TVaddictlovesfood

I grew up on Indonesian food. Weird? Not so. Most of the domestic helpers my mom hired while I was growing up were Indonesians. In Singapore, it is a very common practice especially when you have both parents working full time and there was no such thing as parental leave those days.

I blog about these 3 places because they remind me of home. The food is very authentic. Their menu do not just feature the regular Beef Rendang or Babi Gambing which you can find in any place. If you are adventurous, do not order the rice table but from the ala carte menu.


Srikandi - For that special evening
The service is impeccable, the food is tasty and the ambience is traditional yet intimate. The price however is a little on the high side. If you do enjoy some kick, try the Ikan Bakar Jimbaran which is a dorade marinated in spicy balinese sauce and grilled in banana leaves.
Toko Ikan Mas
Eerste Constantijn Huygensstraat 61-HS, 

I have been so lazy lately. Haven't wrote anything despite the fact that I have been travelling. So here is my diarrhea of posts. First one up - Rotterdam. We wanted to pamper ourselves so we had brunch at the oyster bar at Hotel New York Rotterdam.

My first time to the hotel was just a couple of months ago when C brought me there to have a quick bite before the North Sea Jazz Festival. The building used to be the head office of the Holland American Line, a cruise company manning the main transport between 'the big apple' and Holland. The building itself is not spectacular. The interior, however is still kept in its early 20th century Jugendstil style decor. Walking in, you feel like you have been transported into a movie set.

The restaurant features an amazing oyster bar. They have up to 7 different types of oysters and a whole array of shellfish. We had the 'Taste experience of creuses' which has 2 each of 3 different variety of oysters. We also tried the razorblade mussels that has been cooked in white wine sauce and garlic. Both dishes were heavenly. The oysters were so fresh we felt like we were drinking from the sea. We then each had our own main which were actually starters. C had a tuna trio while I had the smoked swordfish. What should I say, stick to the oyster bar.

So if you are in area, and have a craving for fresh shellfish and you want to feel like you are dining in a ship, head to Hotel New York Rotterdam.

Hotel New York
Koninginnenhoofd 1, 3072 AD Rotterdam, Netherlands
Reservations: +31 (0)10 439 0525

Every now and then, C and I will pass a new place and think to ourselves 'we must try this place.' After a while, we accumulated so many, but never actually remember to go to one of these places. Instead we always go back to our favorite hunts. This changed last week when our friends K and R also wanted to try a new place. We decided on Azur Bleu on Hugo De Grootplein after browsing through their website which was very simple, not giving any clues apart from "Catalan, French, Spanish."

After a few months of renovations and moving, C and I finally settled in. Yesterday was the first normal weekend where we could enjoy the rare sunny days of Amsterdam. It started with a lazy morning. As you can imagine, by the time we had lunch it was 3.30 in the afternoon.
Amstelveenseweg 192
www.restaurantsupermercado.nl/

Since there is not a single Singaporean or Malaysian restaurant in Amsterdam, we are always on the hunt for one when we travel. This weekend C and I decided to make use of the long weekend and come to Zurich. It shouldn't be such a surprise when I tell you I went to a Malaysian restaurant.

The place is Teoh. Not far from Bahnhofstraase, tucked in one of the side streets called Backerstraase, it is a small family run eatery. There are a couple of online reviews about the place on trip advisor. Some say it is average Penang hawker food at Swiss prices, while some others say that it is the best Penang hawker food they have tried outside Malaysia.

So here's my verdict. I had hor fun and the taste is right. It is not the best I've had, but it is definitely the best outside Singapore. There is nothing special about the taste, but just being able to have a bite of home after a long time of eating European cuisine makes it special. And if you ask me, am I willing to pay 20 CHF for it? Definitely.

For like minded folks who would like to try the place, here is the address:
Bäckerstrasse 37, 

One week in St Anton am Arlberg, or Stanton as the Americans call it, merry making on and off slopes,  I feel fat.

Why? I had a lot of good food, probably put on more calories than I lost skiing. St Anton is full of good restaurants. Prices range from €5 for a burger to €30 for a steak. And you can find a wide range of cuisine at 1300km altitude. Indian, Spanish, Mexican, Chinese, Italian and Austrian of course.

So where do we like to go? Here's my group's top selection:

1) Dorfstubn

It is in the same entrance as Hotel Kristall and BoBos on the main street. The place is really pretty and everyone serving is dressed in traditional Austrian costumes. The service is excellent and food is reasonably priced. Soups are around €5 and main courses are about €15.

