Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts
Showing posts with label restaurant. Show all posts

Saturday, December 6, 2014

Once in a while, I like to go out.

. . . okay, let's face it, if I were made of money, I would go out way more often than I should, but of course my money tree died and my million dollar inheritance ran out (I bought a piece of the moon to prepare myself for the move when zombies eventually come a-knockin' on my door).

Due to these circumstances, I cook very often at home. However, on the rare occasion I sit in a cafe and order a meal, I like to go to a place with good food and plenty of things to stare at. Enter Goodies Cafe in Friedrichshain, Berlin.



Goodies is a place I discovered through a popular market chain called Veganz (they sell Goodies' prepared food) here in Berlin. After trying out a few of the cold dishes, I decided to visit the main store and see what else they had to offer. Naturally I was drawn to the large menu, baked goods, and fresh smoothies and juices.






The decor is quite simple but the graphic art on the walls and coffee cups make the place more personable. I admit the chairs and tables don't look so inviting but I suppose this place caters more to those "on the go".





They have wraps that change monthly as well as staple wraps, bagel sandwiches, cold noodle salads, soups, etc. The people behind the counter also speak English if German is not your forte (I think they get quite a few tourists here). It was quite busy around the time my friend and I went so counter service can seem a bit rushed. Never the less, the food is yummy and there's plenty to choose from. I think it's a great place for starting vegans/vegetarians or just someone who likes to mix it up once in a while.

Goodies
Warschauer Straße 69
10243 Berlin

Goodies Cafe in Berlin

Monday, October 13, 2014

My trip to Italy in August consisted of only two things: art and food. Not to mention the time before that and the time before that and, well, you get the drift. There's something about hopping from church to museum to random-cool-building-facade-I've-seen -a-million-times-in-cities-around-Italia that leave me completely content. Of course, not without a good handful of stops in between to pick up gelato, a glass of wine, espresso, bread, pasta, cheese; you name it, I probably ingested it.

The challenge is finding a spot that serves good Italian food. Despite what some people may think, not all Italian food is good and much of it can be overpriced. Oli and I definitely landed ourselves in a few situations where we left feeling unsatisfied and slightly foolish, so imagine how delighted we were when we found this gem of a place on our last day in Verona.




The interior was very warm and inviting. There was a lot of natural lighting from outside and small little decorations hanging around the dining space. The servers were also very kind and never hesitated to answer questions. Definitely the best service we had eating out in Verona!



We tried a deal of two local wines: one red and one white. Oli and I both agreed wine in Verona is strong! Definitely not to be had on an empty stomach.



I snapped shots while Oli was busy preparing his pasta for his mouth.


I believe most, if not all, of the pasta is homemade. The prices also range from 7 euros for pasta to over 10 euros for main entrees (nothing above 15 euros). I saw one woman eating a soup which I thought was huge and her main course, only to see her eat a second chicken entree that was even bigger, so I guess they're very generous with portions as well!


We sealed the deal with chocolate salami! It's said to be a Veronese specialty and I highly recommend it. It's also very similar to Kalter Hund, which is a treat in Germany.

If you're ever in Verona, do check this place out!

Osteria il Ciottolo
Corso Cavour, 39
37121 Verona, Italy

Osteria il Ciottolo in Verona, Italy

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Now that we're officially in fall season, I decided to rewind to a time not too long ago (a month ago to be exact), when New York was scorching hot and I thought I was going to melt into a little puddle and dribble into New York sewage. Gross? Yes, that's exactly how I felt! But looking back at these pictures now, I long for this kind of weather (I am a Summer baby after all)!


One of my favorite places in the city is the Museum of Natural History. Growing up, this museum was my playground. I crawled in Ocean Life, fooled around in North American Mammals, and made my way through the various halls of dinosaur fossils. Even as I got older, I went to special exhibits and IMAX shows. There is a reason why Night at the Museum takes place here--magic lives in every corner!

Mom and I got tickets to see the new Pterosaur exhibit.



