Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Restaurants in Ottawa - 18 Bar

I guess I should not compare this restaurant to my Chicago experiences. This is a restaurant in the middle of the market with main dishes at 30-48 CAD. For this price one gets mouthwatering dishes in Chicago. It is a bit of a wanna be place where the service does not really match the prices.

So comparing this restaurant to other restaurants in Ottawa, it is surely one of the better ones. Do I think it is worth it? I don't think so. At those prices I expect something where I think wow, this is something I would come back for.

I tried the Mediterranean Sea Bass with fresh ground Thai curry which is good 35 CAD.

18 York Street
Ottawa K1N 5T5

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Restaurants in Ottawa - Saigon

This is a good Vietnamese restaurant in the market. Again it is not cheap for what it is around 20 CAD per dish. The vermicelli with beef and chicken tastes good.

85 Clearance Street
Tel. 613 789 7934

Friday, December 10, 2010

Restaurants in Ottawa - Sweetgrass Aboriginal Bistro

This is a Canadian restaurant with simple but tasty dishes. It is very expensive for what it is. The main dishes are 24-36 CAD. They use a lot of fresh vegetables and healthy ingredients which perhaps makes the dishes more expensive.

The Campfire Pan Roasted Steelhead Trout with market vegetables and wild rice 28 CAD.

108 Murray Street,
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 5M6
(613) 562-3683

Restaurants in Ottawa - Casa Do Churrasco

This is a Portuguese restaurant in the market area. It is a bit of a greasy spoon portuguese restaurant. They have a lunch buffet for which is around 13 CAD which is not cheap, but they have a nice grilled chicken with rice, potatoes and salad.

190 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa, ON
(613) 241-2743

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Restaurants in Ottawa - Totoya

This is an average Japanese restaurant in the market. They have some all you can eat offer on Friday's which is very little sushi or fish with a lot of deep fried food and a lot of rice. It is also noticeable that all the makis have different sizes and are rolled really badly.

The tempura tastes ok, although they tend to miss out the radish and ginger for the sauce which is an important part of the dish and balances the heavy deep fried shrimps.

297 Dalhousie Street
Ottawa, ON
(613) 241-2224

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Restaurants in Ottawa - Ahora

Ahora is a simple Mexican self-service restaurant. I think this is one of the few Mexican restaurants in Ottawa and is pretty authentic.

It is not cheap for what it is. The main dishes cost 9-14 CAD. It is well situated on Dalhousie which is part of the Market area in Ottawa. I had Pollo Asado (chicken with corn tortillas) 13.90 CAD.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Restaurants in Ottawa - Soora

I think this place has changed the name. It is on 610 Sommerset in the middle of China town.

They have a good Bulgogi. My aunt, who is Korean found it quite tasty, so I believe they passed the test!

The prices are not cheap. Main dishes were around 15-20 CAD.

I would recommend it if you are in the area.

Restaurants in Ottawa - Pho Bo Ga LA

This is a very simple treat in China Town. It is a Vietnamese restaurant which serves big bowls of soup for around 7 CAD. There is hardly any decor apart, so not for a romantic dinner or long meal.

The most delicious one is the Pho (vermicelli, meat based soup with some meet on top). Somehow similar to the concept of Ramen. One main difference is that you can order the meat medium-rare or well done and serve a plate of bean sprouts, asian basil, scallions and some chili which one can add according to ones own taste.

I think it is a great option for comfort food.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Restaurants in Ottawa - Joy

This is a good Korean restaurants with some Japanese options. The main dishes are around 20 CAD per person. I liked the Bulgogi Dopbap. Not sounding too picky, I do not find it so appetizing receiving the spicy sauce in a Ketchup type bottle.

I personally prefer the Korean restaurants in 610 Sommerset (formally known as Soora).

Since this is much closer, I would however recommend this Korean restaurant.

Restaurant Joy
315 Somerset Street West
Ottawa, ON
(613) 231-6333

Sunday, December 5, 2010

Restaurants in Ottawa - Navarra

This is a good restaurant in the market area.

