Sunday 12 August 2012

Can Majo


Address: Almirall Aixada 23, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Phone: 93-221-5455

Why we dined here: Can Majo came up consistently in our Google search for the best paella in Barcelona.

In a Nutshell: Delicious paella!

We went to Can Majo as a last day stop in search for Barcelona's best paella after scouring the web for reviews and recommendations. We couldn't leave Spain without having an authentic paella experience. The restaurant was located in the harbor are but right at the waterfront so you have to navigate some small streets to find it. We arrived there very late (near 11pm) but it was still bustling with patrons. The paella was the best I've had - very flavorful and the rice had good texture. This was the only paella I had in Spain though. All my other paella experiences were from Canada or the Philippines.

I docked one point off my review for the price and the service. I found the service to be spotty. Sometimes, you'd have to wait a while to get service and the servers weren't as friendly as in other restaurants in Barcelona.

Olives, bread and Rose wine

Seafood soup

Paella

Creme brulee


Montiel Restaurante


Address: C/ Flassaders 19, 08003 Barcelona, Spain
Phone: +34 932 683 729

Why we dined here: At our time of travel, Montiel was the #1 rated restaurant in TripAdvisor.

In a Nutshell: Montiel is a top-notch restaurant and the suckling pig is definitely a must-try!

I visited Montiel after researching online and seeing its rank and positive reviews on TripAdvisor. Despite my high expectations, it managed to exceed it. When we visited, there was a football (soccer, for US and Canada) game going on so it was not very busy. But this did not affect the quality of food and service we received. The waiters were very friendly, attentive and knowledgeable about the menu they offer. The food was impeccable - especially the suckling pig! Very crispy skin and the meat is tender, juicy and flavorful. We also ordered duck and ravioli, both of which were also superb. I am typically a picky foodie but I have nothing to complain about with this restaurant. The food and service is top notch and definitely up to par to high-end fine dining.

Rice crisps provided at the end of meal
Olives and olive oil provided with bread
Wild mushroom ravioli
Suckling pig leg
Lacquered pigeon with creamy rice
Warm chocolate melting cake with mango ice cream

Saturday 11 August 2012

About Thyme


Address: 3457 King Street, Vineland, Ontario L0R 2C0, Canada
Phone: 905 562 3457

Why we dined here: We needed a lunch spot before journeying to Balls Falls, so we rounded up the best rated restaurants around the area and ended up with About Thyme.

In a Nutshell: The Bistro Poutine da bomb - hands down the best poutine I've ever tasted! 

We decided to visit About Thyme after seeing its ranking in TripAdvisor and the glowing reviews. This was a spectacular find and definitely exceeded our already high expectations. Our party of three shared the following dishes:

1.) Mussels of the Day (small) - I definitely agree with the reviewer that the mussels & fries here can beat out the ones in Belgium. In fact, I much preferred it over the ones I had in Chez Leon in Brussels. The mussels were very fresh and juicy. The cream of leek and smoked bacon sauce was flavorful. Also, the small is actually quite big in size and would be enough for 2 to 3 people for sharing as an appetizer.

2.) Charcuterie Plate - If you love meat, you will enjoy this plate. You get a good variety and quantity of cured meats.

3.) Pork & Beans - The pork belly was very tender and melt-in-your-mouth. The only complaint we have is the fattiness of the pork belly.

4.) Bistro Poutine - The most memorable dish of our meal, hands down! This is different from the regular poutine in that it uses foie gras sauce instead of gravy, aged cheddar instead of cheese curds and it's topped with duck confit. Yes, it is a poutine fitting for royalty. That dish is worth the trek to About Thyme from Toronto any day. It's the best poutine we've ever had and we've had our fair share, even journeying to Quebec where the dish originated.

If you're within the area or within driving distance of Lincoln, this bistro should be in your To-Eat list. The closest comparison to a Toronto establishment that comes to mind is The Black Hoof. I enjoyed the dining experience at About Thyme more since the ambiance was more laid-back, less cramped, and the service was more attentive.

