Restaurants Washington DC - Founding Farmers (recommendable)

If you are going to a conference or meeting in the IMF or World Bank this Restaurant is conveniently located at 19th street.

This is a great restaurant for lunch. It is a little bit on the expensive side, but the wait is not long and the food is all very fresh. One can eat the meat here without having a bad conscience since the animals were all treated well which is their main selling point

It is very American with corn bread, lots of sandwiches, but they also have healthy choices on their menu such as salads or fish. I tried the Plank salmon which had a delicious sweet maple syrup glazing. The others tried the Sand Barackwurst (a more sophisticated hot dog - with sophisticated I mean better meat etc) and the Cheeseburger which were both delicious.

(One thing I noticed is that they claim to make their own bread, but when I asked if the bread was with lactose products, the waiters said they have to call their bakery and ask.)

The main dishes were all around 13 USD, however the plank salmon was a little bit on the expensive side and was 30 USD.

Overall I would recommend this place for a quick and healthy lunch.

Founding Farmers

1924 Pennsylvania Ave NW

Washington, DC 20006

Tel 202 822 8783

www.wearefoundingfarmers.com

Restaurants Ottawa - Edoko

This is a very average Japanese restaurant. All the chefs seemed to be of Chinese backgrounds which of course in itself is not bad, but unfortunately the sushi fell apart. The soup had very little flavour.

I guess for people that do not know Japanese food it may be ok to eat, otherwise I would definitely not advise to eat sushi here.

The Teppanyaki meal comes with a bland chicken soup and but perhaps it is fun cause you see the chefs grill the food on the table in front of you and they toss the knives in the air for show. Overall I would say not good value for money.

Perhaps Ottawa is not the place for Japanese food. I have not found a decent recent yet. I think that the average Thai restaurant here is better.

The Teppanyaki is around 26 CAD, so it is not great value for money.

www.edokosteakhouse.com

Restaurants Washington DC - Rice

Washington DC is a beautiful city with a good variety of Restaurants. The weather was very mild (everything is relative - comparing to Canada it is), especially this year and therefore it was possible to sit outside and enjoy ones food in mid November!

Rice is a nice little place in a very trendy area of Washington DC (near Logan Circle). The food is simple Thai food in a pleasant setting.

It is advisable to go there before 20:00 or make a reservation because after 20:00 it gets very full. For some it may become a little loud after a while due to the acoustics there. The food comes very quickly and the waiters bring the check at the same speed without asking if one wants anything else. So my impression was that it is perhaps not a place for a long chat or extensive dinner.

The main dishes cost around $16 each which is reasonable value for money.

Rice
1608 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20009

Tel. 202-234-2400n

www.simplyhomedc.com

Restaurants Montreal - Le Bourlingueur

I nearly forgot about this restaurant! This was our first lunch in Montreal when we arrived. We were walking down the street and were very hungry, but soon realised this was a tourist trap.

The salmon was quite bland 17.75 CAD. The onion soup tasted fine, except the bread that came with it was a little bit of a shock as you can see from the picture. I had to take a picture of this! I do not think this should every be served ...

Le Bourlingueur

363 St-Francois Xavier

Montreal Quebec

Tel 514 845 3646

www.lebourlingueur.ca

Restaurants Sao Paulo - Figeuira (recommendable)

Figeuira, centrally located, it is within close walking distance from the main shopping area of Sao Paulo - Oscar Freire.

A huge tree in the middle of the restaurant patio is just the beginning of what is impressive here! They have beautiful drippy candles on thick wooden stands. This is not only a place for a nice setting, but also for outstanding food.

I started the meal with a delicious freshly squeezed pineapple juice. Then they serve a large plate of a variety of Italian nibbles: mozzarella balls, sun-dried tomatoes, grilled aubergines, a mushroom dip and some fish. All the flavors fit together perfectly.

As a main dish I chose the Argentinian Chopper with a shrimp and tomato sauce which was accompanied by mashed "Aipim", which is a stringy cousin of the potato. The other two who were with me at the restaurant tried the beef which I heard was divine and certainly filling.

The bill was around $50 USD per person. This is not a cheap place to eat, but certainly worth a visit.

