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#Sweets

Deli Vegaani @Lehener Straße (Freiburg, Germany)

February 10, 2018
#Dietary, #Food Types, #Lunch, #Salad, #Sweets, #Vegan, #Vegetarian, @Freiburg, @Germany, @Stühlinger, German, Uncategorized
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My vegan zen place.

Raw vegetables with extra bread.

Raw vegetables with extra bread.

I’ve been quite a big fan of the comprehensive vegetarian and vegan options around Freiburg and especially the neighbourhood surrounding my office. They allowed me to conveniently live a bit healthier and be more considerate and balanced about how and with what I stuff my face. So certainly I was happy to hear that former Freundsaft got a new tenant to run another full-on vegan restaurant at their old location on Lehener Straße.

After their ramp-up phase during which they performed regular trial cookings, Deli Vegaani opened their doors with a small but fine selection of hot, warm and cold dishes, a few cakes and sweets as well as coffee, spreads and the like.

Big bowl.
Grilled vegetables with hummus.

My favourite and the most satisfying dish thus far has been their big bowl of steamed vegetables on a bed of country risotto rice which is covered by your ‘sauce’ of choice that could be hummus, baba ganoush, lemon-coriander and what not.

Steamed veggies.
Vegan quiche.

This week I also got around to trying the raw vegetables (‘Rohkost’), a salad-like mix of crunchy beets and root vegetables, lightly dressed in vinaigrette and covered under a slightly bitter cushion of rocket leaves. This was brilliant, pure freshness, snappy and with some extra slices of that crazy good toasted seed bread just made for the kind of lunch that I needed.

Steamed veggies with lemon-coriander-sauce.
Steamed veggies with red lentils.
Rohkost with extra bread.

Additionally, to the great and wholesome foods, the people here are just extra nice and considerate, there are other vegan and organic goods to buy (e.g. sandwiches, tea) and the little pricy sweets at the counter are simply outstanding. Try those fudgy chocolate chip cookies, they will blow your mind.

Get Your Grub On!

Deli Vegaani (former Freundsaft)
Lehener Straße 13
79106 Freiburg im Breisgau
Germany
p: +49 761 3839 9139
https://www.vegaani.net/

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Gasthaus Rössle @Hauptstraße (Elzach, Germany)

February 3, 2018
#Course | Set Meal, #Dessert, #Dinner, #Gourmet, #Meat, #Seafood, #Sweets, #Wine Pairing, @Elzach, @Germany, Badisch, Duck Breast, Fish, German, Roasted Duck, Uncategorized, Wine
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‘Flotter Dreier’ in Elzach.

Duck breast with mash and broccoli.

Duck breast with mash, broccoli and jus.

I had friends raving to me about this place forever now and so when last week two of them asked M. and me to join them for a double date we instantly were game. The day of choice was Thursday, which by chance was also the day of their weekly ‘Flotter Dreier’ promotion. While in German this has a rather suggestive meaning, here it describes a triple course surprise dinner with a choice of meat, fish or a combination of both, paired with a selection of regional wines.

 

 

Deer tartar and carpaccio on field salad.
Deer tartar with a fried caper apple.

I chose meat for all my courses and my entrée turned out to be a brilliant trio of chunky deer tartar, carpaccio of the same and some field salad with candied walnuts and kracherle (badisch for croutons). The tartar wasn’t that gamey but had a distinct texture that wasn’t entirely pleasant but more of the intriguing kind. Paired with the more dominant fried caper fruit (not sure if that’s the actual word) and the crispy bread splinter this was just on spot. The carpaccio seemed more intense but still light and fresh as raw things should be and the playful combination with the sweetish coated nuts was simply lovely. Great kick-off to the evening. [Wine pairing: Grauburgunder (Salwey | Oberrottweil)]

 

 

Rose duck breast with mash, broccoli and jus.
Pikeperch (Zander) with creamy cabbage and potatoes.

