Saturday, July 07, 2007
Dinner at Shiro I Shiro, Berlin, Germany
Shiro I Shiro was also on Food and Wine Magazine's "Go List" and it ended up being very good. Unfortunately, Giao wasn't feeling very well and couldn't finish his food. The food, although expensive, was quite tasty. Our only complaint was that a lot of the dishes contained so many disparate components that it was a bit hard to figure out how to them.
Baguette and Sunflower Seed Bread
The sunflower seed bread was wonderful, with a good crunch on the outside and a nice, chewy middle, studded with sunflower seeds.
Butter and Olive Oil
Nice to have a choice.
Amuse Bouche--Maki Roll of Salmon, Arugula and Creme Fraiche with a Miso Sauce (Gratuit)
Surprisingly tasty. The creme fraiche added a nice, freshness to the roll, although the miso sauce was a tad too sweet.
Morowasi Sashimi Platter $35
Surprisingly fresh sashimi. Very good. Octopus, ama ebi, scallop, squid, sea bream, tuna, salmon.
Veal with Cherries $19
Sweetbread, cherry-chili sorbet, black pudding, fried springroll and white asparagus. This is a clear example of a dish with too many components. Only the sweetbread fell short on flavor, but it was hard to figure out what to eat together. The chili in the sorbet was quite nice, and the black pudding was surprisingly good.
Cucumber and Scallops $18
Cucumber soup with seared scallops, cucumber caviar, olive and cucumber gelee with potato pancakes. The scallops left something to be desired and the cucumber soup and the gelees were flavorless. This dish was much better on paper than in practice and was an overall disappointment.
Fawn and Cauliflower Cous Cous $30
The deer was tender, juicy and not to gamey at all. The minced cauliflower, cauliflower foam, faro and chantarelles made a great side dish when mixed together. The cherries in soy and sesame seeds, while tasty, were totally out of place on the plate.
Tuna Tataki with Foie Gras over Herbed Risotto $29
This was not tuna tataki. This was large chunks of seared tuna. The foie was good, but the risotto was, again, out of place and didn't really add much to the dish.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Service: 1
Decor: 2
Website
Baguette and Sunflower Seed Bread
The sunflower seed bread was wonderful, with a good crunch on the outside and a nice, chewy middle, studded with sunflower seeds.
Butter and Olive Oil
Nice to have a choice.
Amuse Bouche--Maki Roll of Salmon, Arugula and Creme Fraiche with a Miso Sauce (Gratuit)
Surprisingly tasty. The creme fraiche added a nice, freshness to the roll, although the miso sauce was a tad too sweet.
Morowasi Sashimi Platter $35
Surprisingly fresh sashimi. Very good. Octopus, ama ebi, scallop, squid, sea bream, tuna, salmon.
Veal with Cherries $19
Sweetbread, cherry-chili sorbet, black pudding, fried springroll and white asparagus. This is a clear example of a dish with too many components. Only the sweetbread fell short on flavor, but it was hard to figure out what to eat together. The chili in the sorbet was quite nice, and the black pudding was surprisingly good.
Cucumber and Scallops $18
Cucumber soup with seared scallops, cucumber caviar, olive and cucumber gelee with potato pancakes. The scallops left something to be desired and the cucumber soup and the gelees were flavorless. This dish was much better on paper than in practice and was an overall disappointment.
Fawn and Cauliflower Cous Cous $30
The deer was tender, juicy and not to gamey at all. The minced cauliflower, cauliflower foam, faro and chantarelles made a great side dish when mixed together. The cherries in soy and sesame seeds, while tasty, were totally out of place on the plate.
Tuna Tataki with Foie Gras over Herbed Risotto $29
This was not tuna tataki. This was large chunks of seared tuna. The foie was good, but the risotto was, again, out of place and didn't really add much to the dish.
Food: 1
Service: 1
Decor: 2
Website
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 1, Japanese, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Afternoon Snack at AM to PM, Berlin, Germany
It was raining again and we had to duck into a cafe. But it turned out it was pizza happy hour. What luck!
BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza $4
The crust was a bit soggy, but there was plenty of chicken.
BBQ Chicken and Bacon Pizza $4
The crust was a bit soggy, but there was plenty of chicken.
