Restaurants London - Zuma (very recommendable)

This is an upscale casual restaurant. In a way this is a Japanese style tapas place. So if one is a larger group one can try many small dishes and share them.

They have a large choice of warm dishes and sake. The average cost per person is around 70 GBP. I enjoyed all the dishes from the softshell crab sushis to the simple karaage (crispy fried lemon sole with spicy ponzu sauce and green onions).

5 Raphael Street Knightsbridge

London SW7 1DL

+44 207 584 1010

www.zumarestaurant.com

Restaurants London - Fino (very recommendable)

It is a trendy tapas place with a good wine list. Some say that the quality is not consistent, but I enjoyed it every time I went. It is a tiny bit on the pricy side but certainly worth it.

I am not very fond of squids in most places because they are extremely chewy. However Fino has tasty squids for 11.50 GBP, the classic tortilla for 5.50 GBP and the chorizo are all worth trying.

33 Charlotte St

London W1T 1RR

+44 207 813 8010

www.finorestaurant.com

Restaurants London - Nobu (very recommendable)

This is a great place to go to when you start exploring new flavours and dishes. I must confess though, if one goes several times it becomes less exciting and perhaps it is not such good value for money.

It feels a tiny bit formal, but one does not have to dress up if one does not feel like it. A lot of people go there very casually dressed.

It is definitely a place where it is necessary to make a reservation.

If you like people-watching, this is a place for you! I am not into people watching but I bumped into Cameron Diaz and Boris Becker there.

The dishes I like are:

Black Cod Den Miso 32 GBP

New Style Salmon Sashimi 12.50 GBP

Grilled Asparagus with Dried Miso. 9.50 GBP

Chocolate Bento Box with Green Tea ice cream is great too 9.50 GBP

I tried the Rock Shrimp Tempura with Ponzu which did not inspire me that much.

15 Berkeley Street

London W1J 8DY

+44 207 290 9222

www.noburestaurants.com

Restaurants London - Busaba Eathai (recommendable)

This is a great thai restaurant in London. It is simple and quick. The only thing is they do not take reservations, so there is always a little wait. Do not be put off by the queues though, they move quite quickly.

It is a tiny bit loud, so not for a romantic dinner, but fun for a night out with friends.

I like the following dishes and drinks:

-Jasmine smoothie (passion fruit, banana, orange, natural joghurt and jasmine) £3

-Aromatic butternut pumpkin curry with cucumber relish £7.50

-Coconut rice £2.70

106-110 Wardour St., London

+44 207 255 8686

www.busaba.com

Restaurants London - Ran (very recommendable)

I am a big fan of Korean food and have tried quite a few in London, but this is my favourite for the Bulgogi. This place is not only delcious, but great value for money! As you probably know, London is not known for cheap and good food. Quite the contrary, you will find a lot of average food for very steep prices.

My favourite dishes are:

Beef with glass noodles 5.50 GBP

Korean Flatbread (spring onios and seafood baked in a Korean dough) 6.40 GBP

Bulgogi (Korean beef BBQ) 6.25 GBP

Dolsot Bimbimbap (shreds of vegetables, beef, rice and a sweet chili sauce heated in a heavy stone dish) 7.95 GBP

58-59 Great Marlborough Street

Soho, London W1F 7JY

+44 20 7434 1650

www.ranrestaurant.com

Torino, Italy - Eataly Torino (recommendable)

Eataly in Torino is part of the Slow Food movement (www.slowfood.com), an alliance of small scale producers marketing their high quality food. It's an upscale supermarket, as wells having a dozen places where you can eat (offering everything from fish and steak, to pasta and pizza). The supermarket is excellent and the food is minimalist and good. This is the ultimate shopping, dining and drinking experience, and don't forget the gelato at the end.

Eataly, Via Nizza, 230, Torino Italy

http://www.eatalytorino.it/eatalytorino/welcome_eng.lasso

Torino, Italy - Mare Nostrum (very recommendable)

Mare Nostrum is one of my favorite restaurants anywhere. Like all good restaurants they have a short menu: four starters (antipasti), first courses (primo piati), second courses (secondo piati) and desserts (dolce). It's a fish and seafood restaurant, the dishes are simple, but tend to have a twist, as you would expect from an excellent Italian restaurant. The grappa at the end is complimentary. The atmosphere is friendly and casual, somehow the place would work for anything from a business meeting to a romantic date. Having sampled several dishes I can only say that everything is excellent, and the menu changes, so go and be surprised.

