BBQ at Yoroniku

Posted on October 23, 2016 by sybillesbeenthere

Tokyo – For our last evening we wanted to get a real treat. A friend recommended this popular place in Roppongi for great quality meat.

Inside, you are sitting around an in built BBQ and the staff will grill your meat just as it has to be – namely perfect.

We chose the set menu containing almost every part of the cow starting with tongue, heart, 3rd stomach and finally ending with the Chateaubriand and Kobe slices.

I was really delicious. You have to book early, let’s say at least 1.5 months in advance.

Set menu

Grill built in the table

What part is it?

Marbled meat

Sunrise in Tokyo

savorjapan.com

Once in a lifetime ryokan ASABA

Posted on October 16, 2016 by sybillesbeenthere

Shuzenji (between Kyoto and Tokyo) – When in Japan, a visit of a ryokan (Japanese inn) is a must do!

We selected this beautiful place and enjoyed every minute of it. The rooms are in traditional Japanese style with tatami mats in the whole hotel, so you are only allowed to walk in socks or bare feet. As soon as you arrive at the hotel you get rid of your shoes anyway and you receive a beautiful kimono (yukata) to wear throughout your stay…so you can dive into this other world and let yourself get indulged.

During all your stay you can take a bath in the natural hot springs inside and outside (open air). If you feel too hot you can also feed the koi fish (yes, they are always hungry!) in the pond or just relax and enjoy the calming atmosphere.

Dinner is served at any time you want in your room. This time we were also sitting on the floor at a low table, but luckily for us and our bones with a big cushion :-). This food was again beautifully prepared and decorated in the theme of autumn. For the second time we tasted fugu fish…and luckily are still alive.

After dinner the staff prepares your futon beds at the very same place in your room. In the morning you can choose between continental breakfast and Japanese breakfast…after a little discussion I agreed to the Japanese breakfast. I am really NOT fussy at all with food and I bravely ate the grilled barracuda, eggplant, miso soup and rice but when I opened the mussels soup bowl I had to give in 😉

Definitively a place I will never forget!

View of the hotel

Dinner menu

Dinner is served

Some soup?

Sashimi

Don’t remember…but am sure it was good

Some more fish

Eggplant

Ginger and green team ice cream

Futons are ready

www.asaba-ryokan.com

Fugu at Ishibe-Kouji Kamikura

Posted on October 16, 2016 by sybillesbeenthere

Kyoto – If you ever happen to visit Kyoto, you should definitively eat at this wonderfully, beautifully and modern interpreted upscale Japanese restaurant.

After we finally found the entrance to this very small place (in a little alley with only Japanese signs outside….) we were in Japanese gourmet heaven.

We had a 10 course menu with the best of Japanese kitchen you can imagine. As it was autumn season, the food and decoration was all dedicated to it in perfection.

See the pictures and be inspired. If you go: Take time and bring the big briefcase…..

www.kyoto-kamikura.com

After Seven: Ivo Adam still in Backstage

Posted on March 25, 2016 by sybillesbeenthere

Zermatt –

Matterhorn

Finally back in Zermatt – 5 days of sunshine, perfect slopes and gourmet cuisine!

To start our long ski weekend we had a table booked with some friends in After Seven.

I just found out that the last time we were there is already 3 years ago.

The food was great as expected. Some dishes were familiar but some small surprises tickled and picked on our tongues….I want to leave the surprise a surprise for the ones who still plan to go so you have to find out yourselves.

www.backstagehotel.ch

The glass with the Matterhorn can be bought in the shop

Kitchen entrance

Interior

Heida – Swiss white wine

menu card

Aisle

Starters

Mmmmh – more starters

Soup

Tuna steak

Variation of pork

Aalto – two Spanish brothers in Zermatt…

Quellenhof – Austria in Rapperswil

Posted on December 20, 2015 by sybillesbeenthere

Rapperswil – A colleague told me about this great Austrian/Swiss restaurant in the centre of Rapperswil.

The atmosphere is very welcoming and cosy as is the entire staff. We chose the house wine “Unplugged” from Hannes Reeh in Austria that is specially filled for the Quellenhof and really tasty.

For food we had Wiener Schnitzel and beef “Périgourdine” with a fantastic truffle crust. I can really recommend both dishes. When we go next time – I hope sooner than later – I think I will have difficulties to choose between these two.

Flyer

Wiener Schnitzel

Beef Périgord

Dried meat

Unplugged wine

Menu card

Outside

Book early!
www.quellenhofrapperswil.ch

Trattoria Masuelli San Marco since 1921

Posted on November 15, 2015 by sybillesbeenthere

Milan – Do you know the feeling when you are invited for a family dinner? Now imagine you visit your relatives in Italy. If you like this feeling that your relatives cook you dinner and you just sit in the living room with a lot of different people – then you should go to Trattoria Masuelli. The nonno (granddad in Italian) and owner himself comes to your table to tell you about all the mouthwatering dishes – you will not have a problem to find something you like, but a problem to choose from the temptations.

The restaurant is very traditional and exists since many years in Milan. You can feel and see the history in the rooms with the high ceilings and picture frames on the walls.

I recommend the pasta as a first course and then the veal “Milanesa” (breaded veal chop; some might know it better as “Wiener Schnitzel” but I was told, the Milanesa was created before the Schnitzel) or taste the Saffron Risotto.

Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture from the Milanesa….I had wolfed it down already when I remembered…

We felt great and nicely fed after dinner – I would go again any time when in Milan.

www.masuellitrattoria.com

Trattoria Masuelli

Equitable – Sustainable and regional top quality food

Posted on October 18, 2015 by sybillesbeenthere

Zurich – For our anniversary my hubby and I went to Equitable. I already heard many good things about it and it was on my to do list for long.

The staff was very friendly and welcoming. The food was excellent as were the wines. They have a set menu from about 3 to 8 courses so you get a lot to taste what the Equitable team creates in the tiny kitchen.

Nevertheless to mention, it is a little pricey.

www.equi-table.ch

Equitable

Disfrutar – Enjoy with the former El Bulli team

Posted on September 26, 2015 by sybillesbeenthere

Barcelona – When in Barcelona the challenge is to make your selection of the restaurants during your stay….as there are just too many good ones. 20150906_141114

Actually we went to Barcelona to see Manà, the mexican rock band, as they not seem to ever come to Switzerland 😉 But it was a great excuse to spend 3 splendid days in Barcelona anyway.

Now back to food:
Disfrutar restaurant was an experience! We went there for lunch as the evenings were already booked.

We enjoyed a lunch with countless courses that were all very good but we specially liked the egg in its shell. The dishes are quite experimental and a treat for people that like to enjoy various tastes and textures combined – the look of the food sometime cheated and felt or tasted differently once in your mouth.