A Figueira Rubaiyat

R. Haddock Lobo, 1738

Sao Paulo - SP, 01414-002, Brazil

www.rubaiyat.com.br

O do Borogodo Bar - Sao Paulo

This is a very unpretentious bar in the Vila Madalena area of Sao Paulo. People seemed very relaxed and diverse. It is a place to go for good music.

The Friday we went, the band playing that day tried something experimental, which was mixing Samba with Jazz, which sounded great. A lot of the time it was more chilling music, but due to the fun beats it inspired us to dance a lot.

A Brazilian “code of conduct” is to share beer. The bottles are 600ml and they give each person a small glass to share. Caipirinha are different from Europe or in the US, they do not only have the classic lime version, but offer a variety of Caipirinhas with Kiwi, Mango, strawberry and other fruit mixes.

Another thing to know about Brazilian clubs or bars is that you do not pay the entrance fee in the beginning. They give you a little piece of paper where every time you order a drink, they mark it and at the end of the evening they count how many drinks you have had and mark the paper as paid. It is important not to loose the paper because it can get pretty expensive losing it. I guess, like in a garage when you lose the ticket, they charge you the maximum fee.

O do Borogodo

R. Horacio Lane, 21 - Sao Paulo

SP 05432-030

Restaurants Sao Paulo - Nagayama

Since there is a large Japanese population in Sao Paulo we figured that Japanese food must be pretty good. So we went to a Japanese Restaurant, again in the Itaim Bibi area, called Nagayama. It is a restaurant that has become very successful and therefore there are three branches right next to each other. The café is supposed to be the most charming and modern one.

We tried the sushi and a salmon teriyaki. The salmon hand roll (Temaki sushi) had a generous portion of ground salmon in comparison to many other sushi restaurants. The salmon teriyaki was ok. Unfortunately they grilled it too much, so that it became very dry. Perhaps this was a bit unlucky, since everything else they were serving looked and smelled very delicious. So overall, I would definitely recommend trying this place if you are in the area.

We spent 57 Reais per person, which at the current exchange rate is about 30 USD per person. Recently the Real appreciated a lot, so prices will seem a bit high.

R. Bandeira Paulista, 355

Itaim Bibi - Sao Paulo -SP

04532-011 Brazil

Tel 3079-4675

www.nagayama.com.br

Restaurants Sao Paulo - Due Cuochi (very recommendable)

We went to a delicious Italian restaurant in the Itaim Bibi area. It seems popular for business lunches and looks a bit formal, but the atmosphere is not.

I tried the spaghetti with shrimps and a pesto sauce. My companion had the lamb with risotto, which was cooked to perfection. The rice was not overcooked with a lovely flavour of good Parmesan.

They also serve a delicious salad with greens and some dips with red olives as a free starter.

It is not on the cheap side, but good value for money.

We paid $25 per person.

Due Cuochi

Rua Manuel Guedes 93

Itaim Bimbi - Sao Paulo

Tel 11 3078 8092

www.duecuochi.com.br

Restaurants Ottawa - Mezzanotte

This is a good italian restaurant for a little bit more formal night out.

I tried the large square ravioli filled with lobster meat over a rose sauce. The flavours were light and although it was a creamy rose sauce it did not feel very heavy.

50 Murray Street

Byward Market, Ottawa

Ontario K1N 9K1

Tel. 613-562-3978

www.mezzanotte-bistro.com

Restaurants Ottawa - The Urban Pear

The Urban Pear is a great place for brunching! The portions may be a little bit small for those who are used to the huge portions at pancake houses. They however have very interesting food combinations.

We tried the Poached eggs with chorizo and winter kale, as well as pancakes that had an interesting maple syrup, cilantro and lime sauce. ($17.95) Everything was delicious and nicely presented.

It is recommendable to make a reservation before going there, since they do not have many tables and it is a popular place for Sunday brunch.

Unit c 151 Second Ave. Ottawa

Tel. 613-569-9305

www.theurbanpear.com

Coriander Thai Cuisine

Till now this is my favourite Thai restaurant in Ottawa. This is the fourth Thai place we have tried. The yellow curry with potatoes is delicious. It is a mild dish with lots of different flavours. Simple, but great!

