Monday, December 21, 2015

Sydney - To Eat 19Dec2015 (Meet Fresh, Ippudo Ramen)

Sydney - To Stay
Sydney - To Do
Sydney - To Eat
Sydney - To Eat
19Dec2015
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Meet Fresh
(8min walk 700m from Hilton Hotel)
Taiwanese dessert I think.
Ordered On:
14June2016
  *Happiness in a bowl :D*
Ordered On:
18Dec2015
Shaved ice, herbal jelly, taro and mochi balls.
 *Somehow, from memory, proportions here are much larger in comparison to Perth. Ice
was nice and smooth and the portions, in all honesty could be shared. However, it's still
no struggle to finish a big bowl of pure indulgence. My vote goes to the herbal jelly
order! Thumbs up for herbal jelly option over the bean curd one had in Perth. Will return
for herbal jelly orders in future!*

Promo coconut cream cake at AUD2 were pretty good too but was just too full to finish
them all.
Located in China Town, its a short walk from the party places and dinner outlets.
Click here for ABBA location of Meet Fresh, 13 Goulburn Street, Haymarket NSW 2000, Australia

Ippudo Ramen (Sydney)
(200m 5min walk from Hilton Hotel)



Not going to Japan anytime soon to get Ippudo ramen? Ippudo branch located in Westville mall Sydney Level 5.
Ippudo is another one of those popular ramen places that have two factions. One for Ichiran Ramen (Haneda Yokohama Branch Japan), and one for Ippudo. (There's also an Ichiran branch in Hong Kong)
Ordered On:
19Dec2015
Akamaru Special 23AUD Each All-In

*A basic set comes with noodles and two slices of meat. Additional AUD3 gets you the
egg with was a little disappointing. I was expecting for the on-sen type of egg with a
runny interior. The additional top up gets you well much more ingredients.*
Additional Bean Sprouts at AUD2
Waygu Prime Beef Steak 25AUD

*Nicely presented I must say. Having the salt and slightly sour, Japanese dipping sauce
at the side really brought out the flavor. Its supposed to come with fries but we opted for
"healthier version" with additional salad as a replacement. The meat had fats marbled
but the meat was a little on the chewy side, I suspecting it is in fact a Waygu but a chuck
cut. Pretty okay value for a small steak serving with an almost 1AUD:1SGD exchange
rate.*
Total Fed 2 75AUD
A check off the list. Finally able to try Ippudo. Does it match up to Japan's original Ippudo, I have no base reference at date of trying. However, as far as Ramen goes, it's definitely up there with the known, Japanese boys. Noodles was wonderfully springy (You can choose your hardness and I elected for Hard) and the broth nice and fragrant. 
Condiments of chili oil (a rarity) and chili powder are available to spice things up. We went at 1330hrs. Although there was a queue of about 16people ahead, but it moved pretty fast in about 15mins.
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SFO - To Eat ABBA Contribution 19Dec2015 Hans Woon (Anchor Hope)

San Francisco - To Stay
San Francisco - To Do
San Francisco - To Eat
SFO - To Eat
19Dec2015 ABBA Contribution.
*Text and pic by Hans Woon*
 Check out our Instagram #abbatravel @ABBA_TRAVEL
Anchor & Hope1.1km/15min walk from Parc55 Hotel
(Yet to personally review but will definitely check out, especially for the happy hour.)
Happy hour Mon- Fri 4.30pm-6pm only for $1 oysters.

 
Fantastic oysters! Apart from the must order "Chefs Selection of Oysters," you should try their little neck clams as well as their 'Angels on Horseback,' which is baked oysters wrapped with bacon. Their pasta is pretty good too! Unfortunately it went into the tummy without a picture taken.




 
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Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Shanghai - To Eat ABBA Contribution by Melvin Lee 15Dec2015 (Crab dishes in Shanghai)

Shanghai - To Stay
Shanghai - To Do
Shanghai - To Eat
Crab Dishes in Shanghai
ABBA contribution by Melvin Lee
15Dec2015
Opening Hours
11-2pm
5-11pm
Needs booking on weekends!
Short walk from Millennium Hong QiaoDirections: Out of hotel turn left pass Carrefour, cross two roads and you are there, about 5-7mins walk.
 


Another recommendation from me to eat at PVG. This time round is crab. Its located about two streets from Millenium Hongqiao.

Directions: Out of hotel turn left pass Carrefour, cross two roads and you are there, about 5-7mins walk.

Decor: Japanese style seating, cozey place. Seems to be run like a small family business. friendly waiter.

