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Lemongrass Chicken
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It's so simple yet so delicious! Lemongrass Chicken is a fabulous dish used in soups, served with rice or packed into Banh Mi. In the markets you mayfind it on sticks to be dunked into a fresh sauce, a satay or a Nuoc Cham. The zingy lemongrass makes a lovely fresh sauce for the chicken. This is a great dish for children who might not like the spicy foods of Asian cuisines. Some Vietnamese restaurants will serve the chicken schnitzel style with the sauce on top, others fried the chicken in slices.
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Vietnamese
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Tapas
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Tapas has had a rapid rise in popularity over the last 5 years due to the sociability of eating in groups in a casual way. Lots of small dishes are provided as ‘taster’ type delights, consisting of food such as ham and cheese croquettes (croquetas), garlic prawns (gambas ajillo), patatas bravas (spiced potato, garlic and tomato baked dish), tortilla (Spanish omelette) and many others. Usually eaten with a good bottle of Spanish wine.
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Spanish
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Chorizo
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A spicy hard sausage that is used in many dishes, or served on its own as part of a tapas. When fried, the deep red colour seeps into the pan (the colour comes from the smoked paprika from which the sausage is made). Can be served sliced in baguettes or included in other dishes, including potato dishes, it adds a different texture and warmth to whichever meal you have.
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Spanish
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Borek
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Eaten mainly as a starter or snack and similar to the Greek spanakopitta, layers of pastry are filled with either spinach and cheese or a spicy minced meat filling. Found in almost all Turkish restaurants and street takeaway vans who also sell kebabs and doner.
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Turkish
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Crispy Duck with Pancakes
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Served in virtually every Chinese restaurant around the country, Crispy Duck is a sociable way of eating with a group of friends or family. The duck is air-dried and then roasted in the oven with a honey and soy glaze and Chinese 5-Spice. This renders the skin crisp while the flesh stays tender. It is then shredded and served with a plum sauce, pancakes and finely sliced matchstick pieces of cucumber and spring onion. Take one of the pancakes from the bamboo steamer, a spoonful of sauce and top with the shredded vegetables and duck. Roll up and crunch it to it, simply delicious!
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Chinese
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Spaghetti and Meatballs
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Traditional Italian dish, with meatballs made of minced pork and beef, herbs and minced onion and garlic, and served in a rich thick tomato based ragu sauce. Can be served sometimes with shredded fresh basil or oregano and shavings of parmesan. As with carbonara, it tends to be served with garlic bread and side salad.
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Italian
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Gazpacho
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A summery cold soup, very traditional but also made in several different ways in restaurants. The base of the soup is tomato and pepper which as been blitzed from raw, and with the addition of cucumber, onions, tarragon and garlic. A dish of diced cucumber, capsicum and avocado in salsa-style is served to the side to sprinkle over your soup, along with garlic croutons. A very delicious appetiser
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Spanish
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Banh Xeo
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Crispy crepes or pancakes filled with succulent and tender pork, shrimp, beansprouts and herbs are served piping hot and you are encouraged to eat them like a local by cutting them into manageable pieces and rolling them up in lettuce leaves or rice paper – dip them into the selection of dips provided by the chef such as sweet chilli or a honey and soy, but the chef will usually spring a surprise on you with his secret combination!
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Vietnamese
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5-Spice Chicken Noodle Salad
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If you like salad and you love chicken then you have to try this dish. The chicken is coated in a mixture of spices including Chinese 5-Spices, grilled and sliced and placed on top of the salad. A cross between a noodle bowl and a salad, there are a multitude of flavours and textures using soy, ginger, lime and coriander to season the salad of matchstick carrots, noodles, peanuts and usually, whatever the chef decides to put in there! Really delicious.
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Vietnamese
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Muc Chien Gion
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If you like squid, this is the dish to try. Tiny baby squid are deep fried in a special coating (the recipe is never disclosed) and served with a clean tasting spice salt, pepper and lime dip.