My favorite is the Spinatspätzle which is a pasta made from spinach topped with cheese and friend onions. Tip is to pick the small plate and have a soup if you are guy and get the big portion and share it with another person if you are girl. The downside: wine is expensive. There is nothing below €30 on the menu. But hey you can't have everything.

Dorfstubn
Dorfstraße 60
T +43 5446 2848

2) Scotty's Pizza

It is a little too much to call Scotty's a restaurant. It is more like a bar with really good pizzas. Don't bother with other dishes. Don't forget to ask for chili oil and if you are adventurous, garlic oil. There is a pizza called Diavola which is spicy by my Singaporean standards. The kind that gives you a tummy ache after.

3) Anton Cafe

Anton Cafe is more of a brunch, lunch, or coffee after a day of skiing place. It is part of the Anton Hotel and is right in front of Galzigbahn hence is constantly full with people. There is nothing special about the place and yet the food is just really tasty. We did get many rounds of the aryuvedic tea.

4) Restaurant Maximilian

We went to Restaurant Maximilian because they had an affordable New Year's Eve dinner menu. It turned out to be a pleasant surprise. The place is not as traditional as Dorfstubn. The menu was pretty modern with the likes of roast beef or grilled pike perch with wild mushroom risotto. Plus the service was excellent. We were a group of 16 and we never had to wait too long for the next course. Recommended for a romantic evening with your other half without burning a hole in your pocket. Do make a reservation in advance though.

http://www.maximilian-stanton.com/
Dorfstraße 57

Two years ago, on our first trip to the Big Apple over Christmas, we came across this restaurant in the TimeOut magazine. We decided to brave the snow storm that send 1 meter of snow over one night, to try this restaurant. And we didn't regret it one single bit. Two years later, we stand by our choice after a meal at Kin Shop.

The restaurant itself is not very special. There is nothing particularly outstanding. It looks like any modern day restaurant with an open kitchen, a cozy atmosphere and a simple Thai fusion menu. So don't judge the place too soon.

The food, however, is far from simple. We ordered a black squid ink with sesame oil, a dish called Red which is a seafood curry and Jungle, roast duck breast served with roti prata. The Red is spicy while tasty. The soup is fragrant from the garlic and sesame oil and the duck was moist. It left us with contentment and happiness. Oh and remember to try the Samurai beer along with the food. It is an ale made from rice. Slightly sweet and complements the saltiness from the food.

Anyway do try out the place f you are in the vicinity. I would like them to survive so that we can visit them again in our next trip to NYC.

Kin Shop
469 6th Avenue New York, NY 10011
Cross Street: between 11th & 12th streets
(212) 675-4295

Created by cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com

A friend asked me if I am aware of any nice brunch places in Amsterdam. I don't know all but these few popped up on the top of my head.

1. Wilhelmina Cafe

It is a very small cosy cafe just 2 minutes walk from my place. Very understated and with excellent service. They offer almost everything really. Sandwiches both cold and grilled, muesli, various styles of eggs, soups, pancakes and cakes. Do remember to try their soups, the pastrami sandwich (Reuben) or the tuna melt. They also have a set menu for brunch which consists of a smaller portion of the soup of the day, a sandwich of your choice and french toast! For strong coffee drinkers, always remember to ask for a double shot of anything. Their coffee is not really their strength.

My favourite part of Wilhelmina is their watch cat Zebra.

Lunchroom Wilhelmina
Eerste Helmersstraat 83A
1054DD, Amsterdam
www.lunchroomwilhelmina.nl/

2. Baton

We went to this place on recommendation from a fellow food lover. If you want a place with a canal view, this is perfect. At the corner of Herengracht and Herensstraat, Baton is a 3 story corner cafe. In the summer, you can also sit outdoors next to the canal. Well, if you can tolerate the Dutch windy summer that is. Anyway, the coffee is excellent, the sandwiches are huge. I would recommend to share if you are not usually a big eater.

Brasserie Baton
Herengracht 82
1015 BS Amsterdam
www.brasseriebaton.nl/

3. Global Dish

Overtoom 255
1054 HW Amsterdam
www.dishglobalkitchen.nl/

4. Dim Sum at Oriental City

My friends and I decided to meet for dinner on Tuesday. But it was also the night of the World Cup 2014 Romania v.s. Netherlands qualification match. I decided to move the dinner to my house so that 2 men can watch the match and the 3 ladies can watch them trash-talk each other. Since I had to be in Eindhoven that day, I send my boyfriend to our favorite Thai place on the corner to get some food.