Pterosaurs were living when dinosaurs were around but they were much more evolved and had different traits among them depending on their location and diet. The exhibit compiled the fossil data that already existed with some animations, installations, and games. I suppose since there are still many questions regarding them that the exhibition seemed a tad repetitive but it was fun nonetheless.

The rest of the time we spent trying to make our way to the Hall of Gems.


Quick stop at the Hall of Biodiversity.




I used to collect rocks as a kid. When I first discovered this place, you can assume I went nuts.

On another day in town, I met up with my lovely friend Crysbel for some Southern style vegan noms aka Red Bamboo restaurant.


It's kind of our vegan joint. I mean, we don't own it (we're good kids, we share) but if we're choosing a vegan place and I'm not actively looking for a new one to try out, this is our go-to. Why? Because the food is delicious, service is friendly, and there is a clearly labeled dessert menu on the wall with vegan cheesecake options.

Speaking of which . . .


Yes, look at that sexiness. Like directing a porno when I told my friend to pierce the fork into it. The glory of vegan cheesecake everyone.

If you're ever in Greenwich village, you know where to pop into!

Red Bamboo
140 W 4th St
New York, NY 10012

American Museum of Natural History and Red Bamboo Restaurant

Sunday, September 14, 2014

When in NY, do as the New Yorkers do. In other words, get your behind out to Brooklyn and eat vegan, maybe raw, maybe gluten free. Sun in Bloom fits all of those requirements. Not to mention it's also right next door to a sex shop in case you want to get saucy with your sunflower seed burger. Just sayin'.




The lighting was a bit sparse so some of my photos look a bit grainy but what a lovely place! There are single tables as well as a communal bench in the center. The room is not that big but the space is very organized and I don't feel like I'm shouting over the table next to mine. There is also a fridge on the wall to the left where you can pick up soups or raw desserts.



My friend Amy as I caught her talking on the phone. I swear I did not make her pose for this.




When it comes to dining out vegan, I'd say I'm a pretty seasoned pro. The thing I've noticed with many vegan establishments is that they cater to the idea that veganism is still a new idea and therefore the food is prepared like it ordinarily would be except with substitutions so as not to scare people off. Sun in Bloom is the total opposite in that they really celebrate vegetables and grains and seeds and actually make you like the dish for being vegan instead of a good second to a meat equivalent.
My Sunny "Couture" Futomaki was delicious--I will definitely add roasted veggies to my rolls from now on. The ginger dipping sauce was also way better than any soy sauce. I'm not sure how the burger tasted but Amy seemed to enjoy it. For dessert, we split a gluten free oatmeal raisin cookie. Considering you could trick anyone into thinking it was a regular cookie, I'd say it was job well done.

Overall, it was my favorite vegan meal of this trip. My only qualm is I wish there was a tad bit more on the plate so you know, I could rub it all over my face. Haha, just kidding (but not really).

Sun in Bloom
460 Bergen St
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Sun in Bloom Restaurant

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Hey guys, remember a little while ago, I was in Hamburg? While we were there, I dragged Oli to a Portuguese restaurant. I did a bit of research and learned that Portuguese cuisine is quite popular there. I cultivated a list of some pretty popular places and we eventually ended up at Zur Alten Flöte, walking distance from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (central station).



I apologize in advance for the shotty lighting. I was on and off on flash. I decided without flash, the shots were too yellow and with flash, the contrast was too stark. Oh well.



I'll start off by saying the place was EMPTY albeit an Englishman sitting two seats to my right. Otherwise, no action. There were a couple of "Reserved" tags on the tables, so despite it being a Friday night, maybe we were just there early.

The only negative aspect of this review is the interior of the restaurant. I like wooden and non-flashy designs but the layout was just kind of scattered (the random cramped counter in the front, the opening to the bathroom also connects the bar to the kitchen and it was somehow distracting). I also didn't like the tablecloths.



Service was friendly. The waiter was Portuguese, spoke German and English, and was polite.