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 0, pizza, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Lunch at the Doner Kebab Stand in Front of the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, Germany
Doner Kebab $3
This one was tasty, with sesame studded bread.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Food: 1
Labels: Food: 1, street food
Breakfast at OneZero: The Urban Food, Berlin, Germany
Back in Berlin, we were starving, so we stopped at the first doner kebab place we saw.
Doner Kebab $3
The sauces were a bit too sweet for us this time, but it was still a satisfying meal.
Doner Kebab $3
The sauces were a bit too sweet for us this time, but it was still a satisfying meal.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Food: 1
Labels: Food: 1, street food
Breakfast at Burger Empire at the Prague Airport, Czech Republic
The airport in Prague had severely limited food choices, and we only had a few euros in change...
3 Piece Chicken Fingers $5
Salty, but made from real chicken. We didn't have enough cash for condiments, so we were stuck without.
3 Piece Chicken Fingers $5
Salty, but made from real chicken. We didn't have enough cash for condiments, so we were stuck without.
Ratings:
Food: 0
Decor: 0
Service: Counter
Food: 0
Decor: 0
Service: Counter
Friday, July 06, 2007
Dinner at Pizza Express, Prague, Czech Republic
Chicken Gyro $3As we'd had a rather large, very late lunch, we weren't that hungry for dinner, and thus, made another trip to the Pizza Express.
Labels: Czech, Food: 1, street food
Lunch at Jama, Prague, Czech Republic
Jama is an American owned pub in Prague serving what they call Czech-Mex. The food wasn't great, but it was a welcome respite from sausage and sourkraut.
Hot Wings, BBQ Wings and Sweet Chili Wings $10
The hot wings were good, but the rest were too sweet.
Bicuits and Gravy $2
Inedible. The biscuits were hard and we were not really able to cut them and the gravy was oddly translucent and flavorless.
Tortilla Soup $2
The broth was tasty, but the soup was odd, containing noodles and a lot of lettuce.
Mexican Combo Platter $12
Enchilada, chimichanga and enchilada. These were not very good, but they were very filling. The salsa was not spicy at all.
Website
Hot Wings, BBQ Wings and Sweet Chili Wings $10
The hot wings were good, but the rest were too sweet.
Bicuits and Gravy $2
Inedible. The biscuits were hard and we were not really able to cut them and the gravy was oddly translucent and flavorless.
Tortilla Soup $2
The broth was tasty, but the soup was odd, containing noodles and a lot of lettuce.
Mexican Combo Platter $12
Enchilada, chimichanga and enchilada. These were not very good, but they were very filling. The salsa was not spicy at all.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
Labels: Czech, Decor: 0, Food: 1, Mexican, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Breakfast Buffet at the K&K Fenix, Prague, Czech Republic
Fruit, Cheese and Breads
Sausages, Salami, Hard Boiled Egg and Artichoke Hearts
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Dinner at La Scene, Prague Czech Republic
We had read that La Scene was a quality French restaurant, however, when we arrived, we found that in January it had transformed itself into an Italian restaurant...with about a 1/4 of the wine list. The food was expensive and not particularly worth it.
Octopus Salad $13
The octopus was a bit tough and all of the ingredients (potatos, celery and olives) except the tomatos were totally out of place on the plate.
Mussels $15
Something is wrong in the kitchen when all of the dishes are using the same secondary ingredients, in this case, tomatos and celery. The broth was ok though.
Lamb Chops $25
The lamb chops were good and there were a lot of them, but the sauce was basically just mustard, and the lettuce garnishes were old and browning around the edges.
Fish with Zuchinni $19
The fish was cooked well, but there was nothing going on with the zuchinni.
Octopus Salad $13
The octopus was a bit tough and all of the ingredients (potatos, celery and olives) except the tomatos were totally out of place on the plate.
Mussels $15
Something is wrong in the kitchen when all of the dishes are using the same secondary ingredients, in this case, tomatos and celery. The broth was ok though.
Lamb Chops $25
The lamb chops were good and there were a lot of them, but the sauce was basically just mustard, and the lettuce garnishes were old and browning around the edges.
Fish with Zuchinni $19
The fish was cooked well, but there was nothing going on with the zuchinni.
Ratings:
Food: 0
Decor: 2
Service: 0
Food: 0
Decor: 2
Service: 0
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 0, Italian, restaurant, review, Service: 0
Afternoon Snack at Greek Taverna, Prague, Czech Republic
Two doors down from the Pizza Express, we found a gyro place that was cheaper and better...it wasn't open 24 hours though.
