Fruit bat!!!

[Julia13]

Hello

Have booked on the Pacific Dawn with my daughter who will be 16 when we sail, on the 18th December 2009, to New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

When I travel I like to try different local foods, has any one tried fruit bat or know how available it is? Are the food stalls on the islands OK to eat from, I have read that some people go back to the ship for lunch, but I would prefer not to.

Thank you in advance.

Julia :)

[steggles]

:eek: Erm, don't know about that! Are you batty?? ;)

[icemaiden2310]

Hello

Have booked on the Pacific Dawn with my daughter who will be 16 when we sail, on the 18th December 2009, to New Caledonia and Vanuatu.

When I travel I like to try different local foods, has any one tried fruit bat or know how available it is? Are the food stalls on the islands OK to eat from, I have read that some people go back to the ship for lunch, but I would prefer not to.

Thank you in advance.

Julia :)

 

Hi Julia I have tried the national dish of vanuatu which is the fruit bat ... by mistake mind u . it is kind of stewed and is black in colour and has lots of bones in it and tastes like something the bats leave behind in the bathroom. I havnt seen it for sale like take away or a dish anywhere but had it at a banquet when staying at a resort there. If u find it I wouldnt be in a hurry to eat it

Icy

[Ela 2]

Hi Julia,

I haven't tried local delicacies, and I don't think I would rush to try fruit bat. There are no 'food stalls' as such. In Noumea and Vila you could go to a restaurant for lunch. At Isle of Pines the local ladies offer a taste of their local dish. It is OK but you are not missing much if you don't have it. On Mystery Island they sell cooked lobsters. We find it simpler to go back to the ship for lunch, even if it is a late lunch.:):)

[Gratz]

eww...ok I'm not an adventurous one~

[patat2567]

There is a French Restaraunt about 5 mins from the main st in Port Vila that is quite famous and definitely serves Fruit bat.

 

I am not 100% on the spelling but it is called "la houstelai" or similar, pronounced "la Hoos te lay"

 

We had dinner there for my wifes 40th a couple of years back.

 

They will also do Coconut Crab and Pizzas etc.

 

All the best

 

Pat

[Julia13]

Hi

Thank you all for replying, Umm fruit bat doesn't sound that nice, might not go looking for it, but if I stumble upon, who knows !!

And to Steggles "Am I batty", I think so :D :p . I work in a preschool so you need to be !!!

Happy cruising

Regards Julia :)

 

 

 

 

SS Uganda, Aug 1980, Tilbury, Malmo, Copenhagen, Brugges, Tilbury.

[Solo Nomad]

There are no 'food stalls' as such.

Actually (apologies to the much respected Ela2), but there is a food market in Noumea.

 

It is the equivalent to a local 'farmer's market'. It is an early morning market and finishes up about 11.am or so. It is mostly focused on locally grown fruit and vegs, but also has some snack/fast food type stalls. Not at all tourist orientated.

 

The market is made up of temporary stalls under and around a permanent shelter. It is on the waterfront, about 700m away from where the ship generally berths. Sort of along the waterfront and around the corner near a marina area. In the general direction of Lemon Bay etc. You can pick it up in Google Earth.

 

It is up past the tourist information centre, beyond the supermarket (also worth a visit to buy local (& imported french) food products including some great cheeses. It is a good place to assemble the makings of a wonderful but economic picnic lunch before visiting the beaches.)

 

Apart from the market, there are heaps of small speciality shops hidden away in the back streets. Even the local takeaway shops are worth checking out for a different cultural take on snack foods. Found a wonderful peppermint flavoured soft drink in the local shops which I really liked. A cultural adventure at very affordable prices!:) Just be aware of the local mid-afternoon siesta period when most shops and businesses close up.

[Ela 2]

Actually (apologies to the much respected Ela2), but there is a food market in Noumea.

 

Hi Solo Nomad,

Thanks for that correction.:)I was thinking more of Isle of Pines and the markets in Vila. The market in Noumea had slipped my mind.:):)

[Ela 2]

Hi Julia,

If you want to eat at the market in Noumea you will have to do so by mid morning. The market closes at 11am.:):)

[mickalex]

After 20 years of holding and feeding them as my mother is a rescuer for them in NSW, for the life of me i can not know why you would want to eat one as i have found out they are not the best to eat from the aboriginals here. If they are good to eat, there would be no problem with them in Australia, i think you will find they are like fruit eating foxes, and no person in there right mind would eat a sticking fox. I would be happy to eat one if it tasted ok, but i think you will find they are really like foxes and taste like, um you can guess.