Menu: Attached picture, 13rmb, 198rmb, 300rmb, per pax. set menus. Selection of set crab dishes from the set menu, there is also 'xiao long bao' and a few other dishes. But the main highlight are the crab dishes.


Style of service: Dishes served at a good pace, one at a time. small portions so you won't overeat at the beginning. And till the end you will be satisfied and not too full.

Overall a good experience there and a good alternative to the usual hotpot we always have in PVG.
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Friday, December 11, 2015

Barcelona - To Eat 03Dec2015 (Ciudad Condal, Maestro, Suamu Bar Restaurant, Catalana, Granjala Pallaresa Chocolate Cafe, Birras&Tapas, La Paradeta, Hamburguesanostra, Xativa L'Arrosseria)

BCN - To Stay
BCN - To Do 
BCN - To Eat
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Ciudad Condal 
(Recommended joint by others)
 
 
A relatively small interior but with very eclectic designs offering cool photo-ops for sure.
 Ordered On:
09Dec2015
Shrimps
*These bad boys were really really sweet*
Goat cheese with Eggplant
*Red peppers were super sweet and is served with eggplant. the sweetness from them
really help cut through the heaviness of the goat cheese. Nothing special really but it
was still pretty good.
Chicken Croquette
 *The dish that didn't wow. It was good but nothing that you can't get back home from a
Japanese croquette stall.*
Fried Camembert cheese

*Confirmed that it's much creamier and better than the one done at Catalana. Their jam
wasn't overly sweet and a beautiful pairing. More off dessert dish to end the meal*
Prawn Skewer
 *Nice, succulent and juicy. Really good order and quite the serve for the price!*
Cuttle Fish Re-order
 *Wins over the squid, hands down and my recommended must order!^
Sandwich
*We were looking at the front of house Sandwiches which many patrons were having.
Bread was crispy but nothing special. Probably won't have the Sandwhiches. Those at
Catalana look way better.*
6 Textured Chocolate Cake

*For the sweet tooth. Really nice, rich and subtle texturing. We couldn't even come up
with six adjectives for texture, much less tell the difference.*
Fried Artichoke

*Pretty good and lucky to have it in season. If you haven't had it before. It like having
vegetable fried chips.*

Fed 3 approximately €17/pax
Once again every single dish, with the exception of the chicken croquette and possibly the sandwich were a little normal. The rest shown through. With this second dining, its confirmed that this is the better place to go for Tapas over Catalana (reviewed further below.)
That's not to say that Catalana is not worth visiting at all. They have more variety and their front of house items are amazing! Scroll further down for Catalana review.

Ordered On:
03Dec2015
 Green Peppers 4.65Euro
 *Really good but could have used a little more heat to it. Nicely fried! Not spicy at all!*
'Cabreas' Egg Style 5.90Euro
 *Their signature dish. Really crispy fries with a balance of
*The cured ham was amazing. Its got deep flavoring and really shown through. The bread served along was drizzled with olive oil and a thin spread of tomato compote. Lovely pairing!*
Grilled mushrooms and stuffed red pepper with cod 4.10Euro
 *The grilled mushrooms aren't anything spectacular. However, the red pepper stuffed with cod fish is phenomenal. Its very similar to Venice dish of preserved cod. Amazing stuff and a must try.*
Grilled Cuttle Fish 7.75 Euro
 *Presented beautifully. Plump, juicy and with the squeeze of lemon. Over the top!*
Beef Tenderloin 3.95EuroEach
 *The tenderloin steak was really good. A fresh cracking of salt over head highlighted the whole dish and was prepared really well.*
Total about 18Euros per pax.
Finally after the last trip of failed attempt to find good tapas, Ciudad Condal more than makes up for it! Every single dish was a hit, with only onethe mushroom a little blend in comparison to the rest and can be given a miss.

A beautiful interior and located a short walk from La Ramblas. A recommendation to come here and try the rest of their stuff on the menu!
Click here for ABBA location of Ciudad Condal, Rambla de Catalunya, 18, 08007 Barcelona, Spain

 Maestro
(500m from Ciudad Condal)



Artesian self brewed beers at reasonable pricing. Place serves light bites as well but yet to be reviewed.