My main was a beautiful duck breast, perfectly broiled to a deep rose, with crispy skin on the outside and all the important juices locked in. The mash and broccoli where solid supporting acts but the true star was definitely the duck. [Wine pairing: Cuvée (Landerer | Vogtsburg)]

I also got a little taste of the second main option of pan-fried pikeperch, a glossy scallop and the best cream cabbage that I’ve ever had. The latter was warm and cooked but still kept that typical crunch alive and kicking, almost on the edge of raw. I don’t know how they did this but I was genuinely amazed.

 

 

Caramel mousse with drunken fruits and chocolate crumble.
Fruit sherbet with brittle.
Canoli with cream cheese filling.

The finishing moves were performed by this extremely capable trio of sweetness. My favourite must have been the lardy caramel mousse, closely followed by the mixed fruit sherbet which showed some strong apricot tendencies. [Wine pairing: Scheurebe (Weishaar | Kaiserstuhl)]

I have been swept off my feet by tonight’s food and service. The ambience is comfortably classy, not detached or posh and also not as rustic as I had initially expected, very easy and convenient to settle in. Big kudos on the wine pairing too. All being great wines, every glass suited the corresponding dish optimally and the only regret I have is forgetting to note down the Riesling pairing of the fish main.

I’d love to come here every Thursday from now on, and if the use of great regional produce, skillfully orchestrated and prepared isn’t enough, it is the absolute steal at Eur33,00 all in that just makes this a major no-brainer. I’m bowing respectfully with many thanks to all involved.

Get Your Grub On!

Gasthaus Rössle
Hauptstraße 19
79215 Elzach
Germany
p: +49 7682 212
http://www.roessleelzach.de/

Furhmannstube @St. Anton (Arlberg, Austria)

October 8, 2017
#Dumplings, #Lunch, #Sweets, #Vegetarian, *Bakery & Desserts, @Arlberg, @Austria, @St. Anton, Austrian, Kaiserschmarrn, Knödel (Dumplings), Uncategorized
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Let’s make this a tradition, shall we?

dsc02268-01.jpegOur time in South Tyrol was coming to an end and we had packed all our things, finished some last minute shopping for local delicacies, jumped into our car and were on our way back home just as the weather took a turn for the worse.

After a few hours driving, we took yet another break at St. Anton for another quick and early lunch exactly like during our drive down South. We even went to a place right on the other side of the road from the restaurant we ate a couple of days ago and their bacon dumplings with chanterelle were nice and did a pretty good job in the fluffiness department as well. Nothing thrilling and a bit too creamy but comforting nevertheless.

dsc02272-01.jpegObviously, we had Kaiserschmarrn as well and it was good too but a lot sweeter than the last one and it reminded me more of ripped apart pancakes than those savoury sticky bricks of fluffy and caramelized goodness. Friendly service as always.

Get Your Grub On!

Restaurant Fuhrmannstube
Dorfstraße 74
6580 St. Anston am Arlberg
Austria
p: + 43 5446 2921

Hotel Lamm @San Valentino (Bolzano, Italy)

October 4, 2017
#Dessert, #Sweets, *Bakery & Desserts, @Bolzano, @Italy, @San Valentino, Italian, Pizza, Uncategorized
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Pizza halfsies.

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Pizza Margherita

The second day in South Tyrol and we took the recreational activities down a nudge, from hiking 20k to simply driving around the area and lying at the lake’s shore enjoying the sun before the clouds started rolling into the valley. It was food o’clock and by chance, we found ourselves back at San Valentino exactly like the day before.

Applestrudel
Sharing is caring

We left Franco’s behind this time and moved a block up north to Hotel Lamm where there still were some free seats on the sunkissed terrace. Not having done much moving our appetite wasn’t as massive to we went splitcies on a Margherita. The pizza wasn’t spectacular but pretty good, light char marks on the outer crust and fruity soggy in the centre, just a tad too cheesy which slightly overshadowed the otherwise great sugo.

Reflections
Abbazia di Monte Maria
Abbazia di Monte Maria
Fountain at Abbazia di Monte Maria
Passo Resia
Lago di Rèsia
Reschensee
Forest

We also had some apple strudel with vanilla sauce for dessert which was okay but didn’t quite knock me off my socks, but hey that’s maybe a bit much to ask for.  All in all another nice place to grab a snack in the sun with very personal and friendly service as it seems to be common around these waters. I like it.