Chicken Gyro $2
This gyro was cheaper, had more meat in it and was slathered in hot sauce, a nice twist.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Chicken Gyro $2
This gyro was cheaper, had more meat in it and was slathered in hot sauce, a nice twist.
Food: 1
Labels: Czech, Food: 1, street food
Lunch at Hybernia/The Original Needlehouse Restaurant, Prague, Czech Republic
After some walking, we stumbled upon this restaurant, which was off the main touristy areas, and had an extensive meat filled menu. Apparently their specialties are kebabs, hence the name "Needle House".
Cream of Mushroom Soup $2
A bit thick, but good mushroom flavor.
Sour Dill Soup with Egg
This would have been fantastic as a sauce, but it was a bit too flavorful as a soup.
Smoked Meat Stuffed Dumplings with Sourkraut and Fried Onions $8
These stuffed dumplings were more moist and better than the other dumplings we'd had in Prague and the onions added a nice depth of flavor to this dish.
Website
Cream of Mushroom Soup $2
A bit thick, but good mushroom flavor.
Sour Dill Soup with Egg
This would have been fantastic as a sauce, but it was a bit too flavorful as a soup.
Smoked Meat Stuffed Dumplings with Sourkraut and Fried Onions $8
These stuffed dumplings were more moist and better than the other dumplings we'd had in Prague and the onions added a nice depth of flavor to this dish.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
Labels: Czech, Decor: 0, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Mid-Morning Snack from Pizza Express, Prague, Czech Republic
And, another trip to the Pizza Express...
Falafel Gyro $2
Pretty decent falafel, lots of veggies.
Pork Euro $4
Double the price, but not double the taste. The pork was a bit dry.
Falafel Gyro $2
Pretty decent falafel, lots of veggies.
Pork Euro $4
Double the price, but not double the taste. The pork was a bit dry.
Labels: Czech, street food
Breakfast Buffet at the K&K Fenix, Prague, Czech Republic
Another breakfast buffet at the hotel...
Meats of All Kinds
Lots of protein to start the day.
Kiwi, Apricot, Pain au Chocolat, Breads
Tasty.
Salami, Sausages, Scrambled Eggs and Bread
Standard, but good.
Plain Yogurt
Meats of All Kinds
Lots of protein to start the day.
Kiwi, Apricot, Pain au Chocolat, Breads
Tasty.
Salami, Sausages, Scrambled Eggs and Bread
Standard, but good.
Plain Yogurt
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
Dinner at Byblos, Prague, Czech Republic
Finally some good guidebook advice in the form of a great Lebanese place. Oddly located inside of a mall, it was a bit hard to find at first. The interior was covered in plants and had multi-level seating, making it seem as if you were not in a mall. In any case, we ordered the Lebanese menu for 2 and we each had a few drinks and the meal came to only $40--a steal for the amount of food we got.
Dolmas
Pleasantly briny and not very much rice, which was nice.
Babganouj
Giao found it a bit to lemony, but Alexis thought it was delicious. Very smooth.
Hummous
Not as good as Alexis', but still tasty. Also very smooth.
Tabouli
This tabouli was mainly parsley with very little bulgar, which was a nice surprise and make this a very refreshing side dish.
Pita
Standard.
Spinach, Lamb and Cheese Dumplings and Lamb Kefta
Our favorite were the lamb dumplings, but all were good. These were very similar to empanadas.
Lamb Sausage and Grilled Chicken with Garlic Aioli
Very tasty. All of the meat was juicy and perfectly cooked.
Dolmas
Pleasantly briny and not very much rice, which was nice.
Babganouj
Giao found it a bit to lemony, but Alexis thought it was delicious. Very smooth.
Hummous
Not as good as Alexis', but still tasty. Also very smooth.
Tabouli
This tabouli was mainly parsley with very little bulgar, which was a nice surprise and make this a very refreshing side dish.
Pita
Standard.
Spinach, Lamb and Cheese Dumplings and Lamb Kefta
Our favorite were the lamb dumplings, but all were good. These were very similar to empanadas.
Lamb Sausage and Grilled Chicken with Garlic Aioli
Very tasty. All of the meat was juicy and perfectly cooked.