Click here for ABBA location of Maestró, Rambla de Catalunya, 79, 08007 Barcelona, Spain

Ordered On:
03Dec2015
Sampler for 4.90Euro

 



*I don't really search much for beer joints, but came across this artisian place and it looked pretty good. Missed the days of sampler platters where each beer tasted distinctively different from one another and this place defiantly delivered on that nostalgia. Adverse the darker ales, it was in fact the darkest one that was most surprisingly pleasant. It had a nice, coffee roast after taste that lingered after. Fantastic. Will return for a drink. The light bites have yet to be reviewed.*

 Suamu Bar Restaurant
(avoid!)
300m walk from Barcelona Hilton
Came recommended for their Rice with Lobster Stock 17.50Euro



Click here for ABBA location of Restaurante Suamu, Barcelona, Carrer Europa, 23, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Ordered On:
03Dec2015
Sangrias White and Red


*Sangria red and white. This was probably the only saving grace for the night. Alcohol to the rescue. White sangria's were a first for me and was the more popular choice. Hilton Hotel Sangrias were reported far superior and worth the try there.*
Calamari Rings


 *Fried calamari? Don't waste your time. Non-crispy batter and under-seasoned squid rings. Bread rolls were pretty standard.*
Rice in Lobster Broth



 *Poor presentation. The dish is best described as Teochew-Mui (Chinese style rice porridge). All claw and bone with little to no meat. The meat is suspected to be from frozen lobster and was shrivlled under the shell. In fact, others were looking elsewhere to buying food in order to last the night.* 

*A one spoon meal as there's no meat at all to dig out.*
 Fed 12 Each paid 22Euros each


This is possibly a case of the kitchen not able to fulfill the large order and start downsizing the lobsters. In fact the rice distribution was inconsistent as well. Bottom line, everyone was hungry at the end of the meal. Though the soup stock was tasty, but its absolutely not worth the dollar spent. Others have reported it is really good and should be larger portioned on their visits. So its perhaps best to come only as individuals or as a smaller group. It seems like another much acclaimed crab porridge at Chi JI Wanton Mee in Hong Kong place that when in the day you order makes the worldly difference to a quality of product. Try at your own risk. I personally won't be coming back that's for sure. 
Click here for ABBA location of Restaurante Suamu, Barcelona, Carrer Europa, 23, 08028 Barcelona, Spain

Catalana 
(Recommended joint by others)






Another recommended joint that's a short walk from Ciudad Condal. Another traveller on holiday came here three times for their meals! That should be a good sign :D.

Ordered On:
04Dec2015
Spanish Omelet

*Nothing special. Egg with potato. Just wanted to try and can be skipped*
 Black Rice

 

 *Their Paella menu changes daily and comes out only at about 1330hrs.
Well worth the order! Squid ink rice with squid. Absolutely delightful and having the rice together with a little creamy, sweet Mayonnaise really makes it pop.*
 Four cheeses

 *The cheeses together with a little olive paste at the top, comes together beautifully.
A well composed and delicious dish. Worth the order!*
Grilled asparagus and Mushroom


 *Nothing unique or special about it and you probably can skip the order.*
Cod


 *Fantastic fish done in a light batter. Quality product that was finished quickly and with great pleasure. However, it was a little chewy and could be because it was over cooked slightly*
Squid off menu


 *Still just as good but looses out Ciudad Condal. It could be because of the different choice of protein. Cuttlefish versus squid. I'd personally suggest going for the Cuttlefish option*
'Cabreas' Egg Style


 *Fries here are in larger quantity than Ciudad Comdal but loose out slightly in flavor and
crispness. More fries equates to lesser sauce to fries distribution.*
Beef Tenderloin with Froie Gras


*For a little more you get a decent amount of Froie GRAS, what more to ask. The beef
here looses out slightly to that at Ciudad Comdal's in  terms of prep, seasoning and meat.*
Octopus


 *Super tender pieces of octopus superbly done. Really good and a must order from the
counter. The best octopus still goes to that ordered from Duck and Waffle London.*

*The cheese was a little hard and should have been oozing a little, since having been freshly fried. It's more of a sweet than a savory.
Others reported that Ciudad Comdel does it better*Fed3 24 Euros each

Catalana or Ciudad Comdal? 
Catalana has a larger seating capacity and a sheek design. Catalana also offer a larger selection by comparison with their front of house/bar selection, however, they loose out only just slightly, comparing dish for dish against Ciudad Comdal. (Small things like their toasted bread, with a little dash of olive oil would be a little better. That little extra 10%)
Catalana offers a different dining experience, offering greater variety and good tapas
over all. Their front of house dishes were definitely a feast for the eyes and the pallet
and will return to try their other options! The paellas were beautifully done and the day before serving was lobster paellas! Remember these only come out for a short window of time from 1330hrs to 1600hrs.
Click here for ABBA location of Cervecería Catalana Indú, Carrer de Mallorca, 236, 08008 Barcelona, Spain


Granjala Pallaresa Chocolate Cafe 
(Recommended joint by others)

 Note opening times!

