markemorse's Profile
Suggestions in Milan?
hi there....does anyone have any suggestions for south milan, the chiesa rossa or stadera 'hoods? only here for a couple days, don't have much time for straying from my base (chiesa rossa). any help is appreciated!
thanks
mark
Bandol in Berlin - short review
weird, we didn't get any attitude at all other than totally helpful and pleasant. i will say that based on the strength of my first visit, i went back two nights later and the food was not nearly as good. someone else must have been in the kitchen, b/c i tasted two of the dishes i'd tasted on monday, and they were just not as careful or refined. still, we had a nice time and i'd go back, staff was friendly and efficient. but i mean i'm used to amsterdam customer service, so i'm just happy when nothing terrible happens.
Bandol in Berlin - short review
just had a very good meal there tonight, best in berlin so far this trip...more later....
I could use a really good meal in Berlin
yarok was really good, i had the daily special, kind of like an okra and beef stew, served with rice and salad. interesting flavors, careful presentation, in fact you can really tell they care, period. i didn't eat most of my rice, just cause, well, i don't like to eat a lot of rice, and when i went to pay, the gentleman behind the counter said, "you don't like rice? (he'd cleared my plate) it's also possible to have this with potatoes or other vegetables"...i told him everything was great, nothing to worry about, i think he eventually believed me. would like to go back to see how much care they put into a falafel (;->).....
I could use a really good meal in Berlin
thanks, those are all already in my sights except for the syrian place...i might do that tonight. thanks for all the time and info....
I could use a really good meal in Berlin
thanks linguafood, i've been reading your reviews here pretty religiously and this was the first rec that hasn't been great (not yr fault, tons of other people have rec'd too)....i'm sure you're right about the chef's passion, but yes, it didn't read like a "vegetarian" dish, it read like a feature for chanterelles with some nice supporting dumplings. it was just somewhere between fair-minus and poor.
so far yam yam has been the best meal we've had, i think the vegetarian is going to little otik tonight while i either do shwarma or currywurst. other targets include si an (unless there's a better vietnamese in the mitte/pberg area), rutz (where i've already enjoyed a few great meals), and tian fu.
I could use a really good meal in Berlin
Have to mention, we had a really disappointing meal at Renger-Patzsch last night....was there with a friend, started with the summer salad and tarte flambee with leeks, walnuts, and blue cheese. really great, difficult to stop eating, i'd order it again in a second. The entrees, however, were either slightly disappointing or bad.
Could be that it's a meat restaurant. I had a "crisp-fried pike perch filet with cabbage and a caraway jus" that was meh, ok. Fish was cooked perfectly, seasoning was fine, but caraway was undetectable and the overall impression was...."pleasant", or maybe "fine". My vegetarian friend ordered "chanterelles with cheese dumplings", and had this been some kind of blindfold test i would never have believed it came from the same restaurant. it was like a generic health food veggie burger had been pureed and re-pattified, then cooked until every trace of moisture was gone and only salt and thyme remained. And the chanterelles seriously didn't taste like anything, except maybe more thyme and a hint of butter. very strange.
nice place, good atmosphere, and as a meat eater, i'd probably go back and give it another shot, but really, my friend's entree was one of the more disappointing things i've been served in a restaurant lately, yes, certainly because of all the good things i'd read about the place, but still. not good.
Amsterdam 10AM - 2PM with children and 3 very different palates
I'd head over to Nieuwmarkt and Chinatown, right across the street (and to the east a little) from Central Station. yes it's close to the red light district but you can avoid that quite easily, and it's all perfectly safe. Get some Indonesian sandwiches (or chicken sate or gado gado for your wife) at Toko Joyce. Or there's also a nice fishmonger at the south end of the Zeedijk where you can get some freshly fried kibbeling or a herring with pickles and onions...
...and of course you can always pick up fries and a shoarma anywhere between Nieuwmarkt and the station, though I can't recommend any specific joint over there.......
Stockholm in May (Part 1)
Speaking of Umea....I'm headed up to that neck of the woods in a week....anyone got any Umea tips?
Sardegna/Sardinia for 4 days - Restaurant suggestions?
hey barberinibee, thanks for the great advice. just ordered plotkin's book. i'm also a bit wary of the UK press, so thanks for reminding me about blog hunting. I'd done some work on that a few weeks ago but didn't turn up anything interesting...so thanks!
Sardegna/Sardinia for 4 days - Restaurant suggestions?
Hi...finding it surprisingly hard to find good data on Sardinian eating. We're leaving in two weeks for the east coast just north of Tortoli, a place called Lotzorai. If anyone has any suggestions within say 100km, I'm all ears...thanks!
Pani Poori and Snack Stall next to Thattukada (London)
Does anyone have an address for the stall on Gladstone? Trying to send someone there and looking for more specific directions...
Aaaannnnd...anyone know what time they start serving?