Prices are reasonable for such a restaurant: The full menu is €50. First courses are around €15 and second courses a little above €20.

Mare Nostrum - via Matteo Pescatore,16
Torino - tel. 011.839.45.43

Chiuso la domenica

www.ristorantemarenostrum.it

Restaurants Montreal - La Maison du Bulgogi

It was my first time to Montreal. I loved it! A great vibrant city with so many restaurants from all over the world it becomes difficult to chose which one to go to!  

La Maison du Bulgogi was absolutely deeeeeelicous!!! A huge variety of Korean dishes. When you come into the restaurant your mouth is already watering from the great smells coming from the kitchen! It is a big room with simple tables and simple to no decor, so you would go to this place just for the food.

We ate the following:

-Bulgogi (marinated broiled beef) - one of my absolute favorites in Korean food. 12.95 

-Gam Ja Tang (pork bone with potato soup) - for those who are more adventurous and do not mind a little bit messy dish try this one. You get a plastic glove so that you can hold the bone and take of the meat without getting your hands dirty. The meat is very tender, flavorful, perhaps a little fatty for some peoples taste. Even if you just use the soup to pour over your rice it is very tasty. 7.95 

-Jap Chae (stir fried potato noodles with vegetable and beef) 9.95 

-Pa Jun (Korean style Pizza or Pancake with green onions and seafood) 12.95

2127 Sainte Catherine West, Montreal

Tel 514-935-9820 

Restaurants Ottawa - Palais Imperial Chines Restaurant

This is a greasy spoon Chinese. Very simple and cheap!

 

The dim sum are ok. I guess very different from the Chinese restaurants in London where they keep on coming past with a huge selection of different dim sum. If you order the menu with pictures of the dim sum, you can ask for some dim sum which you will not find on the carts.

We had the usual B.B.Q pork bun, Lo Mai Gai (sticky rice), Shu Mai and beef with ginger. I would say simple, but ok for a quick lunch. We spent $20.29 CAD for two people and were full.

311-313 Dalhousie Street

Ottawa ON K1N 7E8

Tel. 613-789-6888 

Restaurants Ottawa - Khao Thai

Yup that is right Ottawa! Well since the culinary scene is perhaps not as competitive or big, I will try and not be harsh, but rather try and compare restaurants locally. I will not compare them with restaurants in Chicago. All my quotes for Canada will be in Canadian Dollars, sorry for those who are looking at this from abroad. But it is quite easy to convert since currently it is approximately equal to the USD.

We had a dinner special $17.95 (fried shrimps with green beans, rice and a tom ka gai soup) and the Gaeng Karee Gai (yellow chicken curry with potatoes) $10.95, as well as some stick rice.

I would say it was a pretty good curry. The potato tasted unusual, but I am not yet sure if it is the flavour of the potatoes in Canada which is completely different or just this place. It is hard to describe but I wont get hung up on that - it is a detail. I particularly liked that the green beans which were crunchy.

Service & Atmosphere: I would say pretty standard. (For those who are used to eating out late, be careful in Ottawa, in some restaurants the last order is at 21:00!!)

103 Murray Street

Ottawa, ON K1N 5M5

Tel 613-241-7276.

www.khaothai.ca

Restaurants Cyprus - Ano Kato Soures (very recommendable)

This is a simple Cypriotic family-owned restaurant. I would say it is a simple, but tasty food with very friendly service.

We tried a set menu with the following for 12,50 Euros:

-dips (hummos, tzatsiki and cheese/chili)

-beef stew with a lovely tomato/red wine sauce 

-yoghurt desert with honey and cinamon

-cognac

The Soutzoukakia which were Greek style meat balls made of beef. The whole bill for two people was only 25,31 Euros - definitely good value for money!

Kleios 6 (Paphos Gardens)

Tel. 26 960063

Restaurants Vienna - Senkoma (recommendable)

Senkoma is a delicious Japanese restaurant in the center of Vienna (near the opera). The food they offer is Japanese fast food and the flavours are authentic.