Main dishes vary from 16-34 CAD. I had the smoked salmon with hazelnut oil 16 CAD. All the dishes are nicely presented and have good flavours.

93 Murray Street
Ottawa, Ontario
613-241-5500

Restaurants in Ottawa - Le Cafe (in the National Arts Center)

We had brunch here. It is 25 CAD which I do not think is worth it, but there are not a lot of brunch places in Ottawa.

All the food did not look very fresh. For example the salmon lost its colour and looked as if it had been sitting their for hours.

I would not recommend it. Perhaps it is a nice place to go in the summer, since one can sit next to the canal.

Restaurants in Ottawa - Chez Lucien

This is a pub/bar near the market. It is good value for money. I think they have the best burgers in town. Generally the service is good, but sometimes you have to be prepared for a 20 minute wait.

The main dishes cost between 10-15 CAD. Their speciality is the burgers. The Chez Lucien Burger and Bourgeois Burger are both delicious. I like the mushroom, bacon and onion mix, as well as pear and onions.

Sometimes it is good to reserve on Friday or Saturday nights.

I recommend this place.

Restaurants in Ottawa - Black Tomato

The Black Tomato is a restaurant in the Market. It is pretty average, hearty food with good flavours but nothing special. In the evenings, the restaurants light is also very dark so that you cannot see what you are eating.

It is not such good value for money. The main dishes were all around 25 CAD.
I had the tomato salad 9 CAD and short ribs 25 CAD.

11 George Street
Ottawa ON

Restaurants in Ottawa - Play

A lot of the restaurants in the market area are very touristy, however this is one that stands out and is good. They pay attention to detail regarding flavours and are able to cater really well to allergies since they make everything fresh. The dishes are all small dishes, so in the spirit of tapas.

We tried the:
-sweet mama squash soup / crispy leeks 8 CAD
-erie pickerel / cumin butter / succotash / jalapeno 14 CAD
-grilled zucchini / bocconcini / bacon / olive / walnut 12 CAD

The Erie pickerel had a great red tomato salsa. I noticed that the chef used lime zest which completed the flavour. Often restaurants use a lot of lime, but if one uses a little lime zest one gets the strong flavour without the sourness.

What was relatively good value for money was the Klosterneuburg white wine from Austria.

I would recommend this place. This is one of my favourite restaurants in Ottawa.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Restaurants in Shanghai - Shintori

This is one of the best Japanese restaurants I have been to!

If you do not know that there is a restaurant, you would not notice because there is no sign at the entrance. The restaurant has a minimalist Japanese style. One can tell that the restaurant owner has been to Japan a lot and embraces those aesthetics.


For those who know me - yes I ate sushi and it was absolutely delicious! The fish melted on the tongue. The flounder was especially tasty!! Not only was the setting impressive (a huge wide-open space and high ceilings), but all the food was beautifully presented. A fun sushi that was innovative and I could imagine would work well in Mexico, was the sushi with Mango and a Shiso sauce (shiso is a herb that belongs to the mint family, but has a very unique flavour which is very different from mint). When you go there are two options: sushi at the sushi bar or warm dishes which you eat in the open space part of the restaurant.

What was noticeable was that the pottery (cups and plates) were all different and that in one meal we had been served on about 40 different dishes and cups.

I was invited to this fantastic dinner, so I never saw prices, but given the high quality of food, I believe that the average meal is between 70 and 100 USD per person.

Shintori
803 Julu Road, by Fumin Road
(in the Former French Concession area)

Tel. +86 (21) 5404 5252








Monday, July 26, 2010

Restaurants in Ottawa - L'Oree Du Bois

So my overall impression is fine. The place looks cosy and inviting.

The starter I tried was salmon and scallops with a chive and beet mayonnaise. Unfortunately the salmon was so old that it was brown (so must have been in the fridge too long and not freshly prepared), which was a little disappointing.