Specials of the Day board
Chips and Mayo that came with the mussels
Mussels of the Day (cream of leek and smoked bacon sauce)
Pork & Beans
Charcuterie Plate
Bistro Poutine (drooooool!)

Mary Chocolatier


Address: 73 rue Royale, Brussels 1000, Belgium
Phone: +32 02 217 45 00

Why we went here: We were still craving for Belgian chocolates and wanted to try specialty chocolatiers that were only available in Belgium.

In a Nutshell: Delicious chocolates but pricey and I still prefer Dumon.

Mary Chocolatier offered good chocolates - very smooth and creamy. It was a bit pricey but compared to Neuhaus, I much preferred the chocolates here so I was willing to pay the difference. However, I enjoyed the chocolates from Dumon Chocolatier in Brugge much much better so I would recommend buying from Dumon if you are making a trip to Brugge. If you're only visiting in Brussels, you can't go wrong with Mary. 

Window of Mary chocolatier
Assortment of chocolates


Dumon Chocolatier


Address: Eirmarket 6, Bruges 8000, Belgium
Phone: +32 50 34 62 82

Why we went here: Belgian chocolates were in our To-Eat list for Belgium. Dumon was the first specialty chocolatier we saw in Bruges.

In a Nutshell: Best Belgian chocolates (and chocolates, in general) that I've ever had!

Smooth, creamy, melt in your mouth, not too sweet and flavorful! Yum! Dumon chocolates are the best I've ever sampled. Period. Well worth the money.

I tried Mary Chocolatier and Neuhaus in Brussels and both were subpar compared to Dumon. I regret not buying more since we went here during our last day in Brugge and during closing time too! They didn't have a store in Brussels so I wasn't able to buy more to bring home :(

Window of Dumon Chocolatier

Assortment of chocolates

Restaurant Schoennemann



Address: Hauser Plads 16, Copenhagen 1127, Denmark
Phone: +45 33 12 07 85

Why we dined here: We wanted to try the best smørrebrød in Copenhagen. Restaurant Schoennemann kept on popping up in our Google searches.

In a Nutshell: Delicious smørrebrød, but too pricey for what you get!

The smørrebrød (open-faced sandwich) was in my Eat list when I visited Copenhagen and after some Googling, I stumbled upon Restaurant Schoennemann as the place to go for the best smørrebrød. So I called in a week in advance to make reservations. The restaurant itself has a cozy, old home ambiance but with fancy plates and silverware.

I cannot attest to whether Schoennemann does offer the best smørrebrød, since this was my one and only smørrebrød experience. However, they do offer a wide selection so there should at least be one type that will suit each person in your party. We enjoyed the smørrebrøds we ordered, at least while they lasted. The portion is small (by North American standards at least). It is not enough to qualify for a meal. The prices are steep, considering the amount of food you get. Also, despite how good the smørrebrød may be, it is still just a sandwich.

Greenland shrimps in pyramide

Simon's Favorite - smoked salmon with creamed spinach and poached egg

Linie Aquavit Herring


Manfred's & Vin


Address: Jaegersborggade 40, Copenhagen, Denmark
Phone: (+45) 3696 6593

Why we dined here: The chef and owner of Manfred's & Vin, Christian Puglisi, did internships at El Bulli (former World's Best #1 restaurant) and Noma (current World's Best #1 restaurant).

In a Nutshell: Well-executed food at reasonable price!

We came here with high expectations, well-aware that the chef/owner of Manfreds used to work at Noma. The menu is very limited, especially for non-veggie eaters. So all 3 people in our party ended up ordering the only meat dish that night which was pork belly. The pork belly was roasted perfectly - golden brown skin and well-marinated, juicy meat. The desert and cheese we ordered were good but plain. The price is actually quite reasonable for the amount and quality of food you get and considering the high cost of living in Denmark.

To sum up, Manfreds offers standard honest-to-goodness food at an affordable price. Nothing ground-breaking but still thoroughly enjoyable.