What made them different to other restaurants were that they had a lot of Japanese dishes that are quick eats e.g. Katsu Kare, Chicken Kare, Katsu Don and Salmon Teriyaki. Their curry was homemade and the prices were very reasonable. Each dish costs around 7 Euros.

They have recently changed the menu and have become less differentiated from the other Restaurants, but are still good.

Kärntnerstrasse 44

A-1010 Vienna

Tel. +43-1-587-20-23

www.senkoma.at

Restaurants Vienna - Schloß Concordia

This is the first time I visited this fun Schnitzel place. It is right opposite the Zentralfriedhof Tor 1 (which is one of Europe's biggest cemeteries and contains numerous famous composers - Beethoven, Schubert, Brahms, Schoenberg and the whole Strauss clan).

They have great Schnitzel creations like a Schnitzel with a popcorn crust and chili con carne in the middle. The portions are huge and not too expensive. Each Schnitzel costs approximately 13 Euros. This is a great place!

Simmeringer Hauptstraße 283

A-1110 Vienna

Restaurants Vienna - Akakiko

Akakiko is a Japanese fastfood chain in Vienna. I particularly like the one on Mariahilferstrasse (7th district in one of the main shopping streets of Vienna) due to its beautiful view. It is a terrace with views on the roof-tops of Vienna.

The food is average. Since I am not so fond of their Japanese food (very average), I always go for something Korean or Chinese. This time I had the Bulgogi Bento which is reasonably priced at 10,70 Euros.

Mariahilferstrasse 42-48

1070 Vienna

www.wozukochen.at

Wine Tasting - Inzersdorf Austria

This is a successful wine producer in a small town (Inzersdorf ob der Traisen) in Austria. This wine is not from the well-known Wachau area in Austria, but even more tasty than a lot of the famous brands and even received several awards for the best wine.

We tasted the following wines:

Gruener Veltliner - Zwirch 08

Gruener Veltliner - Der Wein vom Stein 08

Riesling - Der Wein vom Stein 08

Riesling - IKON 08 

Sauvignon Blanc - Giess 08

Sauvignon Blanc - Der Wein vom Stein 08 

I have not done a lot of wine tastings and therefore I will not even try and go there by trying to describe the wines I tried with a complicated vocabulary. I will just say, generally Gruener Veltliner are light wines. I enjoyed the Wein vom Stein 08. The IKON wines are sweet (not as sweet as desert wines) and tasty but difficult to pair with food. I personally enjoyed the Sauvignon blanc Wein vom Stein 08 which had a lovely fruity flavour.

Weingut Ludwig Neumayer

A-3131 Inzersdorf ob der Traisen

Restaurants Vienna - Landhaus Bacher Mautern (very recommendable)

This is an outstanding restaurant off the beaten track. Mrs. Liesl Wagner-Bacher is one of Austria's finest chefs and has 2 well-deserved Michelin stars for her restaurant. Not only is this restaurant situated in the picturesque Wachau wine area, but it was also noticeable from the very beginning that waiters treat each guest with special care.

I tried the delicious consomme with a meat strudel and as a main a Halibut with vegetables. Each meal was presented with a lot of care and visually inventive. Austrian food can be very heavy, but this lunch was very delicate and pleasant.

They also have an extensive wine list, which is not cheap, but impressive.

Südtiroler Platz 2
3512 Mautern an der Donau
Tel. +43 (0) 27 32 85 429

www.landhaus-bacher.at

Restaurants in Chicago - Nia Mediterranean

Surprisingly good! They have paella and many other tapas. It is a little hard to define what cuisine they really are.

All the food was good. Worth mentioning were the wild mushrooms with truffle and the bacon dates. Both these dishes were absolutely delicious!

The service was friendly.

It is good value for money. We tried many different tapas and spent only $33 per person.

803 W Randolph

Chicago, IL 60607

Tel. (312) 226 3110

http://www.niarestaurant.com/

Restaurants in Chicago - Kamehachi

It is an average Japanese Restaurant. No too expensive. So good value for money.

They have traditional Japanese fast food such as Katsu Don ($10.95) or Yakisoba or a Bento with Salmon and a California roll $15.95).

I would say that it is a great place for summer lunches. They have nice tables outside and the wooden floor gives it a nice atmosphere.