Noumea is a chance to try frogs legs and snails.You will get the snails on the french night onboard but they are crap compared to proper escargo!

[icemaiden2310]

Whats a sticking fox:confused:

[didiaust]

I have had some laplap at the local markets in Villa. It's a paste of taro that’s soaked in a coconut milk liquid..It's got bits of meat and it's baked- I imagine underground It was about 150- 200VT. I always ask before buying “no flying fox- no flying fox” and always get a confident reply "oh no, oh no".

[mickalex]

Whats a sticking fox:confused:

 

Lol, a kebab one!:p

 

I meant stinking fox, missed a key typing!:D

[Ela 2]

I have had some laplap at the local markets in Villa. It's a paste of taro that’s soaked in a coconut milk liquid..It's got bits of meat and it's baked- I imagine underground It was about 150- 200VT. I always ask before buying “no flying fox- no flying fox” and always get a confident reply "oh no, oh no".

I think that is what is available at the Isle of Pines. The ladies give you a small serving on a banana leaf. There is no charge. It was alright but I won't be rushing back.:):):)

[didiaust]

The one they give you on the Isle of Pines is bougna and its usually either chicken or fish with sweet potato , tarro , yam and I have had it with banana. I prefer the chicken to the fish.

[icemaiden2310]

Lol, a kebab one!:p

 

I meant stinking fox, missed a key typing!:D

 

 

Ha Ha i even looked up wicki :D,And they are fruit bats or flying foxes they use not those little pesky things that bite u on the neck and give u rabies :D kidding

Icy

[mickalex]

Hehe, thats right and they are smelly even when kept clean. So like a fox, and no one with a right mind would even consider eating a fox, fruit bats are of the same kind of makeup.

I love my Barra,croc and roo but fruit bat would be like eating fox.I believe in eating the good food around the world, not the um um, the other word for Poo.lmao:p

[Julia13]

Hi

I think fruit bats are really cute, had a young one in our mango tree last season, had to get wires into rescue him, BUT lambs, piglets, and calves are also cute !!!!

I have heard of laplap that doesn't sound to bad.

Bring on French night I like snails and frogs legs, :D oh I wish I had booked on THIS Christmas cruise not 2009!!!!!:(

Happy cruising

Regards Julia :)

 

 

 

SS Uganda, Aug 1980, Tilbury, Malmo, Copenhagen, Zeebrugger, Tilbury.

[Ela 2]

Hi Bring on French night I like snails and frogs legs, :D oh I wish I had booked on THIS Christmas cruise not 2009!!!!!:(

Happy cruising

Regards Julia :)

 

Hi Julia,

Yu will get snails, but alas, not in their shells, but no frogs legs. :):):)

[didiaust]

Don't get too excited about the snails - if the Dawn is anything like Sky or Sun - the snails were dry & tough (over cooked) . Can't comment on the frogs legs as I'm sure they weren't on the menus. If you want some really good French food at a reasonable price have lunch in the Latin Quarter in Noumea at one of the many resturants.

[icemaiden2310]

They couldnt have been too bad Karmac ate all mine!:D

So Karen what were they like?

 

Icy

[Sunshine1220]

I had snails on the Pacific Dawn last week. I'd never had them before so really didnt know what to expect but they weren't tough at all and were cooked in heaps of garlic...yum :)

[karmac]

Hi Bring on French night I like snails and frogs legs, :D oh I wish I had booked on THIS Christmas cruise not 2009!!!!!:(

Happy cruising

Regards Julia :)

 

Hi Julia,

Yu will get snails, but alas, not in their shells, but no frogs legs. :):)

 

But they are yummy!!!:)

[karmac]

They couldnt have been too bad Karmac ate all mine!:D

So Karen what were they like?

 

Icy

 

I missed a few posts before my last reply:confused: . Anyway, I thought they were yummy:D . You did eat one of them Jen:)