A deli in PNG!

Yes sir, we do have our own deli in PNG and it has been around ever since I washed up on PNG's shores. It has got deli meats, a proper cheese room, hand-made chocolates, breads and all sorts of odds and ends which they bring in from time to time. At the moment, they have a wide selection of bottled water.

I had lunch there with some of my friends last Sunday where I had crab lasagne and some raspberry gelato. I had a double espresso too. This is one of the few places where they make an espresso with coffee cream on top so you know it's done right. Deli KC is good for a Sunday afternoon coffee, brunch or dinner. You can have focaccia with olive oil & balsamic vinegar while waiting. You can get onion bagels, kalamata olives and mimolette cheese. A cornetto here is not a frozen delight but the traditional Italian bread filled with either cream or chocolate!

Here are some photos:

the sweets showcase. you can also order a cake from them. if you have a special occasion, they can do one with fondant icing.

the bread showcase. i misstheir walnut bread which they used to make years ago.

the main showcase. they usually have some hummus and dolmades.

the chocolate showcase. i love their chocolate covered coffee beans.

behind those walls lie the cheese room!

they have all sorts of goodies around the place.

olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

my double espresso.

By the way, if you're looking for deli meats, here are my recommendations:

• Vision City for pancetta, coppa or prosciutto. The raw deli meats.
• Boroko Foodworld for Kassler, all manners of sausages except chorizo. I get my fresh herbs here too but they never seem to have any Tarragon.

Ciao!

Roast Chicken

Chicken is a staple in Papua New Guinea. Surprisingly, people refer to meat here as protein so do not be surprised when people ask you for protein. I like to do roasts as they are easy to do. All you have to do is throw the meat into the oven and wait. Of course, there are a few more things that you have got to do so I'm here to tell you what these are.

The ingredients:

• Chicken - size 15
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil or butter
• Dried herbs (optional)
• Onion (optional)
• Lemon (optional)
• Garlic (optional)
• Carrots (optional)

The procedure:

I always like to marinade my chicken in salt water. I mix about 1/3 cup of salt to 2 litres of water and immerse the chicken in it for 2 hours. I then rinse it in cold water after and leave it in the refrigerator overnight. When you're about to cook it, rinse it again and dry it with a paper towel.

Slice the onion in 2 and stuff it in the chicken. Quarter the lemon and stuff that into the chicken as well. Separate the garlic cloves and stuff that into the chicken too. Sprinkle pepper on the chicken and drizzle olive oil on it.

Chop the carrots and the other onion and the rest of the garlic and lay it on a baking tray. I use a disposable aluminium tray that is about 2-inches deep since I only have a baking sheet for cookies. Mix some salt in water and put a little in just to prevent these from burning when roasting then drizzle it with olive oil and sprinkle it with pepper.

Now this is important. You have to use a rack to elevate the chicken and allow the hot air underneath your fowl to allow even cooking. As the bird cooks, its natural juices will drip down into the carrots adding to the flavour.

Preheat your oven to 180C and throw the chicken in for 70 minutes. Bring the chicken out after and let it rest for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

prepare your salt water.

immerse your chicken in it.

prepare your other ingredients.

you need a tray and a rack.

chop your garlic.

lay out your chopped carrots on the tray.

chop your onions.

quarter your lemons.

stuff the lemon, garlic and onions in the chicken.

this chicken is stuffed!

pour some salt water on your carrots, garlic and onions.

sprinkle pepper on your carrots, garlic and onions.

now drizzle olive oil on it.

lay your stuffed chicken on the rack on top of the carrots.

sprinkle pepper on the chicken.

drizzle olive oil on the chicken.

now the bird is ready to go.

here's the bird all cooked.

the chicken skin has a light crisp to it.

this chicken is extra tender and really juicy.

By the way, you can also add potatoes and pumpkin with the carrots underneath the chicken. Ciao!

Port Moresby Botanical Gardens

Port Moresby does not have a zoo. One would assume that as Papua New Guinea has an abundance of exotic fauna that it would have such a facility but unfortunately, the capital city does not. However, it does have a Botanical Garden where one can view a small selection of birds, reptiles and marsupials and of course, various flora.

It is located past the Universty of Papua New Guinea in the suburb of Gerehu. You would need transport to get there as it is a bit far out. If you are coming from the city, you will have to turn right at the roundabout heading to Baruni and make a u-turn a little after you see it on your right. If you reach Renbo, then you have passed it.

There is a parking area that is guarded. You have to pay K4.00 to enter. The entrance fee may have gone up though as it has been years since I have been there. Once inside, you will find various footpaths, picnic tables and small groves. There is an aviary with parrots and a bird of paradise. Various cages also hold different types of tree kangaroos and there are elevated areas which you go up on from where you will see cassowaries and crocodiles.

There are a lot of orchids, flowering plants, ornamental plants and odd trees inside too. The last time I was there, they also had some vanilla plants.

It is nice to visit the Botanical Gardens when you're in Port Moresby. It's relatively inexpensive and lets you see a small portion of the kind of exotic flora and fauna in Papua New Guinea. One thing odd though is that there are quite a number of Indonesian statues and busts inside as well as even a Filipino monument. There are funny scultures too done by local artists. 

Here are some photos:

If you do go, bring some insect repellant. There are lots of mosquitoes over at the botanical gardens. Ciao!

Lealea, Central Province, Papua New Guinea

Last Sunday, a friend of mine woke me up. Apparently, my friends all planned on going for a coconut run so off we went to Lealea in a two-car convoy. The road was paved from Poreporena all the way to an area where the massive gas development area is. Before you hit a village called Papa, the road becomes full of potholes which continues all the way until you reach Lealea. 

leaving Port Moresby.

the road is sealed and was bare of any other vehicles.

the Chinese have a sign that says they're developing te road between Papa and Lealea but it was full of potholes when we drove through.

At Lealea, the first thing you notice is a footbridge that is about a little over 200 metres long. It is a precarious bridge and you would need sea legs to cross it as it sways with the wind. The village is situated in a natural bay with plenty of mangroves. When you cross the bridge, you reach the main village. Here, a bustling community thrives. The locals are fishermen, coconut harvesters and crab men. 

the footbridge isn't even and sways with the wind.

there are several sandbars you can walk on.

here i am on the footbridge.

Upon reaching the other side, I noticed people carrying containers of water as there is no water on the island. They had wells where they kept their water. There are plenty of children on the island and from my brief time there, they seemed to be having the time of their lives frolicking in the water. I guess this is what some call paradise. 

you can see that the bridge spans the width of the estuary.

the village centre.

there's a united church in the village.

i thought this was a drum but it's really a well.

it goes down about 8 metres.

kids playing in the water.

some kids jumping off boats.

My friend Phil started hacking some coconuts that were gathered by the locals for us. These coconuts which were full of juice and delicious! We all had our fill and then proceeded to go back to Port Moresby.

look at the juice bursting out of the coconut!

the machete used in opening the coconuts.

what's a coconut amongst friends?

It was a fun respite from my work and I always look forward to these brief runs with my friends around Central province. I encourage everyone who comes to Port Moresby to have a drive around Central province. It is only after you leave Port Moresby that you get to experiene the real Papua New Guinea!  

the sand was hot and my shoes' soles literally melted. well, the glue did.

parting shot - here's Olie and I in Mindy's sunglass' reflection.