The main I had a chicken stuffed with shrimps that had a delicious port wine sauce. I would say this is a very classical french restaurant that uses a lot of butter and cream. They are able to adapt to a few changes if you have special dietary requirements.

The 3 sorbets (raspberry, mango and lemongrass) taste refreshing and are a nice finish to a heavy main dish.

15, chemin Kingsmere
Chelsea (Québec)
Tel 819.827.0332

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Restaurants in Ottawa - Nokham Thai Restaurant (recommendable)

After trying many Thai restaurants - this is my favourite.

The starters: chicken satay, Nokham spring rolls were all very taste. An especially flavourful dish was the Pad Ped Nor Mai which is served in a pineapple. The Gaeng Caree Gai is one of my favourite dishes (yellow curry with coconut milk and potatoes), however, I believe that the Pad Ped Nor Mai has much more complexity. I also like the egg that they mix into the sauce.

The main dishes cost around $13 which is a reasonable price for what it is. The only thing is that the restaurant is not located close to the centre and therefore you need a car/taxi.

Nokham Thai Restaurant
747 Richmond Road
Ottawa, ON K2A0G6
Tel. 613-724-6620

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Restaurants in Chicago - JAM (recommendable)

Jam is a restaurant in west Town (near Wicker Park), where the chef was originally a chef at Charlie Trotter's.

Main dishes are around $17. I tried seared fish with green beans and caramelized onions. They also know their ingredients and take a lot of care with the presentation of the dishes. The fennel soup may not be so exciting, but we thought it might have been a palette cleanser. A way of introducing the delicious dishes that follow.

The tasting menu was $37:
-Fennel soup
-Foie Gras Tortellini
-Ono (which is a fleshy fish)
-Roasted pork with finely chopped olives and figs
-Mini donuts which get dipped into a chocolate mousse

937 North Damen Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622-4949
(773) 489-0302

Saturday, July 10, 2010

Restaurants in Chicago - Belly Shack (recommendable)


This will be one of my personal favourites! This great restaurant is conveniently located right underneath the train tracks of Western Station (Humboldt Park).

The restaurant's chef is Korean and has created amazing food combinations. I am not a big fan of pork, perhaps I eat pork 2 or 3 times a year. But if you can, go on a Wednesday. They have a special - Lola's Lechon which is marinated roast pork with an asian accent! Simply outstanding. The Korean BBQ Koki is also amazing!



Prices are very reasonable for the great flavours one gets. The BBQ Kogi costs $10 and the Lola's Lecon was $12. It is an informal place. One orders and pays the food at the counter, but they do bring your food to the table. It is casual-gourmet!

1912 N. Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60647

Monday, July 5, 2010

Bar Chicago - California Clipper (not recommendable)

The California Clipper in Chicago has a very strict policy regarding ID's. They did not even accept a Canadian driver's license. I would definitely not recommend it if you are going there in a large group. The likelihood that they will reject one person out of the group is very high. Even if the manager is around it does not help because he is completely inflexible.

I would recommend going to the Weegee Bar in Humboldt Park instead. They are more relaxed and have a great list of liquors. As well as lovely light jazz music (Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong).

Restaurants Austria - Pedro's

Pedro's is a family-run business in Lower Austria. Pedro's is a restaurant with delicious dishes that are presented in a classic style.

A speciality of Pedro's is his starter trolley with different fish dishes, a beef salad (from Tafelspitz), egg salad with asparagus and many other interesting starters.

The main dishes change according to season. All dishes are always presented very appetising and service is always very attentive.

With starters, a main and a desert one spends around 60 Euros per person.

Pedro's Restaurant
Dörfl 19
3072 Kasten
Tel. +43 2744 7387

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Restaurants New York - Wallse

This is an Austrian Restaurant with very good service. Most waiters speak German and if you talk to them you find out that they are all trying some business venture in NYC.

I tried the Halibut ($34) which had a delicious parsley sauce around it. The flavours were not complex, but the dish looked aesthetically pleasing and was tasty.

