Vippa, Oslo

 We have departed on our mini European tour!

First stop - Oslo

We stayed with Dr Mick who moved to Oslo a few years ago and who is now a seasoned local (seasoned with salt and pepper) and so therefore knows some good places to get some grub.

He took us to Vippa, a food hall which offers many different types of street food in one big shed.   The long tables reminded me of a school canteen, but in a good way, and you had to clear up after yourself too - putting your dirty cutlery and glasses is a designated area for washing and making sure your table was clean.

It was great to see that each food stall had their own arty storefront to showcase their delicious food.  There were many options available, including a bar where we bought some local beer - the name escapes me but it certainly was good.

Thai food, Chinese dumplings, a stall which specialised in any thing chili related, oodles of noodles, pizzas, Ethiopian cuisine, spring rolls, all sorts of Mexican food, ramen, curries...and those are just the ones I can remember!

Predictable as ever, I had a sushi bowl by a stall called Bowls by Trio who, from what I can work out, serve food in bowls.  Simple as that.  It was delicious, but (to us non-locals) expensive, as is everything in Norway.  It's all relative, I'm told.

If I remember correctly, Michael had a curry.  If I don't remember correctly, I have only imagined this because of the frequency with which Michael consumes curries.  He loves a curry, that lad.

I was kindly gifted one of Alan's chips (the smallest one he could find!) that he bought from Duck It, who sell pulled duck burgers and chips, the chips being fried in duck fat.  The burger looked and smelt amazing.  I'll admit to having been a little jealous of him.

Why the duck don't we have a similar place in Aberdeen?  Or anywhere in Scotland?  (Correct me if I'm wrong!)  Someone sort it out!

The Newsroom, Edinburgh

We have visited The Newsroom a couple of times now, it's conveniently located just off of Princes Street.  This time we were here for a late lunch, a pint, and to escape the torrential rain.  We sat near the window and enjoyed watching the people outside get soaked as we were cosy inside, drinking beer and listening to the great soundtrack which was being played.  The guy next to us kept over-enthusiastically singing into his wife's ear, much to her annoyance and to our amusement.

Alan, as ever, had trusty old fish and chips (£12).  I must admit, I struggled to find something on the menu that I fancied.  A lot of the dishes on the menu just seemed a bit heavy for what I was after, considering we were eating quite late and would have supper in a few hours.  These are the sort of things Alan doesn't worry about.  He's always hungry, no matter what.

I settled for chicken wings (£6) with a side of chips (£3.50).  Neither of us were disappointed.  Our food arrived quickly and was hot.  The wings were tasty and juicy, covered in sticky sauce.  The chips were fat and fluffy, just as you would expect in a pub.  Good old 'pub chips'.

The cocktail menu looked really good with lots to choose from.  Next time I think we'll treat ourselves to a tipple or two.  We'll be back.

Red Lobster, Waikiki, Hawaii

We don't have Red Lobster in the UK and so I wanted to know what all the fuss was about.  I've never tried lobster, so I must say I have had nothing to compare this experience with.

I must admit, the place was lacking in ambiance, perhaps I was expecting too much from this chain restaurant, maybe it was because we had arrived fairly late in the evening, I really couldn't put my finger on it.  The young waitress showed us to the bar as they were 'full', although we could both see numerous empty tables.  We had a drink and waited.  We must have been there about 20 minutes and were discussing just leaving and going somewhere else when a different waiter came to ask if we were waiting for a table.  He seemed surprised that we were, and seated us in one of the numerous empty booths.

We had already decided what we were having, as we had to chance to view the menu when waiting at the bar, and so ordered straight away.  I had the Ultimate Feast as I was keen to try both lobster and snow crab legs, which I believe are somewhat of a delicacy in Hawaii.  I'll admit I was a little nervous about them, not knowing how to eat them or what they would taste like.

Our waiter seemed very nice and spoke to us about being Scottish, "I used to work with Jim from Edinburgh, do you know him?", and whizzed around the other tables without a second to spare.  He brought us Ceasar Salads and a basket of biscuits (the American kind, which is sort of like a scone, as opposed to a selection of custard creams or bourbons) which we did not ask for, but enjoyed all the more for it.  I'm unsure about whether or not these are complimentary to all Red Lobster diners, or if they were perhaps included in the particular meals that we had chosen.  As we awaited our main courses, I watched in awe every time a waiter placed yet another empty plate on a particular table in the middle of the floor in our section.  There must have been roughly a hundred dirty plates and sets of cutlery and glasses on the table, which nobody seemed to be clearing.  I couldn't understand why they were putting the dirty crockery there.  It was nowhere near the kitchen.  Some of the other waiting staff from other sections of the restaurant even seemed to be walking the whole length of the place to put dity plates on this table.  Some of the piles of plates were so high they were teetering and wobbled every time our speedy waiter walked past them.  I guess I'll never know why.