Specific Amsterdam Question
if it's Sampurna (Singel 498), I've had takeaway from there twice and it's been good. it's a tiny bit expensive due to the location, but everyone was very friendly and knowledgeable about the food.
Specific Amsterdam Question
Sorry, this is a tad confusing: Mercan is worth a special trip, Doner Palace not so much.
Specific Amsterdam Question
There's a very good Indonesian takeaway in your neighborhood:
http://www.iens.nl/restaurant/amsterdam/restaurant.htms?r=6160
I'm trying to think of a sit-down Indonesian place that won't break the bank...
The nearest Surinamese counter to you is called De Lelie, I've never been there but reviews are good:
http://www.iens.nl/restaurant/amsterdam/restaurant.htms?r=1119
Seems that the owners are Hindustani, so you should probably try the rotis.
Looks like I've run out of time today...I'll try and get back here to give you some more specific tips, but in case I don't, all of the Surinamese tips on my blog are still valid...
Good luck!
Specific Amsterdam Question
OK...you're right around the corner from a take-away place that does some of my favorite Turkish snacks: Mercan Patisserie, Rozengracht 148. What you want is a "Turkish pizza with everything", this is a lahmacun. More detail here:
http://vegetarianduck.blogspot.com/2006/07/eating-in-amsterdam-duck-style-part-1.html
You might also try any of their savory or sweet pastries...I've never had anything bad there. Not worth a special trip, but in case you end up nearby at lunchtime: at Rozengracht 89 is Doner Palace: zero charm, nice cheapish lunch specials.
Just a bit northwest of the Rozengracht is one of the best sit-down Turkish places in town: Orontes West. http://www.iens.nl/restaurant/nederland/restaurant.htms?r=24937
OK, back to Surinamese food in a sec....
Specific Amsterdam Question
when exactly are you coming? there's a huge Surinamese festival that just started called Kwakoe....
pictures of 2007's festival here:
http://vegetarianduck.blogspot.com/2007/08/reminiscing.html
Amsterdam Restaurant Recs
If you haven't, I would contact Marius ASAP, I've just heard that they're either closed or closing very soon for renovations....De Kas is a good backup plan, but Marius would be my choice given the two options.
Also, I would avoid Dulac if you're trying to avoid a loud place...
Specific Amsterdam Question
Hey there....you should definitely check out Surinamese food while you're here. The kind of restaurant you're looking for is called a "warung" or sometimes a "toko", but that's a more Indonesian term.
It would be helpful to know what neighborhood you're in...there are a few great ones around the Albert Cuypmarkt in de Pijp.
You should also try to get some Turkish food while you're here, again...it's everywhere, so if you can narrow down a neighborhood that's helpful.....
Brunswick Stew
Couple things: I'll add my voice to the chorus of those who've never seen it with rice. And: does anyone know if the potatoes are more characteristic of VA-style? I grew up in GA, have been away for about 10 years, and upon returning this summer and eating a whole lot of stew, I realized that I am anti-potato. Seems like most of what I grew up on was shredded meat, corn, tomato, vinegar, possibly a lima bean or two. But no potatoes.
Amsterdam - Need Help with Restaurants
15 minute walk? Maybe 20. It's a nice walk, though, if you go up the Staalstraat/Kloveniersburgwal way...
Amsterdam - Need Help with Restaurants
If you do want to try a somewhat refined version of "Dutch food", I recommend Greetje (http://www.restaurantgreetje.nl/).
Amsterdam - Need Help with Restaurants
I should point out that the restaurant mentioned above is spelled Zuid Zeeland.
http://www.zuidzeeland.nl/
countries that just don't have good food/overlooked national cuisines
Start eating Surinamese food, it's everywhere and delicious.
Amsterdam Report
Sama Sebo is really in one of the most non-Chowhound-oriented neighborhoods in the city...the Museum District thrives on expensive, watered-down food for tourist palates...I'll add my Indonesian tips to the Amsterdam Tip Sheet thread...
Catfish--Atlanta or northern GA
I've never had anything bad at AJ's Famous Seafood in East Cobb...their softshell crab, oysters, and shrimp are excellent, red beans and rice too...I'd find it hard to believe their catfish wouldn't be great as well. Cute little place, too. Abita beers on tap come to think of it. Only downside is that it's on the NW side of town...
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AJ's Famous Seafood and Po-Boys
2100 Roswell Road, Marietta, GA
Hot meal at a fair price in Amsterdam?
Nice one Willem...I second the Zen and Loetje recs, but prefer New King to Nam Kee these days myself....hard to go wrong either way. In the Zeedijk neighboorhood I also thing that Nyonya Malaysia Express is worth hitting for their roti canai....
The Omnivore's 100
I saw this, was sucked in by the first 15 or so, but then by the time I was done, I was thinking about all of the things that were missing: ice-cold watermelon, corn on the cob, real BBQ ribs, beef rendang, banana pudding, etc. etc. etc.
Still, 10 minutes well-spent in nostalgialand...78/100 for me.