It is a small place with simple decor. They try hard to please the customers.

We paid around 14 CAD for the main dishes, which I believe is good value for money.

282 Kent St

Ottawa K2P 2A4

Canada

Tel (613) 233 2828

Restaurants Morelia - Emilianos

So what are the Restaurants like in Morelia ... I do not want to compare the italian food here with Austria, since Austria has excellent italian Restaurants, which are super hard to beat.

I think the Emiliano's is a nice place to hang out with friends. They have a lot of mexican dishes such as arrachera and guacamole or shrimps (deep fried like tempura with a cocktail sauce). These dishes were all very tasty and even the Pizza tastes fine. I was pleasantly surprised this time because last time I tried their pesto dish I was I guess a little disappointed because I felt like having a dish with basil, but they did not have basil and replaced it with cilantro which of course tastes completely different.

We paid around 15 USD per person.

Emilianos

Artilleros del 47 No.1643

Morelia 58260

Tel 443 315 1035

Restaurants Ottawa - Haveli

So back to Ottawa!

There are a lot of Indian buffet type of places in Ottawa. Often they are greasy spoon Indian. Even though Haveli does not have the usual repertoire of butter chicken etc, it is a bit better than the others. The food tastes more authentic.

The food looks freshly prepared and they were very kind in telling me what kind of food is good for a Vata (Ayurvedic) diet.

I would say the buffet lunch is reasonable priced. It was around 15 CAD per person.

There are two locations in Ottawa. 

We went to the ByWard Market one:

39 Clarence Street

Tel. 613 241 1700

www.haveli.com

Restaurants London - Mildreds

This is a great vegan restaurant in the middle of Soho. It can get a little busy, so it is better not to be in a rush. Unfortunately they do not take any bookings.

It is not expensive, no frills and delicious! The main dishes cost around 9 GBP. It is hard for me to say which was my favourite dish. I liked everything I tried from vegetarian burgers which is healthy fast food like food to the mixed mushroom, porcini and ale pie with fries.

45 Lexington Street

London W1F 9AN

Tel. 020-7494-1634

www.mildreds.co.uk

Restaurants London - Le Pain Quotidien

I am not a big fan of chain restaurants and in London there are plenty. I did however enjoy Le Pain Quotidien at the Royal Festival Hall and in Marylebone. I think it is more of a breakfast or coffee/tea place rather than for dinners. They do serve dinners as well, but the food is not exciting. 

It is a tiny bit of the expensive side - perhaps around 20 GBP per person (they add the service to the bill).

They have nice fruit salads and a bread baskets with a large selection of spreads (I love the blandis and chocolate spreads). 

The setting is casual and since there are not that many small tables, be prepared to share a communal table.

Belvedere Road

Tel. 020-7486-6154

www.lepainquotidien.co.uk

Restaurants London - Maroush

There a couple of Lebanese restaurants by the same owner in London. I mainly know the one in Edgware Road, which I quite like.

The dish I always take is Shish Taouk which is charcoal-grilled skewers of marinated chicken cubes served with a delicious garlic sauce. The cost os most main courses are around 12.95 GBP, which is surely not only the cheap side, but I believe worth it.

The food comes and fast and the service is very quick. So perhaps not a place for a romantic dinner, but rather a more elegant fast food place.

21 Edgware Road

London

Tel. 020-7723-0773

www.maroush.com

Restaurants London - Benihana

Toptable has a great discount: 7 courses for 19 GBP. With the discount I think it is good value for money. Generally Toptable has a lot of discounts and gives you an opportunity to try out many places at lower prices. Great when you just arrive in a new city.

It is a set menu where one can choose from any 2: steak, chicken, prawns, salmon, black cod or seabass. The food is grilled on Teppan tables. The food is good, I would not say great, but partly it is just fun to see the cook the food in front of you. Personally I prefer Matsuri.

37 Sackville St

London W1S 3

Tel. +44 207 494 2525

www.benihana.co.uk

Restaurants in Chicago - Handlebar

I went back to Ottawa from Charleston via Chicago so that I would not miss the U2 concert here! Great to be back! U2 concert - no words ... the best concert ever!!