Our mains arrived and I think you'll see from the photo that I was absolutely delighted with what was placed before me.  Our waiter saw a flicker of apprehension on my face and quickly showed me how to eat the crab legs.  It really is much easier than it looks and I gave it my best shot.  I don't think I did too badly.  They were buttery and delicious, as was the lobster.  I couldn't finish all the food, having been filled up by salad and biscuits - I'll bear this in mind if I ever visit again.


The food was fantastic and very reasonably priced.  I felt the restaurant needed spruced up a wee bit, just a lick of paint here and there.  The waiter we had was really lovely, I'm annoyed I can't remember his name.  I must remember to keep an eye out for Jim next time I'm in Edinburgh though.

Blue Water Shrimp, Waikiki, Hawaii

We got lost trying to find this place.  I'm glad we did because LOOK at the beautiful sunset we stumbled upon!!

We might not have caught a glimpse of this if we hadn't have been a bit lost.  We didn't linger for long  though because my husband was hangry and he turns into a Hulk-like being if you forget to feed him.

"You won't like me when I'm hangry!"

Eventually, after doing many, many loops of the rather expensive looking Hilton Hawaiian Village, we found the Blue Water Shrimp and Seafood Market and luckily managed to nab a table.  It was a busy place and seemed to be much more chip-shoppy than I had imagined from the name, with lots of people obviously just looking for a takeaway.

There was a good selection of food on offer and Alan was particularly excited that they were selling pineapples to drink from, as he had seemed to have become accustomed to drinking from tropical fruit.  He was pleased as punch.  

The food was really good - posh fish and chips which was beautifully presented with a tropical flower salad garnish.  Luckily, the portions were big, preventing Alan from turning green and traumatising the other holidaymakers by bursting out of his clothes.  He fairly enjoyed his pineapple too.  

Cue BBQ, Aberdeen

Today Alan and I went shopping in Aberdeen.  We don't often go, but there were a few good sales on and I wanted bargains!  

As non-breakfasters, we were both hungry by the time we were organised and ready to traipse around the streets, so we decided to nip into Cue BBQ which I had wanted to try for a wee while, after seeing their delicious looking posts on Facebook and Instagram.  (I should really get rid of all social media, it's costing me too much in food bills!)  One particular post stuck in my mind - the offer of smokey brisket stovies - difficult to resist!

We arrived at the restaurant and were able to choose our own seats, since we were the only customers there.  We chose a table for two by the window and were given menus by our friendly waitress.

To drink, Alan opted for a Pop Tart milkshake, and I asked for a banana one.  Unfortunately, there were no Pop Tarts and therefore no Pop Tart milkshakes, so he chose a chocolate fudge brownie one instead.  They were expensive at £5 each, but totally worth it!  We both found them quite filling though, so in hindsight we should have waited to have one towards the end of our meal.

Alan was eyeing up The Cue Overload, which is a tasty sounding challenge for those with massive appetites.  This is something which he would have definitely given a go six months ago, but he's getting on a bit now and his appetite isn't what it used to be.  He even asked our waitress about it, but decided against it when she admitted that it is massive.  One guy did it in 15 minutes according to their Wall of Fame!  We agreed to have a plate of stovies and a Cue Meat Platter to share between us.  Their extensive menu is on their website.  

As we sat in the empty restaurant, we were both impressed by the overall atmosphere of the place.  It didn't feel empty.  I was pleased to see the members of staff chatting and, at times, dancing behind the bar.  The playlist added greatly to the whole American barbecue theme, with Chuck Berry, Bruce Springsteen and Guns 'n' Roses playing - this was right up our street!  The decor added nicely to the experience, with a lot of exposed wood.

We soon started to notice other tables around us filling up.  By the time we left, we did find it quite noisy at times - I think this is just because there was nothing to 'absorb' the noise (no carpets, cushioned chairs, partitions etc) and there seemed to be a rather excited group of friends holding a reunion in one corner.  We didn't mind this at all but others, particularly those like my dad who is hard of hearing in one ear, may find this a difficult space to converse in. 

Our food arrived after about half an hour.  I'll admit the impatient side of me had started to wonder why it wasn't in my rumbling belly already, but then I saw it coming...

I think the photos speak for themselves.

Everything tasted as good as it looked, perhaps even better.  

The only thing I didn't particularly care for was the darker sausage - I'm unsure which kind this was since there were three different kinds on our vast, meaty platter - but then again, I'm not a huge sausage fan. (...I know, I know..)

