Adventure #177: Weisses Brauhaus (Munich)

Munich is famous for its brauhaus (beer house) and so we wanted to take the kids there for the experience.  There are two famous brauhaus's in Munich, Weisses Brauhaus and Hofbrauhaus.  Weisses Brauhaus is not the biggest but we think it is less touristy and the food is supposedly rather good.

We arrived for dinner early and so the place was still rather empty.

There was alfresco dinning but we preferred to experience the setting of a brauhaus. In any case, we got a window seat, so best of both worlds!

Weisses Brauhaus serves many different types of beer so we didn't know which to choose. The lady just gave us the most popular one which I think is one of the wheat beers.  Kids had a giant fanta each!

Chopped pork liver, in small slices, with roast onions and button mushrooms, served with parsley potatoes. G thought the liver was a bit tough unlike the Chinese ones but I liked it.  With the crispy onions and the mushroom sauce, I really enjoyed this dish.

Crisp roast porkling breast with sauerkraut and Semmelknodel (white bread dumpling).  We enjoyed the roast/smoked pork at Burger-Keller and so we ordered this.  The pork was rather tough and the dumpling rather tasteless.  All in all, not a popular dish. 

Pork knuckle with crisp and crackling crust and Schneider-wheat-beer gravy, served with Kartofelknodel (potato dumpling) and coleslaw. Finally, our first pork knuckle on this trip.  Looked really good.  Skin crispy and meat very tender.  Kids much preferred this.

Weisses Brauhaus is not very big (we have only seen the ground floor) and the atmosphere cosy.  I think it is a nice place to enjoy a typical brauhaus.  May possibly get rowdier later in to the night but we will never know...

Adventure #176: La Fontana (Nordlingen)

Arrived in Nordlingen, a little town built on top of a 15 million-year-old meteorite crater and our stop-over destination for the night. After settling down at our lodgings for the night, we wandered into town for a walk and then looked for dinner.  Not wanting to miss out on good local food, we actually went in search of 2 restaurants which was recommended by our guidebook and both were closed!  Luckily, luck didn't totally abandon us and we came across a little Italian pizzeria (yup not German) near the main square. 

Housed in an old (18th century?) corn storage, this restaurant called La Fontana, was buzzing with diners.  The weather was nice and there were tables outside, so we plonked ourselves down for the evening.

Started with half a litre of house wine which turned out to be very decent.

Both G and the older one had Pizza Margherita.  The pizza was super thin and fresh. Delicious! Very lucky to have found this restaurant as the kids were a bit tired of sausages (although only the third day into our 2-week journey!)

I had a Pizza with salami. Equally delicious.

The little one had a spaghatti Bolognese. She loved it.

Definitely an unexpected find and we thoroughly enjoyed our meal.  This was compounded by the wonderful weather and the alfesco dinning.

Adventure #175: Burger-Keller (Rothenburg)

Today we arrived bright and early in Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Germany, a very picturesque town.  Although the weather was pretty good (a change from yesterday's rain), it was still pretty cold (and yes, it's summer).  A sit down lunch sounded really enticing, so off we went in search of a traditional restaurant at the edge of the main square.

The restaurant is situated in the cellar of an old building.  A pity to eat underground in such a beautiful day but for good food.....

A very cosy setting. As we arrived just as it opened, the restaurant was rather empty but it quickly filled up in the next hour.  

Bavarian liver dumpling soup.  Given the cold outside, I really enjoyed this peppery soup with its rather interesting meatball like dumpling.  I would preferred it more if the liver taste was stronger but it was a good dish.



Bauernschmaus - roast pork, smoked pork and roast sausages on sauerkraut with potatoes dumpling.  A giant dish for the man of the house.  Everything was good, especially the smoked pork.  The potato dumpling, although it was my first time eating it, I found it very tasty and very filling too!