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Vietnamese
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Moussaka
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An oven baked lasagna style dish but with the pasta being replaced by layers of eggplant. In between the layers is a delicious mix of spiced minced lamb with oregano and tomatoes. The whole dish is topped with a béchamel sauce and baked in the oven until the top is bubbling and golden. Some moussakas have a more savoury custard topping. Moussaka is made differently from restaurant to restaurant and can include sliced courgettes or part fried potato slices, depending on the chef’s recipes.
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Greek
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Kleftiko
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A joint of lamb, usually a whole leg which has been slow roasted until it falls of the bone. Cooked with garlic, lemon, potatoes and onions with plenty of oregano and thyme and tomatoes. Often the lamb is wrapped in paper and sealed to keep in the flavour and left for many hours on a low heat. Very delicious and very Greek!
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Greek
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Spanakopita
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A Greek savoury pastry often served as a starter or a snack, consisting of filo pastry wrapped around a filling of chopped spinach, feta cheese, onions, egg and seasoning. The dish is usually served as a triangular pastry, but some restaurants make large trays, almost pie like, and cut out wedges to serve with a mixed salad and yoghurt dip.
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Greek
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Mixed Grill
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There are those times when you just want to try everything on the menu and the mixed grill is the perfect way to achieve that! Kebabs, doners, grilled chicken, lamb cutlets served together with Tabouleh, hummus, dips and pita bread - it is a wonderful way to experience a little bit of it all. Try some side dishes with the mixed grill such as spicy walnut dip made with roasted red capsicum, sundried tomato, garlic, spices and of course walnuts! Or you might fancy the garlic and mint yoghurt.
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Turkish
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Lamb cutlets with garlic and rosemary
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Usually on every Italian menu, small trimmed lamb chops or cutlets are served steeped in fresh rosemary and garlic and pan fried or grilled. Served with sauté potatoes and vegetables, it is a hearty plate of food and delicious flavours. Tender pink lamb is enhanced by the earthy rosemary and garlic.
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Italian
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Minestrone Soup
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The classic and renowned Italian soup, comprising small pasta shapes, a rich chicken stock and finely diced vegetables such as celery, onions, tomatoes, carrots beans and herbs. Created in Ancient Roman times this soup is now served in many different ways, some finely and others much more chunky and hearty. A sprinkling of parmesan and a good basket of bread makes this really filling.
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Italian
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Lahmacun or Pide
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This is the Turkish equivalent to Pizza! However, they are always served thin and crisp, no deep pan pizzas! There is usually a vast array of toppings but the most popular still remains cheese, onion and tomato, or a fine spiced minced beef and onion with peppers and tomatoes. Usually served with a good portion of salad.
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Turkish
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Napoletana pasta sauce
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An amazing vegetarian italian option. Crushed tomato, onion, garlic, basil and parmesan. Sounds simple but bursting with lots of flavour.
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Italian
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Osso Buco
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A dish invented in Ancient Roman Times and perfected over the years to a more sophisticated Italian meal, consisting of cross-cut veal shanks, braised in red wine, onions, celery and carrots and served with a gremolata on the top (optional).
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Italian
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Bruschetta
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Delicious slices of bread, rubbed with garlic and tomato and seasoned before grilling. Various toppings are served, the most popular being diced tomatoes and red onion with finely chopped garlic and basil. Can also be served with a pesto topping, and sometimes with roasted aubergine and mushrooms. Usually a starter, but can be purchased as a main course.
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Italian
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Spanish Omelette
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There are many varieties of the spanish omelette but the true variation only consists of eggs with potato and onions with a hint of garlic. Nowadays restaurants also serve them with capsicum and they are frequently part of a tapas platter. Usually sliced into wedges and served with bread, the Spanish often make this dish into a sandwich!
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Spanish
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Paella
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Paella is served in huge circular pans, set in the middle of the table for sharing. Originating in Valencia in the l9th Century, when it was essentially a rice dish with vegetables and seafood or meat, most paellas are now mixed and include chicken, squid, vegetables, rice, saffron and white wine, with heaps of garlic! The rice is often left to ‘crisp’ up on the base of the pan and needs scraping to remove – very delicious.