It is a tiny bit on the expensive side for what it is, but worth it.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Restaurants New York - SEA

This is an extremely cheap Thai Restaurant in the middle of the Meatpacking district.

I had a pad thai which tasted ok.
Most main dishes were $10 which is very cheap for this area.

SEA
835 Washington
New York
NY 10014
Tel. 212 243 3339

Restaurants New York - Le Pain Quotidien

The good old Le Pain Quotidien in Grand Street. This is a great place for breakfast and small snacks. They even have one or two vegan options which is great if you are lactose intolerant. It is similar to the Le Pain Quotidien in London where people sit on big communal wooden tables.

I had a tartine with black beans which was good $8.55 and a bread roll $0.75. I think it is a good option if you want to have a picnic snack.

Restaurants New York - Cucina & Co

This is a self-service place in the Rockefeller Plaza. The food is not too bad if you want something quick and your in the area.

I tried some asian chicken with rice. I thought it was great that they offered the choice of brown rice. The price is ok value for money $10.62.

Restaurants New York - Quickly


This fast food place is in the heart of New York's Chinatown.

It is great, quick, comfort food. The idea is taken from the Japanese Shabu Shabu. You chose some meat, seafood and vegetables and cook them in a pot on the table (similar to meat fondu).

Dishes vary from $12.95 (2 choices of meat) to $16.95 for seafood.

237B Grand Street
New York, NY10002


Sunday, June 27, 2010

Restaurants New York - Chai Home Kitchen

I have not been to Brooklyn for a long time. It is a great vibrant part of New York with lots of bars and restaurants.

We tried the crispy duck rolls $4, satay $5, yellow curry $8 and Massaman curry $8. Generally the food was good, except the yellow curry was completely different than the taste I expected, so I was not such a fan. We had a great waiter.

restaurants New York - Chipotle

Great fast food with fresh ingredients. Many locations, fast, delicious and rather cheap that is all I got to say!

Chicken salad with beans, rice and a tasty salad dressing costs $7.35.

Chipotle
304 W 34th Street
New York, NY 10001

Restaurants New York - Delicatessen

This is a good restaurant in the middle of SoHo with a variety of dishes. In the summer they open all the windows and they have seating outside. It does however feel very hot when it is 33 degrees celsius and you might prefer the good old air conditioned restaurants.

I had the Chinoise Salad and one of my favourites truffle fries. The truffle fries reminded me of the delicious ones I used to have in the Windy City Fox and Noble.

It is good value for money Chinoise salad $12, truffle fries $8. It is a popular place for weekend brunches cause they have a lot of breakfast dishes as well, so you might have to wait a little.

Delicatessen NYC
54 Prince Street
New York, NY
10012

Restaurants New York - Macelleria

This is a simple, but I would say a rather authentic italian Restaurant in the middle of the trendy Meatpacking District of New York.

We tried the chicken diavola and the linguine white clams (both $18). There was not too much of a wait which often happens in this area and the food came quickly. Most waiters were italian which added to the authentic flare.


Thursday, June 17, 2010

Restaurants Montreal - Modavie

This is a restaurant in the heart of the old town of Montreal. Within the touristy places this is one of the better choices.

The food is average. I tried the grilled salmon with raspberry sauce (23 CAD).

1, rue St-Paul Ouest
Vieux-Montreal
Quebec H2Y 1Y6
Tel (514) 287 9582

Restaurants Quebec - Aux Anciens Canadiens

Two floor restaurant with different themes in each room that show the way traditional Quebec homes used to look like.

It is a bit of a tourist trap and not cheap, but the food was surprisingly good.
We tried the traditional poutine (homemade french fries with gravy sauce) 13.75 CAD and a salmon filet in a flaky pastry with vegetables. The mains cost between 32 and 59 CAD.


Friday, June 4, 2010

Restaurants Montreal - Tong Sing

This is a good average Chinese restaurant in the middle of China town. Even though this place was recommended by someone Chinese it did not blow me away tastewise.

I am still looking for a great Chinese restaurant in Montreal, if anyone has any great suggestions!

