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 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 - 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 - 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

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 London - Urban Turban (very recommendable)

I think this is one of the best Indian restaurants in London. I like the unique flavours and combinations. A great modern interpretation of Indian food!

The atmosphere is a combination of minimalist with a little bit of an Indian touch due to the colours that are chosen as the decor.

We tried the following dishes:

Tikki chaat: spicy chickpeas, potato cakes and tamarind chutney

Dahi batata papdi: potatoes & crushed papdi laced with sweetened yogurt & chutneys.

Tandoori chicken with makhani sauce

Saag paneer: spinach cooked with paneer tempered with cumin & garlic.

Dessert was a chocolate torte with caramelized nut base and ginger ice cream.

I thought the starters were outstanding, especially the touch of having the pomegranate seeds mixed with the Indian flavours in the Dahi batata papdi! Unlike the average Tandoori, which often dry, this Tandoori was grilled nicely and had an extra makhani sauce which complemented the flavour of the Tandoori chicken nicely. All main dishes were delicious and had a fresh taste. I think none of us thought that the dessert was spectacular, but did not ruin our impression of the place.

I would definitely recommend this place!

Our bill ended up being 25 GBP per person without drinks, which is great value for money.

98 Westbourne Grove

London W2

+44 20 72 434 200

www.urbanturban.uk.com

Restaurants Chicago - Alinea (very recommendable)

Alinea is another restaurant in the residential area called Lake View. All dishes are eye catching and some of the flavours literally exploded in the mouth. Delicious flavours tempt the imagination. However, for me, it is not necessarily an experience that I want to repeat. I found the flavours were sometimes competing against each other, but perhaps that is personal taste.

Service is pleasant, attentive, and yet not formal.

The menu also suggests wine parings to complete a memorable meal. $225 per person with wine pairing.

1723 N Halsted St

Chicago, IL 60614
Tel. (312) 867-0110

www.alinearestaurant.com

Restaurants Chicago - Charlie Trotter (recommendable)

Charlie Trotter is one of those restaurants that one has to try once in a lifetime. It is a little bit further away from the centre in a residential area called Lake View.

We had a long dinner with many small dishes:

• oyster with celery root & tomato ice
  
• poached cockles with brioche dust, serrano ham and roasted peppers
  
• scallop with braised kombu, sea beans & creamed lemon
  
• roasted duck with bitter melon confit & infused duck consomme
  
• lamb with curry spices
  
• sour cream sorbet with beets
• buttermilk with white pepper, milk ice cream & nutmeg
• venezuelan chocolate with spicy chorizo

An outstanding experience. The oysters, scallop and the venezuelan chocolate are certainly worth mentioning. The combination of chocolate with meat was delicious and inventive. Each dish had original combinations of flavours and complimented each other well.

For even more exotic combinations and for people who want to be more adventurous - Alinea is more daring and present the food in a very creative manner.

The wine list was outstanding.

Highly-trained staff, but not charming. Formal atmosphere.

Expensive but well worth it for a special occasion and living in Chicago one should have tried it once!

816 W Armitage Ave
Chicago, IL 60614-4308
(773) 248-6228

www.charlietrotters.com