This is a casual bar or pub style restaurant with some seats outside. Most of their menu can be ordered as a vegan dish. I tried the asparagus & portobello gemelli with baby tomatoes, garlic herb white wine sauce, toasted and pine nuts. A nice change to have really fresh ingredients and no over-cooked vegies!

2311 W. North Ave.

Chicago, IL 60647

773 384 9546

www.handlebarchicago.com

Restaurants Charleston - Blossom

This is a restaurant with lot of fish choices as well, but with an italian touch.

They have a nice seating area outside which I enjoyed greatly. Usually I get cold easily, but the temperature in Charleston is pleasant this time of the year. Deliciously warm summer evenings with a very slight breeze.

Since this is a coastal town, I thought I gotta try as much fish as I can! They had a special - again with a local white fish with a lemon citrus butter and a delicious risotto. This time the risotto was made with chorizo, asparagus and sun-dried tomatoes which was around $28.

Blossom

171 East Bay Street

Charleston, SC 29401

www.magnolias-blossom-cypress.com

Restaurants Charleston - Hank's Seafood Restaurant (very recommendable)

Yup Charleston South Carolina! I guess this is what they mean with southern charm.  This is a coastal city with lots of historical houses with large porches. Although I did not get a chance to see the coast this time because of the intense 2 day Pu-erh tea course, I have heard it is worth a visit. 

There is a big variety of restaurants to chose from. Most offer some kind of fish dishes, so it is not that easy to pick one. We went to Hank's Seafood Restaurant which looks quite formal when one looks at the website, however the people who go there are very mixed. Some go in flip-flops and others a little more dressed up.

The dish we tried was delicious:

Roast Grouper (sweet corn, leek, lobster and rock shrimp risotto with a champagne citrus beurre blanc which costs $27.95. We shared the dish and it was enough as a little bite in the evening. 

I found the risotto and their sauce especially delicious. It was a light dish with lots of different flavour notes.

Hank's Seafood Restaurant

10 Hayne Street

Charleston, SC

www.hanksseafoodrestaurant.com

Restaurants in Chicago - Takashi (very recommendable)

There has been a lot of fuss about this restaurant and it is well deserved! The chef has spent time playing with different flavour combinations and has really succeeded - an absolutely top restaurant!

It is a place of informal elegance - do not expect white linen.

If you go on Tuesdays you can try this great place for a three course prix fixe of $36, which is great value for money. This level of quality, detail and creativity usually costs more than a $100. (Unfortunately they have discontinued this prix fixe menu).

They serve the most innovative and gorgeous dishes in Chicago at an affordable price.

We liked all the dishes, but some of our favourites are:

-summer roll (gulf shrimp, avocado, asparagus, japanese omelet caper-golden raisin vinaigrette)

-warm baby octopus and fingerling potato salad with smoked parika, prosiutto, preserved lemon, chickpea mousseline

-seared maine skate wing with roasted stuffed zucchini, ratatouille, eggplant caviar, pistachio-caper vinaigrette

-chicken in clay pot (chicken, shimeji mushrooms, eggplant, haricot vert, yuzu juice); this dish was even able to enthuse a young teenager

The waiters are professional, but will make you feel at ease.

www.takashichicago.com

Restaurants Ottawa -The Green Door (recommendable)

This is a buffet vegetarian restaurant with lots of tasty dishes from vegetable curries to a mouth-watering avocado salad. You will be charged by weight, not per dish.

It is a funny little place where people seem to know each other or just start talking to each other because the tables are so close together. It is a great place for lunches (opening hourse are from Tuesday - Sunday 11am - 9pm). 

198 Main Street

Ottawa, ON K1S 1C6

Tel. 613-234-9597

www.thegreendoor.ca

Restaurants London - Cha Cha Moon

This is a simple chinese noodle place in the same style as Wagamama, but a little better.

It is quite fun to watch the kitchen make the fresh noodles.

We sat on long benches and were served our food at a super quick speed. It was extremely cheap in the beginning (around 3 GBP per dish), but the prices have gone up (around 5-7 GBP per dish) so in comparison to places like Ran, it is no longer good value for money.

There are queues, but they move very quickly.

15-21 Ganton Street

London W1F 9BN

+44 207 297 9800

www.chachamoon.com

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