Ratings:
Food: 2
Service: 1
Decor: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Decor: 1
Labels: Decor: 1, Food: 2, Middle Eastern, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Lunch at Hotel Zlatych Nuzek, Prague Czech Republic
We had more bad guidebook advice and had ventured to a pub that happened to be closed. Then we got caught in a downpour and went into the first restaurant that looked reasonable that we could find.
Garlic Soup $2
This was a very good deal and was tasty too. It tasted intensely of garlic and had lots of melting cheese in the bottom. The dried herbs were unnecessary and a bit off-putting though.
Meat, Sourkraut and Dumplings $12
This was ok, but the portion was pretty small compared to what we'd seen in Prague so far. The sauce was a bit too sour as well.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
Website
Garlic Soup $2
This was a very good deal and was tasty too. It tasted intensely of garlic and had lots of melting cheese in the bottom. The dried herbs were unnecessary and a bit off-putting though.
Meat, Sourkraut and Dumplings $12
This was ok, but the portion was pretty small compared to what we'd seen in Prague so far. The sauce was a bit too sour as well.
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: 1
Website
Labels: Czech, Decor: 0, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Snack from Pizza Express, Prague, Czech Republic
Prague is also littered with gyro stands, mostly in the form of what seems to be the monopoly, Pizza Express. The pizza at Pizza Express looked horrid, but the chicken gyros weren't too bad, and as we were learning, some of the best food in Prague is the very cheap street food.
Chicken Gyro $3
Stuffed with chicken, tomatos, cabbage and sauce, a steal at $3.
Stuffed with chicken, tomatos, cabbage and sauce, a steal at $3.
Labels: Czech, street food
Breakfast Buffet at the K&K Fenix, Prague, Czech Republic
Our hotel in Prague had a quite nice, sit down breakfast buffet that was included in the price of our room. The coffee was strong and delicious, there were mimosas on hand, and there was quite a variety of food.
Sausages with Mustard, Bacon, Cheese and Artichoke Hearts
The cheeses were all very salty, and the bacon was a bit weird, but the sausages were tasty.
Croissant and Nectarine
Scrambled Eggs, Cheese and Sausages
The scrambled eggs were a bit runny, but everything else was tasty.
Sausages with Mustard, Bacon, Cheese and Artichoke Hearts
The cheeses were all very salty, and the bacon was a bit weird, but the sausages were tasty.
Croissant and Nectarine
Scrambled Eggs, Cheese and Sausages
The scrambled eggs were a bit runny, but everything else was tasty.
Labels: Czech, Decor: 0, Food: 1, restaurant, review, Service: 1
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Dinner from the EuroFood Stand on Weceslas Square, Prague, Czech Republic
The streets of Prague are lined with sausage stands that also serve burgers and fried cheese sandwiches. We were staying on Wenceslas Square, which seemed to have one of these stands on every block, for the length of the street.
Sausage $2
Big and tasty, slathered in mustard.
Mini-Sausages, Onion and Mustard $3
Yummy.
Sausage $2
Big and tasty, slathered in mustard.
Mini-Sausages, Onion and Mustard $3
Yummy.
Ratings:
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: Counter
Food: 1
Decor: 0
Service: Counter
Labels: Czech, Food: 1, street food
Appetizers at Hot Restaurant, Prague, Czech Republic
Our guidebook said that Hot was a chic Thai place and even profiled the restauranteur. In actuality, Hot was an overpriced steak and pasta joint set in a flashy hotel. The decor was actually quite nice, reminding us a bit of Frisson in San Francisco. The food, however, was another story. There might be no worse combination that bad and expensive, but that is what this place was, and that is why we stopped after the appetizers.
Springrolls $8
Doughy, flavorless and served with a sickeningly sweet chili sauce that I'm sure was simply poured from a bottle. And, with only 2 springrolls per serving, these tiny things came to $4 each, which is basically $2 per bite. Ridiculous.
Prawn Salad $10
There was absolutely nothing going on here flavorwise. This was wose than bad.
Springrolls $8
Doughy, flavorless and served with a sickeningly sweet chili sauce that I'm sure was simply poured from a bottle. And, with only 2 springrolls per serving, these tiny things came to $4 each, which is basically $2 per bite. Ridiculous.
Prawn Salad $10
There was absolutely nothing going on here flavorwise. This was wose than bad.
Labels: Decor: 2, Food: 0, restaurant, review, Service: 1
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