 

Schnitzel "Wiener Art" - breaded pork cutlets with french fries and salad.  It will be a few days before we arrive in Austria but this seemed to be a good choice for the kids and they loved it.

6 pieces of sausages on sauerkraut and boiled potatoes. Another dish for the kids and I to share.  Sausages were great and the sauerkraut was wonderfully sour!

A very delicious lunch in a traditional restaurant.  We didn't have much expectation about German food before this trip but this meal was delicious.

A number of reviews elsewhere commended the owner for his very good service.  The service we received was not bad, it was....I think the best way to put it.....indifferent.  Polite but indifferent. Coming from Hong Kong where services have improved many folds since the crisis in 1998, we were initially a bit taken aback. Later we realised that this is just the way they are.  Cultural difference!


Burgerkeller
Herrngasse 24
91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Bavaria
Germany
Tel: +49 9861 2126

Europe

We will be leaving tonight for a 2-week vacation in Southern Germany, part of Austria and Northern Italy. Not entirely sure about German and Austrian cuisine.........

Come back after 2 weeks and see what I have found along the way!

Adventure #174: 22 Ships

Finally, we made it to 22 Ships.  This tapas restaurant opens at 6pm and when we got there at 5 mins to 6pm, there was already a queue.

We got in and were seated at the bar which turned out to be rather fun eating and watching the chef prepared our food.

Menu is on the placemat.  Not too extensive. 

We started with their signature sangria.  We didn't like it.  Also too much ice, the drink gets diluted after a while.  Should have had a wine.

Salt cod brandade ortiz anchovy and herb paste. Delicious mouse-like paste.

Mussels with sherry and peas from the daily specials.  Mussels were fresh and juicy.  The sauce on the other hand was a bit bland.

Steak tartar, smoked egg dressing. Different from the ones we tasted in France and Thailand but G thought it was interestingly delicious. Presentation great.

Chorizo, clams and Jamon paella.  The chorizo were like rashes. Blended really well with the flavourful paella.  Must try. 

Goat cheese sorbet, nitro honeycomb, raspberry, oats. a very interesting dessert. The savoury sorbet (my first) went surprisingly well with the sweetness of the honeycomb and the sourness of the raspberry.

Other than the sangria, the food was generally delicious.  Lots more on the menu we haven't tried.  Will definitely be back again for seconds.

22 Ships

G/F, 22 Ship Street

Wan Chai

Tel: 2555-0722

Adventure #173: Soul Food (Bangkok)

After yesterday's excellent dinner at Bottega di Luca, we tried Soul Food Mahanakorn today.  Although Soul Food is not opened by a Thai but by an American food writer, it serves regional Thai food and has good reviews.

The restaurant is small but has a couple of floors. Decor is warm and cosy. We were seated on the ground floor by the window.

Soul Food is also known for its cocktails. No one on our table was interested but I got a Lycheegrass Collins.

Southern Thai samosas made with minced chicken with a mint and yogurt dip.  Tasty and great as a snack with beer.

Pat see ew, wok-seared rice noodle in soy sauce with smoked pork jowl, crispy kale and fried garlic.  This was delicious.  A bit like our Malaysian fried koey teow and the older one loved it.

Charred pork neck salad with a tamrind and chili dressing wuth fried shallots and herbs. This was a great dish. The tamarind dressing very refreshing and the chopped chili definitely a kick.  Great as a starter.

Gaeng massaman, southern-style Massaman curry with chicken and potatoes. Another delicious dish.   It taste different from the curries we normally have at the Indians in HK or the Indian Muslim joints in Malaysia. 

Sticky tamarind ribs, pork ribs braised in a tamarind barbeque sauce and then grilled, with caramelized pineapple on the side.  Interesting dish but didn't really stand out as much compared to the rest.



Isaan smokey grilled chicken wings with sweet chili sauce and a spicy and sour naam jiim.  This was definitely flavourful and another fantastic snack dish with beer.