43 rue de la Gauchetiere Est
Montreal H2X 1P4
Tel 514 940 8811

Restaurants Quebec - Aspara

This is a restaurant in the old town part of Quebec that has cambodian, vietnamese and thai specialities. It is a nice change from the touristy places in the centre.

The place is decorated like a living room that has asian and french influence.

The food was tasty and good value for money. Main dishes cost around 24 CAD.

71 rue D'Aauteuil
Quebec G1R 4C3
418 694 0232

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Restaurants Vienna - Le Bol

Le Bol is a great breakfast or lunch place in the middle of the first district (Neuer Markt). They have great salads and breads.

The breads with a little salad cost around 6,90 Euros and a soda with lemon 1,80 Euros.

It is great in the summer because they have an outdoor seating area. Indoors they have a large common table and some small tables around it.

A great combinations is to have lunch there and then go next door to Oberlaa for the endulging cakes (if you like chocolate try the chocolate Mousse cake you will love it!!)

Le Bol
Neuer Markt 14
A-1010 Vienna

Restaurants Vienna - Harry's Time

This is a restaurant in the heart of Vienna. It is 5-10 minute walk from Stephansplatz (right opposite the MAK-Contempory Museum of Applied Arts.

They cheap lunches like a risotto for 6,90 Euros. Drinks are on the more expensive side: apple juice with water 3,20 Euros. I find it a good deal for lunches, but am not sure if I would go in the evening. It is a mixture of Austrian and Italian food.

Dr Karl Lueger Platz 5
A-1010 Vienna

Restaurants Vienna - Kimchi Restaurant

This is a restaurant a little bit off the beaten track in the 3 district of Vienna. I think it is not worth making a trip there for Thai food, but if you are in the area, you can go there and have average Thai, Japanese or Korean food.

Pad Thai costs 9,20 Euros and Spring-rolls 3,50 Euros. Service is fine.

Kimchi
Seidlgasse 19
A-1030 Vienna

Restaurants Austria - Kirchenwirt





Wachau is a charming area of Austria, where you can walk through beautiful vineyards and buy or taste great wine.

The Kirchenwirt is a Hotel and Restaurant in Weissenkirchen in the Wachau. It is a restaurant with traditional food located in the heart of Weissenkirchen.

The service is excellent and the food good. We tried the salad with grilled chicken and a traditional Schnitzel. They cook everything fresh and know their ingredients which helps people that have food intolerances. Food prices are not cheap but reasonable at around 12 Euros per dish.

Familie Koeck - Familie Wildeis
Kremser Strasse 17
A-3610 Weissenkirchen

Restaurants Vienna - Lokanta Oase

If you want to see a multi-cultural area of Vienna and want to eat great turkish food, then it is definitely worth visiting the Brunnenmarkt in the 16th district.

They have good, simple turkish food e.g. Kebaps for 10 Euros, Humus 3,30 Euros and turkish coffee for 2,5o Euros.

It is simple, delicious food with good service.

Friedmanngasse 14
A-1160 Vienna

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Restaurants London - Dragon Castle

This is a chinese restaurant close to the Elephant & Castle Tube Station. It is one of the better Chinese restaurants of London. I would not recommend going out of your way for this place, but it is definitely one of the best restaurants in that area of London.

The decor is simple, but the food is tasty. We tried the whole sea bass (18.80 GBP) and several vegetable dishes. All were generally very good. Some perhaps had a little bit too much cornflour.

100 Walworth Rd
London EW17 1JL

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Restaurants London - Rodizio Rico

This is a fun Churrascaria in Islington (Angel Tube Station). They come with different meat skewers to your table and slices off pieces onto your plate. It is all you can eat BBQ meats, salads and hot dishes for 22.50 GBP which is very reasonable for London prices.

So if you are in the area it is a place that is fun and vibrant. It does get busy on Friday and on weekends so I would recommend making a reservation before you go there.