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Spanish
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Lamb
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‘Chuletillas de Cordero – beautiful little tender lamb chops are cooked with a garlic and salt crust. Can be served as a tapas hot or cold, but usually served with a side dish of crispy potato cubes, marinated in herbs and garlic and fried. Very tasty.
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Spanish
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Pho
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This forms part of the staple Vietnamese diet and is served in most vietnamese restaurants in Australia. Comprising a salty broth with fresh rice noodles, chicken or beef, thai basil and vegetables, it is usually served in huge steaming bowls and accompanied by a hot and spicy sauce. Mixed Pho has become more popular recently, with the main part of the dish comprising both meat and seafood.
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Vietnamese
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Cha-Ca
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Originating from Hanoi in Vietnam, this dish comprises of small morsels of coated deep fried fish, which are served sizzling and coated with garlic, ginger, turmeric and other spices. It is usually brought to the table in a large hot pan for all to share, with side dishes of green beans and spring onions and a selection of dips.
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Vietnamese
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Mezze
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Traditional starter of an array of small plates of Greek food, similar to eating tapas style in Spain. Regular dishes include hummus (chickpeas with garlic and tahini) taramasalata ( fish roe), felafels and kofte (spicy meatballs or cigar shaped formed meat with herbs, spice and onions), grilled octopus, grilled halloumi cheese and an aubergine salad, plus many more. Served with pitta bread for dipping and cucumber and mint tsatsiki
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Greek
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Souvlaki
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An Amazing Greek dish consisting of small pieces of meat and sometimes vegetables grilled on a skewer. Check with the staff to the scale of heat as it has been know to surprise people! Be brave and add more spice with a hot chill sauce or soften the heat with garlic yoghurt or hummus
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Greek
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Baclava
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Very sweet and almost ‘teeth-curling’ this is a delicious Greek pastry served as a dessert and comprising of flaky filo pastry, crisp on the outside but with a gooey filling of cinnamon spiced nuts and dried fruit bathed in honey or a sweet syrup. Whilst sold in restaurants as a dessert, it is often found in Greek delis and sandwich shops.
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Greek
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Kebabs
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Try a turkish kebab packed full of salad, your choice of meat (chicken, lamb, donar or falafel) and sauce. Don't be afraid to ask for chilli sauce to pack the punch if you like it that little bit hotter.
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Turkish
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Dolma or dolmades
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A selection of vegetables and vine leaves are served, stuffed with seasoned savoury rice and herbs. This dish takes a while to be prepared but is well worth the wait, oozing with delicious juices. A long term favourite in Turkish restaurants.
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Turkish
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Beer
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Tsingtao is the most popular Chinese beer in China. Best served with spicy food, it is crisp and refreshing when ice cold. It has a nutty, sweet taste and is a perfect accompaniment to Chinese dishes. It is a lager style beer and a modest 4.8% alcohol.
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Chinese
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Jasmine Tea
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Jasmine Tea is a famous Chinese tea brew, deeply aromatic and usually served at the end of a meal with great ceremony. Always served with a teapot and cup, often on a bamboo mat. The unique flavour and aroma is caused by the jasmine blossom fragrance being absorbed into the tea during growth. Subtlely sweet, is is renowned throughout the world.
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Chinese
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Chianti
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In rustic Italian restaurants, you can still see empty bottles of Chianti grouped together and hanging around the bar or ceiling! Old Chianti bottles used to be covered in a basket weave, and often used to house a candle on your table, so that the wax dripped down the outside of the bottle! The wine itself is red and relatively light in comparison to heavier Italian wines such as Barolo. Chianti is produced primarily in the beautiful region of Tuscany, and is eminently drinkable!
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Italian
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Soave
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Another popular wine, this white wine is produced in the Veneto region of Italy, around the city of Verona, home to many Shakespeare plays! It is comparatively dry and was once the ‘in’ drink in the 1970’s but was overtaken by Pinot Grigiot towards the 1980’s
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Italian
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Peroni
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The most popular of beers served in Italian restaurants, it is not the cheapest one around but still sells more than any other. 5% alcohol, a slightly ‘hoppy’ taste but very refreshing when served in iced cold frosted glasses.
