The Eats of San Francesco |
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| Since Aussie popsters Savage Garden split, Darren Hayes has gone solo and moved to the US. He shows us round his fave eateries Darren, 30, originally visited San Francisco to hook up with a record producer – but he never went home. 'I felt happy here. There's something wonderful about the sunshine, the air and the proximity of the water, and the people here are so friendly. I just know this is the place I'm going to grow old.’ Unlike Robbie Williams, he's happy being big in England and Australia but a minor celeb in America. 'It's a refuge,' he says. 'I can walk down the street unrecognised. I'm not happy with the attention that goes with fame – that's the reason I left Australia.' TOP RESTAURANT 'The Clift Hotel is one of the places to go. I'm not into showbiz posing at all, but the hotel’s restaurant is amazing. I look for places that have a good vibe and I love the low lighting here. I try to pick the healthy menu option because I need to stay in shape for work. When I go to dinner it's usually with friends, although I'm as happy cooking at home. I also like going out to dinner with someone I'm getting to know. I can be a bit of a romantic you see.' HOTTEST COFFEE SHOP 'I'm a coffee whore. As a singer you're not supposed to drink caffeine but they have some of the best coffee at Caffe Trieste and I’m powerless to resist. This is the place where the writer Jack Kerouac hung out and is a real landmark, but I'm not a snob – I'll also go to Starbucks. I actually moved to be near one and I've have to move again if it closed. I love that whole American trashy pop culture thing. At my local Starbucks they even let me pop on an apron and make my own. If my career fails I think I'd be really happy working in a coffee shop. People fantasise about being a pop star. I sometimes fantasise about having a 9-to-5 job.' FAVOURITE JOURNEY 'When I want to get away from the city I hope on a ferry to Tiburon. It's a strange, conservative little town on the other side of the bay, full of doctors, lawyers and women with purple hair. Sometimes it's fun to go there and take the piss out of the wealthy. Ferries hold a real attraction for me, probably because I grew up near the sea in Australia. Driving is quicker of course, but the ferry is so relaxing. When friends come over I send them on the ferry to Alcatraz because I've been too many times to go again, but it’s such a beautiful, tranquil location. I think if you had to be in prison anywhere, that would be the place – although I wouldn't be too happy to be in solitary – or crapping into a hole. THE DISH TO DINE FOR Tunapica Darren prefers the healthy option when dining out, and this dish is low in fat and high in taste. Don't be flummoxed by the long list of ingredients. This meal is easy to make and you could always compromise with tinned tuna if you can't get your hands on the raw stuff. Serves four. YOU WILL NEED 220g/8oz sushi (raw) tuna, diced and quartered a handful of Spanish olives a handful of chives 2 tbsp garlic 12 dsp of soy sauce 2 tbsp sesame oil a pinch of salt a pinch of black pepper a handful of dried coconut, currents and sliced almonds four crispy won tons First, flash the dried coconut under the grill for a few minutes until it has turned a golden brown colour – this will get rid of its sweet flavour. Then mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and then spread the mix equally over the four won tons. This ripe, vibrant dish works well when its part of a sushi buffet, or, if preferred, can be eaten on its own. CLASSIEST COCKTAIL Mojito YOU WILL NEED 6 fresh mint leaves 3 lime wedges 25g/1oz raw cane sugar 20ml/1 fl oz lime juice 30ml/1˝fl oz Bacardi Limon a splash of soda a splash of dark rum Put the mint and lime in the bottom of a tall glass and crush them up. Mix the sugar with a little hot water to make a syrup, then pour into the glass with the lime juice. Add the Limon and some ice, then fill it up with soda or 7-Up and float the dark rum on the top. Darren's new single Strange Relationship is now on release [Features 3 Darren pictures, one captioned: Daz loves to go to dinner with his friends or hang out drinking his beloved coffee] |