77-78 Upper Street
Islington
London
N1 0NU
Tel: 020 7354 1076

Friday, April 2, 2010

Restaurants London - Osteria dell'Arancico

This is a place you go mainly for the wine list. The food is simple, rustic yet modern.
It is definitely not on the cheap side (around 20 GBP for a main course). I would say the quality of the food is not so consistent and that is the main reason that I would hesitate to recommend it.

Otherwise, it is a nice change from the usual pubs in London. However be ready for a little hike to the closest tube station.

383 King's Road
London SW10 0LP

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Restaurants Vienna - Seoul (recommendable)


I am a big fan of Korean food and there used to be quite a few good ones in Vienna before. For those who know my favourite one in London - nothing of course beats the good old Ran. But this one is quite tasty too.

The Bulgogi lunch menu costs 8,50 Euros and the Bimbimbap 7,00 Euros. It is a great treat! For those of you who are newcomers to Korean food. Bulgogi is thin sliced beef marinated in a soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic sauce. If it is not in a bento box then some restaurants have table grills.

Restaurant Seoul
Praterstrasse 26
1020 Vienna
Tel +43 1 2186 528

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Restaurants Ottawa - Wild Oats


This is a great place especially for people that are a little health conscious. All the ingredients they use are fresh, organic and they chose to use healthy alternatives to white flour and refined sugar. Plus the staff are super friendly which makes it a very welcoming and chilled place to be.

Their Oaxaca sandwich is delicious 6.25 CAD. Their crepes are made with spelt flour and rice milk. A simple crepe with butter and maple syrup costs 4.50 CAD. They have a little shop next door which belongs to the cafe. You can chose some drinks from the shop and have them in the cafe.

For those who look for cafes with wireless, this place has wireless internet as of 15:00. They are open till 8pm an all days except Sunday where they close at 6pm, so it is more of a breakfast or lunch place.

817 Bank Street
Ottawa ON K1S 3V7

Restaurants in Chicago - Shikago (recommendable)


Shikago is good place for a tasty japanese lunch. They have sushi as well as bento boxes.

I tried the shio yaki salmon bento box which was served with shrimp chawa mushi, an onigiri (rice ball), kimchee, a salad and a fruit salad. The green tea creme brulee is also quite tasty. All dishes are presented elegantly and the genmaicha tea was brewed well.

We paid around $20 per person which was reasonable for a good size lunch.

160 West Adams Street
Chicago IL 60603

Restaurants in Chicago - Cafe Iberico (recommendable)


This is a great Tapas place to go to with a group of friends.

We tried many different dishes:
-Tortilla Espanola
-Patas Ali-Oli (red potatoes with garlic mayonnaise sauce)
-Jabon Iberico (spanish cured ham with manchego cheese and tomato bread)
-Gambas al Ajillo (grilled shrimp with olive oil, garlic and wine)
-Paella Marinera (seafood paella made with shrimp, fish, clams in a special saffron broth)

All dishes were well prepared and recommendable. I especially liked the tomato bread which is simple chopped fresh tomatoes + olive oil + salt on a piece of white bread.

The only thing is if you have any allergies and intolerances, the staff do not know the dishes well and can not give you a straight answer to your questions e.g. if a dish or sausage has lactose or not. They purchase their bread from someone else but do not know the ingredients.

With tip it is around $25 per person which is good value for money.

739 N La Salle St
Chicago IL 60654

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Restaurants San Francisco - City View Restaurant

This is a delicious upscale dim sum place in Chinatown (near the Transamerica building). Don't be disappointed if you get there and are expecting a great view, there is no view of the city, but you will have a great view of the delicious food that will be passing by on trollies.


It is one of the most delicious dim sum places I have been to. Even though London and New York have great China towns, I must say this place is one of the best I have tried.


They have a huge selection of dim sum. Many new and exciting dishes tempted my palate. We tried various dim sum: char siu bao (steamed barbecued pork dumpling), shaomai (prawn and pork), char siu sou, shrimp fun roll, chinese broccoli, peking duck and many more.