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Italian
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Sangria
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This is a lovely refreshing ‘punch’ style drink, served in big pitchers or jugs and set on the table for everyone to share. Alcohol content varies, as some restaurants make it the traditional way with red wine, chopped fruit and brandy, while others make it a cooler, longer drink with red wine and soda or lemonade, but still with copious amount of fruit. Called Sangria due to its deep red colour (sangria means ‘blood’ in Spanish) it is served in restaurants and pubs in Australia in the summer months, with lots of ice. Fruit often includes apples, oranges, melon, pears and nectarines, more or less any fruit available.
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Spanish
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Naranja
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The Spanish are very proud of their oranges, so much so that they make a big thing out of serving fresh juice ‘presse’ style, which means the oranges are freshly pressed only when the drink is ordered. The oranges tend to be very sweet and are often used in cocktail style beverages, particularly with a touch of Grenadine and a green liquer such as crème de menthe or Chartreuse. Whichever way, the drink is a kick of sunshine.
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Spanish
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Rioja Wine
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The most prolific Spanish wine served, Rioja is popular with red wine drinkers, whether amateurs or connoisseurs. Deep and fruity from the Rioja region of Spain, it comes in many varieties, but a good example should be smooth and velvety. Varies in price, but a good one can be purchased at a relatively cheap price.
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Spanish
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Coffee
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Vietnamese coffee has a distinct taste to it and it quite often strong but sweet. Served as a filter with cup underneath, there are many versions to the taste.
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Vietnamese
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Coconut Cocktail
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A lavish presentation, normally served in half a coconut shell with decoration of umbrellas and fruit. Various spirits are served but all with a coconut milk base and some with grated coconut flesh as well.
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Vietnamese
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Lotus Tea
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Green tea is marinated with fresh lotus leaves so that the aroma infuses into the whole drink. Vietnamese people believe that this has very health beneficial properties. Very refreshing.
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Vietnamese
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Ouzo
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Traditional Greek drink served as an aperitif, although Greek people will drink it at any time! Quite a firey spirit, totally clear until water is added and it becomes cloudy. Almost aniseed in flavour, not unlike the French Pernod, but stronger.
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Greek
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Rakomello
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This is more like a ‘hot toddy’ and made with the incredibly alcoholic raki spirit, but mellowed down with water, honey, cloves and cinnamon. Served hot, it is particularly popular in winter months – worth trying, it is quite unique, and the Greeks use it for ‘medicinal purposes’ !!
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Greek
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Retsina
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Another traditional Greek wine, not known for its smoothness. It has been resonated with pine to preserve the wine, an age old tradition from thousands of years ago. It pairs effortlessly with dishes containing herbs such as rosemary, oregano and dill and is a good accompaniment to chicken and fish dishes. Crisp and quite a herbal taste, but some people really like it. Retsina is also available in a rose version but not all restaurants stock it – do ask though, as it is eminently more palatable than the white version!
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Greek
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Turkish Coffee
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Known throughout the world for its strength and depth of flavour, it is normally ordered according to the amount of sugar you require! A little (az), medium (orta) or lots (cok sekerli). This coffee must be drunk in small sips, particularly as you will find lots of coffee grounds at the bottom.
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Turkish
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Ayran
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Definitely for the discerning taste, this is a liquid yoghurt drink made by whipping yoghurt with water and salt. It is served cold and fresh and must be drunk that way, no saving for later. It is served in restaurants, but also in Turkish delis and Turkish sandwich shops.
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Turkish
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Beer
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There are several good Turkish beers that some restaurants import. Efes Pilsen is the No. 1 beer which comes in cans or bottles. A good wheat beer is Gusta.
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Turkish
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Green Tea
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Green tea is very popular in Chinese restaurants and sushi bars. This could be due to its apparent ‘healing properties’ and distinct flavour. Green Tea aids digestion of raw food and has a slightly earthy but not unpleasant taste. Served in a cup that is often prettily decorated.
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Chinese, Sushi
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