1400 N. Wells

Chicago, IL 60610

Tel. (312) 664 3663

http://www.kamehachi.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Karyn's Cooked

This is a good vegan Restaurant. But in my opinion it still does not beat the good old Chicago Diner's gyros.

I think that the most delicious thing on the menu are the smoothies (vanilla banana or a fruit mix with carob). The smoothies are no cheap around $4.50 each but are definitely worth it.

We also tried the bruschetta, hummus, falafel and meatballs. The flavours were all good. I like the taste of grilled food, but this flavour repeated itself in all dishes we tried and in my opinion the breads were a little too carbonised.

I must say that the double chocolate cake ($7) was a treat. Especially if you can not eat cakes with milk.

738 N Wells St. (Superior Street), Chicago, IL 60610

Tel. (312) 587 1050

www.karynraw.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Blu Coral Sushi

We must say apart from the service, the food is surprisingly good. We had a Caterpillar roll ($13), some Totoro Kani ($8) and a yellow tail hand roll ($5).

It is a good value for money place. It is much cheaper than other establishments in Chicago. They had live music which did not quite fit to the place while eating, but was nice for a drink with friends later on in the evening.

1265 N Milwaukee Ave

Chicago IL 60622

Tel. (773) 252 2020

www.blucoralchicago.com

Restaurants in Chicago - The Chicago Diner (very recommendable)

This is a great vegetarian/vegan diner. The choices are plentiful and all the food on the menu is delicious.

I would especially recommend the vegan cookie dough shakes ($5.50) and the Gyros ($8.99)! The flavours are great and the dishes are certainly filling.

Service is good and quick.

The decor is simple as one would expect of a diner. But it is especially charming to sit outside in the summer.

3411 N. Halsted

Chicago, IL 60657

Tel. 773 935 6696

www.veggiediner.com

Restaurants Vienna - Konoba

This is a new croatian fish restaurant. It is certainly not a place where one can go if one is in a rush. It took 20 minutes for the menu to come and took as 40 minutes to order. The whole meal took around 3 hours which was not a problem in our case since we were in no rush. But service is certainly not good and very improvised.

The fish was overall good. We ordered a fish platter which costs 37,50 Euros which would be enough for two very hungry people. For my taste they use too much butter and no other herbs, but some may like this.

This is not a cheap eat, but a nice change from the meaty Austrian food.

Lerchenfelder Strasse 66, 1080 Vienna

Tel. 92 94 111

www.konoba.at

Restaurants Vienna - Il Sestante

This is a favourite of many Viennese people. The Pizza's, especially the simple Margarita is very delicious (with real mozzarella). A lot of Pizzerias today do not use mozzarella due to saving costs, however it makes a notable difference.

This is is also a restaurant where one can sit outside in the summer. The tables are just outside the Maria Treu church which is a pretty setting. The Restaurant's interior decor is very simple and surely not for a romantic date, but it is certainly a place to go with friends and family.

The Pizza's and pasta cost around 10 Euros each.

Maria Treugasse 7/2, 1080 Vienna

Tel. 402 98 94

www.ilsestante.at

Restaurants Vienna - Steirerstoeckl

This is a place next to the Vienna woods (not central Vienna) with delicious styrian food. You can take the 41 tram to the end station Poetzleinsdorf and then go for a 10 minute stroll to the restaurant. The food is simple but with great flavours and fresh ingredients.

The main dishes cost around 12,90 Euros. I personally like the Bauernsalat (farmers salad) which has potatoes and bacon with a lovely pumpkin seed oil dressing. It is very tasty, but may not be filling enough for some.

It is pleasant to sit outside in the summer. The benches and tables are "Heurigen" style which are simple and made of wood.

Poetzleinsdorferstrasse 127, 1180 Vienna

Tel. 440 49 43

www.steirerstoeckl.at

Restaurants Mexico City - Italianni's

This is an Italian chain in Mexico City. If one wants a change from Mexican food, it is a nice alternative. But coming from Vienna, where Italian food is delicious, this is an average restaurant.

I had a simple bolognese which was good and the service was ok. 

We noticed that this is a place where a lot of locals like celebrating their Birthdays. In the hour that we were sitting there, 7 Birthdays were being celebrated.

www.italiannis.com

Restaurants Oaxaca -El Asador Vasco

This is a spanish Restaurant just by the city center (Portal de flores).