Beer

Roasted pork belly

Cheese and dessert


Dos Palilos


Address: Elisabets 9, 08002 Barcelona, Spain
Phone: 933040513

Why we dined here: Albert Raurich, the chef and owner of Dos Palillos, was a chef de cuisine at El Bulli (which garnered the #1 World's Best restaurant award consistently before it closed down).

In a Nutshell: Great (but not spectacular) Asian fusion food

We went for the lunch menu so we got 4 small courses for a more reasonable price than their a la carte menu. The tuna sushi was the best of the meal and it was one of the best sushi I've ever had. That's a high compliment since I eat a lot of Japanese food and it's one of my favorite cuisines. The rest of the meal - wonton, yakitori and others were not very memorable. They taste similar to what you'd get in an authentic Asian restaurant. The portions were small since the dishes are tapas, so it is a bit pricey for the amount of food you get. Overall, the experience was still great so I'm happy I tried it; but it's not special enough for me to return to when I go visit Barcelona again.

open-concept kitchen
crispy fried meat-filled wonton
tuna sushi
free range chicken yakitori
fluffy almond sponge cake with yuzu marmalade

Falmouth Raw Bar


Address: 56 Scranton Ave, Falmouth, MA 02540-3541
Phone: 508-548-7729

Why we dined here: The receptionist at Briarwood resort (who is a Massachusetts native) recommended this spot as having the best monster lobster roll in the area.

In a Nutshell: Best monstah lobster roll and clam chowder we tasted in the New England area!

I had my best lobster roll and clam chowder experience at Falmouth Raw Bar! We tried the lobster roll and clam chowder at other restaurants in Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, but nothing else comes close. The lobster roll here was massive and had overflowing fresh lobster meat. The bun of the roll was not great, but you'll be so stuffed with the lobster that you won't be able to finish the bun anyway. The clam chowder was very creamy and had a strong essence of clam and seafood. After having the clam chowder and lobster roll here, it was hard for us to enjoy the ones from other restaurants since we kept on comparing them with the ones we had here.

The stuffed scallop and stuffed quahog were just meh, so I deducted a point for that. Stick to their specialties - the monster lobster roll and New England clam chowder!

Falmouth Raw Bar menu

Stuffed quahog

Stuffed scallop

Monster lobstah roll!!!

New England clam chowder

Ethiopiques Restaurant


Address: 227 Chruch Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1Y7, Canada
Phone: 416-363-0884

Why we dined here: WagJag had a voucher promotion for Ethiopiques and we were curious to try out Ethiopian food.

In a Nutshell: A unique dining experience, especially the coffee ceremony!

Ethiopiques was a very welcome surprise for us. We would never have stumbled upon this place on our own. The reason for our visit was really just to use up the WagJag voucher we bought ($20 for $50 worth of food). We ordered a Meat Platter, Gored Gored (Tender beef fillet) and Goden Tibs (Lamb short ribs). The meal was more than enough for 3 starving yuppies. We still had a bag of take-out after we stuffed ourselves to the brim. It was our first time eating Ethiopian cuisine. We liked the exotic flavor from the variety of spices. Some dishes had a spicy kick to them so have your water handy. The food is served with injera (similar to rolls of airy crepe/pancake). You use the injera to eat the foods with your hands, without the use of the spoon or fork. So that was also fun!

We also requested the coffee ceremony after reading the reviews in Yelp and Googling about the ceremony. Apparently, coffee originated from Ethiopia. They bring out the roasting pan when they're roasting the beans and shake the pan in front of you so you can whiff the intense aroma of freshly roasted coffee beans. The host will bring the jebena (clay coffee pot) to your table. Then, she will slowly pour the coffee to the small porcelain cups. Sugar is provided for you to sweeten the coffee to your taste, but not milk. The coffee is meant to be drank black. A basket of popcorn is also included for you to munch with your coffee. It was definitely a memorable experience and great way to cap off the night :)
Meat Platter + Goden Tibs + Gored Gored

Coffee Ceremony