The value for money was also good. We were a large group and therefore were able to try many dishes, but everyone was definitely full at the end and we paid 20 USD per person including tip.


City View Restaurant

662 Commercial Street

San Francisco

CA 94111

Tel. (415) 398-2838

Monday, February 1, 2010

Restaurants San Francisco - Benjarong Thai Cuisine (recommendable)

This is a charming little Thai Restaurant on Lombard street. If you are in the area it is a nice place to go to. I do not know why it is quite an empty place because it is a good restaurant.

We tried the yellow curry with sticky rice, pumpkin curry, and a shrimp fried rice. The main dishes with rice were around 12 USD per person, so good value for money.


Benjarong Thai Cuisine

1968 Lombard Street

San Francisco

CA 94123

Tel. (415) 441 8999

www.benjarongsf.com

Restaurants San Francisco - Bodega Bistro (recommendable)

This is a simple, perhaps some would even call it kitschy place, but great Vietnamese food! So ignore the scooter that is standing in the restaurant as decor and enjoy the food!

We tried the following dishes NOM (finely shredded papaya topped with tender beef and coarsely grounded peanuts with a tangy sauce), Cha Gio (crispy vietnamese egg rolls filled with crab meat, hicama and wood ear mushrooms), Goi Cuon (pork and shrimp wrapped in summer spring roll), Pho Ga (chicken in rice noodle soup), Bun Cha Handi (marinated pork served with vermicelli, salad wrap and a delicious sauce) and Bo Luc Lac (filet mignon marinated with garlic, pepper and a special seasoning sauce.

My two favourite dishes here was the Bo Luc Lac and the Bun Cha Handi.

Again the value for money is good - we paid around 20 USD per person.

Bodega Bistro

607 Larkin Street

San Francisco

CA 94539

www.bodegabistrosf.com




Restaurants San Francisco - Thanh Long (recommendable)

This Vietnamese Restaurant is in a residential area west of the Fisherman's Wharf of San Franciso (by the Golden Gate Park).


We tried the garlic noodles, garlic rice, roast crab (a whole crab roasted with garlic sauce)! Even though every dish was delicious here, one of my favourite dishes here was the Shake Beef (tender cubes of marinated steak flambeed in Chardonnay served with potatoes, mixed greens & cherry tomatoes).


Main dishes are around 20 USD per person, so not on the cheap side, but definitely worth a try. This place has a more trendy restaurant which is more central called Crustacean San Francisco, but according to a local source the food is not as good as in Thanh Long.


Thanh Long

4101 Judah Street (Corner of 46th)

San Francisco

CA 94122

Tel. (415) 665-1121

www.anfamily.com


Friday, January 8, 2010

Restaurants Vienna -Kojiro

Kojiro is a simple and tiny sushi place located by the Naschmarkt in Vienna. Around 6 people can sit there, so most customers order the sushi as a take-away. A lot of Japanese people say that Kojiro and Unkai are their favourite places for sushi in Vienna.

The Naschmarkt is a place where one can buy fresh fruits and vegetables. There are also a lot os small restaurants located there, which is a nice area for a quick lunch.

The sushi is fresh and at a reasonable price. It is certainly worth trying if you are in the area.

Kojiro Sushi Bar
Rechte Wienzeile 9
1040 Vienna
+43-1-5866-233

Restaurants Vienna - Kanzleramt

This is a sophisticated "Beisl" (the Austrian version of a Pub) in the center of Vienna, conveniently located near the Hofburg (Imperial Palace). Even though this restaurant is located in a touristy area of Vienna, this is a place where many local people come.

They have traditional Austrian dishes, prepared very elegantly. They have Tafelspitz boiled beef with roasted potatoes, minced apples and horseradish. I tried a fish filet with a delicious risotto that was presented with a lot of care.

The prices vary from 11,50 Euros to 21,00 for main dishes, which is not cheap but good value for the quality of food you get.

Kanzleramt
Schauflergasse 6
1010 Vienna
+43 -1-533 13 09