Get Your Grub On!

Hotel Lamm
Hauptstrasse 67
39027 San Valentino Alla Muta BZ (Südtirol / South Tyrol)
Italy
p: + 39 0473 634641
http://www.hotel-lamm.it/

Restaurant Maximilian @St. Anton (Arlberg, Austria)

September 27, 2017
#Dessert, #Lunch, #Sweets, *Bakery & Desserts, *Pudding, @Arlberg, @Austria, @St. Anton, Austrian, Kaiserschmarrn, Uncategorized
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Kaiserschmarrn Stopover.

Kaiserschmarrn

Kaiserschmarrn

We had some organizational difficulties putting together a holiday this summer so eventually, we simply took a week off and decided on Sunday that we’d be going to drive down to the very northern tip of beautiful Italy the next day. On our route, we passed the picturesque town of St. Anton and made it a point stopping by and have a go at some good old Austrian Kaiserschmarrn. The restaurant I initially chose wasn’t open yet so we went to next best place we could find, sat down and were instantly greeted warmly by the waiter as if we’d be coming here every Monday afternoon.

Kaiserschmarrn
Beef broth w/ liver dumpling

We started with some hearty soups and I actually quite enjoyed my first ever liver dumpling in a rich and strong beefy broth. Though this was mainly the door opener for the main object of desire, a two person serving of buttery kaiserschmarrn with an acidy and sticky plum compote aside. Kaiserschmarrn is kind of a thick pancake that sometimes gets ripped apart chaotically or like in this case is jabbed into more or less consistent, tasty cuboids. This by itself was so worth the stover, thick yet fluffy blocks of pancake dough, caramelized in butter and dusted with a light coating of powdered sugar. I dipped every other piece into the compote to have a nice changeup between the almost savoury and fruity flavours. So decadent, so wonderful, I strongly recommend it.

Get Your Grub On!

Restaurant Maximilian
Dorfstraße 57
6580 St. Anton am Arlberg
Austria
p: +43 5446 333310
http://www.maximilian-stanton.com/

 

 

D-Weinbar @Moltkestraße (Düsseldorf, Germany)

August 18, 2017
#Dessert, #Sweets, @Central (Stadtmitte), @Düsseldorf, @Germany, @Pempelfort, Bars, Drinks, Italian, Tartufo, Uncategorized, Waterholes, Wine, Wine Bars
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36hrs in Food Paradise – Hour 4, Reds

DSC01835-01I felt very happy with my belly full of ramen noodles from Naniwa‘s and since the night was still young we headed further into district 1 to Pempelfort for some dessert options and wine. We ended up at this cozily lit wine bistro and I followed my chocolate craving and ordered the tartufo accompanied by a heavy Italian Primitivo.

That ice cream was rich but not too decadent and a thorough balance between sweet and tard, with dark chocolate powder and roasted nuts sprinkled all over. The rustic wine went quite well with it all and seemed like a nice finish to a great start to my Düsseldorf stay. Or so I thought.

Just as we were about to finish our glasses the owner approached us and asked if we would mind one of his suppliers and wine makers to show us a couple of his creations. Oh no we didn’t and so we were introduced to a nice range of reds from Spain and France by Bjoern the friendly wine guy, had a nice conversation and shared our unqualified views about those tasty grape juices. Thanks so much for an unexpected turn of events and an additional hour of laughs and drinks.

Get Your Wine On!

D-Weinbar
Moltkestraße 120
40479 Düsseldorf
Germany
p: +49 211 5150 7979
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Magnolia Bakery @Greenwich Village (NYC, U.S.A.)

July 26, 2015
#Bakery, #Dessert, #Sweets, *Bakery & Desserts, *Cupcakes, *Pudding, @Greenwich Village, @New York, @New York City (NYC), @United States of America (USA)
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Banana Pudding and Red Velvet.

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Magnolia Bakery Takeout

Just down the street from our friends in West Village was the famous Magnolia Bakery so eventually, we had to make a stopover here and get some of their famed red velvet cupcakes and some banana pudding, which was highly recommended to me by my friend Baked HK.