Isaan and Chiang Mai sausages with vegetables and grilled chili dip.  This dish was definitely the odd one out.  We couldn't really figure out how the different bits on the plate gelled.  Each bit by themself was a bit bland but different combinations didn't quite do the trick either.  I guess this one's just a little too local for us.

Fish in banana leaf with lemongrass, dill and lime and grilled over coals.  The fish was fresh and succulent and would have been great with plain white rice if we all weren't so stuffed and tired.

One small criticism, the dishes came in a haphazard manner i.e. starters came interpersed with the main dishes. Notwithstanding this, the food was definitely up to local standards (although the menu isn't extensive) and there was no attempt to modify the dishes to cater to farangs in the spiciness and authenticity department.  Compared to the Italian the previous day, the price is also very reasonable.  Would definitely recommend this place to any traveller who wants a more comfortable Thai eatery with an authentic spin to traditional dishes.

Soul Food Mahanakorn
56/10 Sukhumvit Soi 55
Tel: +66-85-904-2691
Daily 6:30pm-1am

Adventure #172: La Bottega di Luca (Bangkok)

Today is the older one's 12th birthday and we are celebrating it in Bangkok with my sister and brother-in-law.  The older one likes Western cuisine, so we picked an Italian restaurant for the festive occasion.  We read good reviews on La Bottega di Luca. 

The restaurant has 3 seating areas, 2 indoors and 1 outdoor.  After a hot day at JJ market, we were glad to be given a table indoors next to the wine cabinet. 

The very enticing antipasti counter

The wine cabinet

The main restaurant

One of the art pieces on the wall. We wondered if the artist did this or the chef.....

A nice selection of warm bread

The complimentary onion soup. Delicious.

Caesar's Salad. Nicely done, dressing not too thick.

Classic handcarved Fassone beef tartar with wild rocket and shaved parmesan. Different from the ones we had in France but beef texture very good, mixed with parmesan cheese and rocket, delicious!

Fresh Tuna "yellow fin" tartarre with avocado and anchovies reduction from Cetara.  The tuna was chunky.  Very clever in mixing the saltiness of the anchovies with the sweetness of the sundried tomatoes.  Loved this.

Grilled scamorza (Smoked mozzarella cheese) wrapped in speck ham topped mushrooms in red wine sauce.  Couldn't see the smoked cheese but could taste the smokey flavour.  Once again another delicious dish.  Very rich and creamy.



Tonnarelli basil spaghetti with Blue Crab Meat in a lightly spiced lobster bisque sauce.  Light with a hint of spiciness. The older one loved this.

Luca's speciality, risotto with black truffle cheese topped with lightly spiced cured bacon from Italy. This was simply heavenly. Rich and full of flavour. That is why this is Luca's speciality! Must try.

Tagliatelle with red wine duck confit topped with foie gras medallion and thyme sauce.  I was not too sure of this dish. The duck confit was minced and although tasted good, didn't have a distinct flavour to it and it was a tad dry. The little one liked it though but she is no connoisseur.

Roasted lamb rack with fragrance of Italian herbs.  This dish didn't have a good start. We ordered the lamb medium because my brother-in-law does not like his meat too raw. And the lamb came medium rare. So we had to send it back.  I was a bit disappointed that the kitchen made a mistake.  The "re-cooked" lamb was much better.

The birthday girl got her complimentary tiramisu which was so delicious we had to have another one.

This is what their normal tiramisu looks like.

We also tried the Penacotta with berries. Yum!

We had a very enjoyable dinner. Luca, the chef, was chatty and walked round the restaurants many times. The food was excellent and so was the wine although it was a bit pricey by Thai standards.  Nevertheless, money was not an issue as long as the food was up to par, and it was.

La Bottega di Luca
Soi Sukhumvit 49
Sukhumvit Road
2/F The Terrace 49
Bangkok
Thailand
Tel: +66-2204-1731