Even Alan was defeated.  I hate leaving food on a plate, but we had no option as I really couldn't cart around three sausages, some chips, two onion rings and a dollop of homemade coleslaw in my handbag throughout a whole day of shopping, in fear if it all falling out and creating a sausagey scene.  The waiter did ask if we wanted to wrap any of it up to take home, if we had been heading home then I absolutely would have taken it.

Next time I will know not to be so greedy.  This place is excellent, not too expensive and possibly now my favourite place to eat in Aberdeen.  

Mambo's, Aviemore

Alan and I get married tomorrow!

We had gone out for a bite to eat with a large group of guests who are staying with us in the lodge we had booked.  We decided it would be unlikely to find a place that would sit 20-odd people for a meal without us having booked, so we split up into smaller groups.

I was stuck with Alan I'm afraid, due to him having a hold of our bank card.  I didn't take my own one with me.  Mambo's would never have been my first choice in places to eat on the night before I got married, but this is where we ended up.

It's an odd wee place.  It has a sort of swish bar, but horrifically stark strip lights and sticky furniture, which really brings the place down.  It reminds me of the kitchen in a relatively nice hostel.  It's in need of a really good clean and some new lighting.  It lacked in atmosphere due to this, a shame given we were dining at peak time on a Friday evening.

The menu is very basic, offering mainly burgers and a few other options.  We were dining with two Swiss relatives, one who is vegetarian, whose options were very limited, although she did seem to enjoy her spicy bean burger.  I opted for a hot dog - I've never really been much of a burger person - although I instantly regretted my decision when I saw everybody else's burgers arrive.  I was super jealous.  My hot dog was sad and inferior in comparison.  Their burgers looked amazing, all covered in cheese and sauce and pickles and bacon!  There was also a basket of chips!  I love chips!

I know there were loads of burgers on the menu, but apart from that, it wasn't overtly obvious that this place were good at burgers.  I feel they're missing a marketing trick.

I may very well go here again, but I'll certainly not rush back due to the lack of atmosphere.  If I do I'll definitely have one of their burgers though.

Kellockbank, near Insch, Aberdeenshire

I have now been to Kellockbank of a couple of occasions and have always enjoyed the shop, the garden centre and the coffee shop.  This place has lots on offer.

The food part of our trip, as always, was my favourite.  The menu is varied and has lots of delicious sounding combinations on offer.  There is always a menu of the day as well as the standard all-the-time menu.

The coffee shop is self service, with drinks and cakes being taken from the counter and if you order any 'real' food, it is taken to you at your table.  I like this setup as I imagine it must mean that there is a fair amount of fresh food being prepared in the kitchen, leading to less waste.

There were three different soups on offer, a couple of quiches, a few main courses and two puddings on the specials board on the day of our visit.  I opted for a soup to start, and intended to follow it up with strawberries and ice-cream, however the soup was finished!  I then opted for a steak panini - I am an avid meat eater.  If I had spotted it first, I probably wouldn't have even considered the soup!  Unfortunately, again, no steak, so no steak panini!

I felt the pressure to order quickly as the queue mounted behind me.  I ended up settling for macaroni cheese with chips and peas.  I instantly regretted my decision but felt it was too late to change it.

Alan, as usual, opted for a three course monster meal!  He had soup, fish and chips and then sticky toffee pudding.  All of which were of massive quantity.  It's not cheap there, however, they certainly don't scrimp on the portion sizes.  For all of the above, two drinks and a coffee we were roughly £37.


As it was a nice day, we asked if we might sit outside if there were tables.  The double doors were opened into the garden centre area and I had assumed that there may have been some tables to eat at outside.  The young lady at the counter said that there was only one table and pointed in the direction of it.  I found the table, however, it was for sale!  (£395 if you're interested!) I double checked with her and she assured me that it was fine to sit there.  It seemed a shame for there not be be a couple of outdoor tables, given that there seemed to be enough space for some.

My macaroni came along with Alan's soup and both were nice, not fantastic, nothing to rave about, but just good old boring nice.  My macaroni came with tinned peas - something which I really don't like to pay for.  If I had known they were going to be tinned I would have foregone them.  I can't explain my dislike for tinned veg.  The macaroni itself came in a wee dish of its own on the plate with the chips.  It was piping hot and had good flavour, but the pasta seemed to be a bit overcooked, falling to bits as I tried to get it on my fork.  The chips were nice.  I ate carefully so as not to spill on the table - I didn't want to be responsible for Kellockbank losing a sale due to cheese related damages.  Alan's fish was ginormous and looked perfectly crispy.  He must  have liked it as he finished before me, despite having the soup too.

I can't remember seeing his sticky toffee pudding, although it did arrive.  I had surely been too busy soaking up the sun (read: worrying about sunburn).

I will still come back here despite it not being quite as successful as the last few visits.  I made a poor choice in food when there were clearly so many other things I would have preferred.  Never mind...