The food was super! I had a mixed seafood plate. The variety was nice and everything was grilled and seasoned well. I also really love garlic, which seemed to be a star ingredient. I probably enjoyed the tuna steak and squid the most.
Oli ordered a pork dish of some sort which was tasty as well. I believe it was in some kind of olive-y, soy-ish sauce. Don't quote me on it but it was delicious none the less.

We also ordered two port wines and a coke for Oli (bread basket and starter salad come with the meals). I would say for the portion and quality, it's worth the money. If you're a super saver whose used to Berlin prices, maybe it's not the cheapest. But seriously, for the amount of yummy seafood entering your belly, you won't regret it.

Zur Alten Flöte
Koppel 6
20099 Hamburg

Zur Alten Flöte (Hamburg) Restaurant Review

Saturday, March 22, 2014

As you guys read in my last update, I've been working and working out a lot. I decided to reward myself and go out to a highly rated Chinese food restaurant with Oli last Wednesday. I don't know if it was the heightened expectation I had from the glowing reviews on Yelp, but in short, it was quite an average experience.


Green White Pool

Toca Rouge is a trendy Asian fusion restaurant on Torstrasse in Mitte. We happened upon it on a weekday evening and boy, was it packed. We're talking elbow to elbow, I-know-every-detail-of-your-date-last-night-neighbor packed. We grabbed a seat right under a suspended bicycle and commenced ordering.


Yasming Dynasty

Service is aight. As a waitress in a centrally located restaurant, I get it. Busy days mean busting your ass and not a lot of time for anything else. There was slight confusion at one point where the beer Oli ordered went to the table next to us, but I wouldn't consider that a biggie. I do wish they smiled just a bit more but now I'm just nitpicking.


Mao's Darling


Sticky Orange Love Pudding

Let's get down to what really matters: the food. This is where the whole experience just lay flat on the ground. The menu itself sounded amazing. The name of every dish was like the title of an Asian parody movie and the descriptions made my mouth water. However, the food itself did not deliver.

Appetizer/Soup: Bland and salty.
Entrees: My pork was too chewy and unnecessarily fatty. The goji berries didn't really enhance the flavor either. The best part of it was the mango salsa. Oli's dish was also average. His fish almost had no flavor while the sauce was too salty. It could've been more balanced.
Dessert: It tasted really good but was gone in seconds due to the fact that they put two small rice cakes in a little puddle of sauce. The upside is that I know where to get these dumplings to recreate at home.



I'm not saying this is a bad place. It's just not the place of my dreams. I also take into consideration that maybe the dishes we chose were not their better ones. If I do go back someday, I'll definitely try something else.

And use the bathroom again because this:



Disco lights and a hip hop playlist should become a mandatory thing while taking care of business.

Toca Rouge
Torstraße 195, 10115 Berlin

Toca Rouge Restaurant Review

Sunday, January 19, 2014

Once in a while, I like going to fancy places where the napkins are cloth and there's actually someone who will take your coat and hang it up in a guest closet. When I actually enter the place however, I look down at my tattered boots and wonder if I really belong there.

Osmanya restaurant is a Turkish restaurant located in Moabit, Berlin that fulfills the best of both worlds. It's got the decor of a princess dining room but prices suited for a pauper (okay, a middle class Berliner).




My friend Anne Louise and I went, later joined by the two girls from Frankfurt I mentioned in this post and Oli!


Anne Louise and I!


The menu.

The prices for entrees range from 9-20 euros or you can make a meal from appetizers for about 5 euros each.


Anne Louise and I ordered the same dish (I believe this cost 10.50!)


Oli got lamb, which was a few euros more.

The food was very fresh and tasty and the portions are definitely enough to make you full. Even the appetizers were a pretty good size. They also have interesting drinks I never heard of (who knew Turkish lemonade tastes like Flintstones vitamins?)




Group shot!

Overall, I would recommend going to this restaurant. The service was very accommodating and our server answered any questions we had (although we went on a quiet weekday so not sure what it would be like when it's busy). It also seems they have an outdoor patio for when it's warm enough to sit outside.

Osmanya Restaurant
Birkenstraße 17, 10559 Berlin

Osmanya Restaurant

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