cluttered objects and neon lighting inside. We finally got through the door and learned that it specializes in early 1900s silver judaica among other great finds. Its the perfect place to find a 1940s filigree silver mezuzah.

Persepolis at no. 60 is another dusty old antique store. It is mostly filled with junk and fake nic nacs, BUT anyone for some old Iranian torah cases? These ornamented antique cases can reach the four digit range (in $). Perfect for the Jew who has everything.

Once Upon a Time (Hayo Haya) at no. 72 is the resident second hand clothing shop.

Anavim at number 126 has a good wine selection (and fair prices) and offers tastings on Friday afternoons. We bought a bottle of 2002 Reserve Marques de Caceres Rioja but have yet to enjoy it. The store also has a branch on 21 Yirmeyahu st.

Deja Vu, no. 121, is the only place in northern Tel Aviv to find a decent pair of spectacles. Half of us buys their glasses here, black, plastic and Anne et Valentin. The store carries Cutler and Gross, Theo, Mykita and more...and the other half of us finds the owner tres cute. (French spoken)

Other places on Ben Yehuda:

no. 116,  Nedunya: kitchen antiques.
no. 36, Alaska Furs: a long lost fur boutique.

Great eating options:
no. 69, Frank: German frankfurters. tel: 077 411 3150
no. 98, Ma Poule:  a kosher rotisserie selling roast chicken and baked potatoes. tel: 03 522 0424
no. 106, Wineberg: wine bar with excellent tapas and sandwiches. tel: 03 522 3939
no. 120, Mika: the usual Tel Aviv bistro. tel: 03 529 8764
no. 122, Dolce Melody: real Italian ice ream store which we consider the best in town. tel: 03 527 4008

Carving the Turkey

Ever wanted to know how to carve a turkey? We followed this great New York Times video and succeeded in carving our first turkey! Carving the turkey in advance has two advantages: you can get more meat from the bird and you get to secretly nibble in the kitchen.

Independent Businesses, Battambang, CAMBODIA

Our first day in Cambodia was very well spent. It started with us hopping on the back of two motorcycles and speeding around the villages of Battambang. David and Sogpon showed us the real Cambodia and took us to see the production of some local specialties: sticky rice, rice paper, rice noodles and fish paste. Many Cambodian families subsidize their income by hand-making these products using methods passed on by previous generations.



One Royal on a moto.





Abandoned Pepsi factory.





Cleaning the bamboo before adding sticky rice.





Chopping salted fish for the fish paste.

The infamous Bamboo Train: using the old French tracks for a new use, villagers ride this new invention (a motor + a bamboo platform) to town. When two cars meet the lighter "train" dismantles and reassembles on the other side.

Sukhothai Historical Park

Getting inside the park proved some difficulty for us. At first we tried the bicycle option: Rena was an excellent student, but somehow the bicycle refused to be tamed and she stuck to her motto "I do heels, not wheels!". Attempt 2: Tom, the motorcycle and the 30 seconds drive which brought us back to point one. We then gathered our senses and said:" five star or no star" and hopped on a tuk-tuk which ferried us around the park for the afternoon.



Beautiful but over-gardened, the remains were moving and the ride comfortable.

Deep Fried Bananas

Our favorite lady vendor in all Bangkok makes the most delicious fried bananas we have had. Her stall was dangerously situated around the corner from our guesthouse (Samsen Road Soi 1, Bangkok, for those of you in the area). We think her secret lies in the sesame seeds added to the batter. Wanna know how to make it? Visit our food blog The Royal Kitchen.

The Amulet Market, Bangkok

The road to Wat Pho is bustling with amulet vendors and Buddhist paraphernalia.

Bangkok, Our First Impressions

Some views around Khao San Road.

What They Ate... Beijing Fare

Beijing boasts some excellent restaurants, tucked away in back alleys or behind major shopping centers.


Liu Zhai Shifu. A great Hutong courtyard serving delicious traditional Beijing cuisine.

8, Meishuguan Dongjia, Dongcheng District.




Longcheng Tang. Great Guangxi grub and charming courtyard setting. we loved all the dishes featuring bamboo shoots.

28, Huangchenggen Beijie, Dongcheng District.

Duck de Chine. Superb Beijing duck, enough said.

Courtyard 4, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District.

On The Move

It's been over a month in Central Asia and we are finally moving onto the the last leg of the Silk Road: CHINA!

We are currently in transit, passing through the high peaks and low valleys of Kyrgyzstan, back to Osh and onto the Chinese border.

Rumours have reached us that Internet access is difficult to come by these days around the Republic. We'll try our best to keep updating our whereabouts and experiences, so stay tuned!

Altyn-Arashan

We spent two nights in the Ranger's Cabin, on the other side of the river. It's a great choice among the few guesthouses that are dotted around the valley (but dress warmly...). Altyn-Arashan is known for its hot sulfur springs attached to every house and its a great way to keep warm. The ranger dropped us the key when we met him riding his horse into town, and we had the place to ourselves.

What They Ate... Ashlyanfu Noodles

Karakol has a large population of Dungan, an ethnic group of Muslim Chinese found in Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and the Xinjiang province in China. Their cuisine combines Central Asian cooking and Far Eastern spices. 

Ashlyanfu Noodles: A light delicious Dungan treat. A mix of cold wheat noodles and gelatine bean noodles drowned in a vinegary sauce. Cold vegetable broth is then added and topped with a bit of red chili paste. Eat it with the locals on a bench at the market, and soak in the oriental atmosphere.  

Wanna see more? Go to our sister food blog: www.theroyalkitchen.blogspot.com

Medical Care, Tashkent

In need of quick check-up and various "other" tests related to the accidental horse eating episode, we shuffled back and forth to the retro-Soviet establishment that is Polyclinic No. 1.

The level of medical practice was fairly decent, but the lab was substandard and obscene. The lab technician was surrounded by outdated glass tubes, pumps and other unrecognizable metal instruments. After unsuccessfully drawing blood from our fingers, she suggested she try from our ears. We politely declined.

Non (bread), Khiva

Non, Uzbek bread is served with every meal. It is round and flat and baked in a tandyr oven. At Meros' we helped make the weekly stash.

The neighbor bakes our bread in her tandyr oven. Before baking, the dough is stamped with a pattern.

Meros Guesthouse, Khiva

Dodge the touristy hotels of Khiva and relax in this quiet family run guesthouse facing the inner side of the old city walls. It is filled with charm and ornamentation. Some rooms come complete with a balcony, and the dining room is fit for a king.

View of the walls and Meros.

The grandaughter.

What They Ate... Lachman

A good Lachman is always best enjoyed sitting on a tapchan with family and friends. Eat it like a spaghetti in a soup, and take large mouthfuls.

Salom Inn, Bukhara

Our pick from the many renovated B&Bs in Bukhara is the Salom Inn, just off the Lyab-i-Hauz. This former merchant's house in the heart of the old Jewish Quarter, is set around a central courtyard where you can have green tea and sweets on a hot afternoon. The rooms are clean with large and comfortable beds, and the staff is friendly and professional.


http://www.salomtravel.com/