The main dishes were all very delicious and cost around 120 pesos. They also have specialities such as Chapulines con Guacamole (grasshoppers with Guacamole). The chicken with almond sauce was very tasty, as well as a nice and creamy sauce. Generally the food was all very good, but I prefer the La Casa de la Abuela which is just around the corner.

El Asador Vasco is a restaurant with a normal conservative table cloth decor and good service. The attraction of this restaurant is the nice view on the Zocalo.

Portal de Flores Num. 10

Tel. 514 47 55

www.asadorvasco.com

Restaurants Oaxaca -La Palapa de Raul

This is a local Restaurant where local people from Oaxaca go if they want delicious and authentic Oaxacan food. It is worth the drive 10 minutes outside of Oaxaca city center.

The food that we ordered was:

Cochinita Pibil (120 pesos) and Mole Almendrado (105 pesos)

Both were very delicious and with a whole array of herbs. The Cochinita had a strong cumin flavour which was outstanding. The Mole was a tiny bit spicy, but very enjoyable. 

The staff is friendly and the simple decor is inviting.

Maria Magarita Beristain Maldonado

Camino Analco No.2 Tlalixtac de Cabrera

CP.68270 Oaxaca Tel. (951) 5175 450

Restaurants in Chicago -Carlos (very recommendable for food not service)

The other time I went to Carlos, I was impressed by the whole experience: food and extremely attentive staff. This time the food was still excellent, however the service was very disappointing.

Regarding the food and wine selection at Carlos:

The extensive wine list is impressive.

We tried the salad with a mix of greens, pine nuts, watercress with a balsamic vinegar reduction. Even though it may seem like a simple task to make a good salad, this one was different and really worth trying.

As a main we tried the: Miso Marinated Halibut, Chanterelles Mushrooms, Bean Sprouts, Salsify and a Lemon Grass Emulsion

and New Zealand John Dory with Hawaiian Shrimp and asparagus Risotto.

The combinations were overall delicious and we would recommend the Halibut.

The only thing that was a little disappointing and one would not expect for a special restaurant like Carlos, was that the bread was a bit old and chewy.

Regarding the service at Carlos:

Unfortunately even though it was quite empty (only three other parties) the waiters did not attend us very well. It took 15 minutes for the waiters to take our order. When we wanted to order wine, we had to look out for them and try and catch their attention. They did not make an effort to explain anything and when some fruit was rotten and we let them know, they started mocking the comment so audible that we could hear clearly what they were saying in the kitchen.

Since dining is partly a whole experience, I am not sure if I would go there again due to the lack of service. However that is perhaps a good thing, since that will push me to try out new places such as Takashi & Mizu Yakitori which also are highly recommended for their food as well as service.

Carlos' Restaurant
429 Temple

Highland Park, IL 60035
Phone: 847 432 0770

www.carlos-restaurant.com

Restaurants Los Angeles - Il Moro (recommendable)

This is a yummy Italian Restaurant in West LA. 

The fried frutti di mare platter is delicious. Even though I am usually not a fan of a batter, but this batter is very light. I also had the Spaghetti allla Carrettiera (Spaghetti sauteed with green olives, porcini mushrooms, chicken sausage and Bolognese sauce) which tasted outstanding. All the dishes we tried were super delicious, but this one is certainly worth come again for.

The service is very friendly and unpretentious.

This is a modern restaurant with a pleasant atmosphere. I particularly liked the beautiful outdoor patio which was very relaxing.

Pasta/Risotti cost around $20.

11400 West Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064

Tel: 310 575 3530 Fax: 310 575 4911

www.ilmoro.com

Restaurants Los Angeles - Yong Su San

This is a traditional Korean restaurant in Koreatown.

The Jap Chai (glas noodles with vegetables stir-fried) and BiBim Bap (steamed rice and various vegetables, seasoned beef and oyster mushrooms with chili) are both delicious. The main dishes are served with a lot of little side dishes (spinach, bean sprouts and kimchi).

The atmosphere is simple, but traditional with a lot of wood. The service is friendly and quick.

Since LA has a huge Korean population, if you like Korean food it is definitely worth checking out some Restaurants there. There are some of the best Korean restaurants in the world there.

950 South Vermont Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90006

Tel.: 213 388 3042 Fax: 213 388 2008