Banana Pudding
Red Velvet Cupcake

The cupcakes were a bit of let down in my eyes as there were no distinct or exciting flavors present, the frosting was just sweet and it was all a wee bit too dry. The banana pudding in the contrary was just addictively yummy. As it was chilled and squashy (in a good way) it reminded me partially of a gooey fudgy ice cream and even though the mass was fairly dense and filling, the doughy biscuit pockets somehow balanced it all out and made it kind of light. The banana flavor was strong in this one and only some little sprinkles of dark bitter chocolate sauce were missing to make this perfect for me (note to myself).

Oh, and all the people working at the shop were really nice to us, answering questions, making recommendations and just being generally kind. The only problem I have now is how to get my hands on that crazy good banana pudding ever again. Please help.

Get Your Grub On!

Magnolia Bakery (open ever day)
401 Bleecker Street
New York
NY 10014
United States of America
p: +1 212 462 2572
magnoliabakery.com

Ji De Chi Dessert 记得吃 @Liang Seah Street (Singapore)

March 30, 2014
#Dessert, #Sweets, @Bugis, @Singapore, Chinese
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Mango & Amazeballs.

imageAfter a very questionable fish head steamboat dinner my friends took me down Liang Seah Street for some Asian dessert. At first I wasn’t too excited but boy was I up for a surprise. This place was awesome and had a pretty similar menu to Lui Hau Shan which I learned to love so much during my last trip to Hong Kong. I was already ecstatic but the absolute kicker was that here one could order as many of those off the hook squishy glutinous rice balls as wanted. Oh yeah.

I had the works; mango mousse, mango ice cream, sago, pomelo and a batch of seven awesome squishy balls. It tasted great, maybe not as great as its’ prettier Hongkongese twin but surely great enough to make me just a little happier. Cooling, fruity, not too sweet with some bitter pomelo popsicles and heapz of textures going on as well – moussy, creamy and chewy. I reckon they could’ve dropped the crushed iceberg floating in the middle, which was always in the way but I guess when you’re in the tropics you have to keep stuff cool, so no hard feelings.

It was ridiculous and I was so happy to have finally found a place like this in Singapore. And obviously I wasn’t alone as it was bustling down here with a constant crowd waiting on the street for a slot to open up. It was so busy that a while after we had finished our desserts, chatting away, the staff kindly asked us to give up our seats so the next round of customers could get their sweets on. Absolutely loved it.

Ji De Chi Dessert 记得吃
No. 8 Liang Seah Street
#01-03
Singapore 189022
Tel: +65 6339 9928
http://www.jidechi.com.sg/

The Good Bar @Cat Ba (Cat Ba Island, Vietnam)

December 30, 2013
#Breakfast, #Dessert, #Noodles, #Sweets, @Cat Ba Island, @Hai Phong, Pho, Vietnamese
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Never give up on your pho.

imageWe arrived at Cat Ba Island early morning after a long trip involving three buses and one boat and before heading out looking for some appropriate accommodation we wanted get something nice and filling into our bellies. Since we had just booked a couple of days climbing at Asia Outdoors at the Noble House we just stayed for breakfast at the ‘Good Bar’ downstairs.

Not giving up hope to be able to find a great one, I ordered another ‘Pho Bo‘, which again was rather tasteless. The soup had bland flavours with only a slight hint of cinnamon; noodles were plenty though and the meat was super lean, juicy and with great texture. Overall it wasn’t too bad and for breakfast the light flavours were actually quite fitting.

imageFor seconds I had the ‘Banana Chocolate Pancake‘ which was outstandingly awesome. The pancake itself was thin and buttery, topped with the perfect combination of banana and chocolate, which was of the darker kind, so it all wasn’t too sweet either. So good it made me order this nearly everyday during our stay in Cat Ba and will as well if I should ever come back here.

The Good Bar
Đường 1 Tháng 4
Cát Bà
Cát Hải, Hải Phòng,
Vietnam
Tel: +84 31 388 8363
http://thenoblehousecatba.wordpress.com/