more of '50 things to eat before u die'

Many moons ago, I said I would write about my food (or lack thereof) experiences, using the BBC's list of top 50 food to eat as a guideline. Here's me continuing from where I stopped!

40. Australian meat pie

I'm not sure if there's a big difference between Australian and New Zealand meat pies. Pie fans reading this will probably nod their heads furiously and proceed to list their favorites. Having the lamentable misfortune of being brought up in Singapore, I've had my share of delicious meat puffs but not so many meat pies.

My most memorable meat pie encounter was from a holiday in New Zealand last year. I had a pie almost everyday from freshly baked ones right out of the oven of renown bakeries to the frozen supermarket variety. In the end, it was a little bakery in Arrowtown that blew us away! Shocking really, because unlike many other famous bakeries, this bakery is just a small joint and they make no claims of being the "world's best". I like small, rustic, humble bakeries that serve great food, and when I am in the Wakatipu area again, I'd drive over in heartbeat.

39. Scallops

Fresh and plump from the market, I pat them dry with a paper towel and sear them in a pan of butter till they are slightly brown and crusty - I would have scallops no other way.

38. Kebab

Originating from Greece or Turkey, no one is really knows, the kebab or obeliskos (in ancient greek) has appeared in classical literature since the "Iliad" and "The Odyssey", yet it is today associated with middle eastern culture!

36. Barramundi

is a type of fish. And I'm just only getting to know the food I eat a little better so I'm not sure if I've had Barramundi before. But guess what, there's a Barramundi farm here in Singapore!

37. Reindeer

Masqueraded as 'Caribou' ("a Canadian speciality all visitors must try" said our guide book), my friends and I gamely ordered a large dish from a restaurant in Quebec City. The well-marinated caribou was served sitting on a creamy king-size bed of mashed potatoes, a generous dollop of gravy rolling off its side. How could anyone resist such a hearty, rustic meal on a cold, clammy day? We cleaned our plates and declared the dish delicious, one of the better choices we had made that evening. It was only later, back in our hostels that a quick google search revealed the unthinkable - we had eaten Rudolph and enjoyed it!