 


Tucked away behind La Ramblas the walkway to La Palleresa Chocolate Cafe has some cool shops along the way. According to google review and others recommendation, this Churros Chocolate shop is off good standing and popular.
Ordered On:
04Dec2015


 *Spanish chocolate here, to be honest was a little disappointing. It's supposed to be
thick which it was, but it was more gloppy and had a watered down taste to it. Churros
were fairly standard but could be better if they were fresh out of the fryer. Sadly, this
place looses out to all time favorite and sinful choice San Churros (Australia)
Flane
*Fairly standard. Taste like a Panna cotta cum Carmel pudding.*
Nothing spectacular, with fairly standards Churros. The place was filled within minutes
of its opening but fell short of personal expiations.
Fed2 10Euros
 
Birras&Tapas
(Located 1.7km away from Hilton Barcelona)
C&GOOD Coincidence! 
A happy coincidence. We had originally planned to go to La Paradeta but it was closed on our visit due to the previous day being a public holiday and had no seafood delivered.
Ordered On:
08Dec2015
Pan-Fried Cod 11.90Euro Seafood Paella 9.90Euro x2
Pan-Fried Piglet 6.90Euro
Marinated Pig 3.99Euro
*Really nice. Its not tough at all, really juicy and flavorful.*
 Lamb Cutlet 4.99Euro
*Was nice. Maybe a little over done but good flavors with no gaminess to it.* 
Fresh Anchovies (Andalusia Style) 4.99Euro
*Not overly salty and was like having shishamo (Pregnant fish).*  
Grilled Razor Clams 4.99Euro
 
Mussels 4.99Euro
 *For the portion size at that pricing! A good showing of fresh mussels*
Galician Octopus 4.99Euro
 *Octopus was a little bit disappointing to me. Though super tender, it was more of a cold dish and not as impressive as that served at Catalana reviewed above.*
Fried Squid (Andalusia Style) 4.99Euro Squid Fried in Batter (Andalusia Style) 4.99Euro
Spanish Potato Omelette 3.99Euro
Coco Helado 4.50Euro


*Nice coco shavings inside the ice-cream add a nice texture*
Copa Dolce Citrus 5Euro
 
Whisky Carmel Icecream cake

*The star dessert for the night* 
Total Fed8  Each paid about 16Euros each

Overall, the consensus was really cheap and pretty good! We really did order quite a lot and all of it were not photographed due poor lighting or rather inferior camera. Anyway, the shout outs go to the Seafood Paella. Good stock and wasn't salty. The fry on the cuttle fish, anchovies and squid were excellent. A light, even, crispy batter with fresh seafood. The pork orders were great too! Tender and flavorful. Those were quick to go. But not as quickly as the desserts which were all a hit. The star was definitely the whiskey caramel ice-cream cake, with a shot of whiskey. The rest of the deserts were in good standing as well and got everyone buzzing after dinner. 

A happy alternate that paid off well with a good meal. Another spot for cheap eats and very affordable prices I must say. We were expecting at least 25euros for the meal.
(2.0km walk from Hilton Barcelona)
FOR SEAFOOD!!! 

Click here for ABBA location of La Paradeta
Finally after a second attempt, we were able to make it here! The concept is really simple. PIck out what you want to eat, weigh and pay. They are often either fried or grilled. No rocket science here. Its self collection when your number. Ask the wait staff what your number sounds like in Spanish. Good, fresh seafood. Something different whilst in Barcelona.
Ordered On:
10Dec2015
 Lobster 22Euro
 *A little small by comparison. The meat was definately sweet, but the live lobster could have been left out too long, hence its meat shrunk.*
Seafood Soup 4.20Euro
*Good flavor with tiny bits of mussels and fish*
Bamboo Clams and Octopus Grilled
 Bamboo Clams 5Euro
*Superb flavor and not at all over cooked*Octopus Grilled 4.08Euro
*Again not over cooked and we wanted to try something else beside the usual fries*
Tuna Steak and Prawns
Tuna Steak 7.18Euro
*A little dry to be honest, but that's most likely due to the cut. Nothing a little lime and fantastic tar tar sauce they had on hand, cant fix.*Prawns 3.99Euro
*Supersweet and worth it to try*Fried Silverfish 2.97Euro

Fanta 2.40Euro
Bread 0.50Euro
Salsa sauce 0.80Euro
Total 53.12Euro Fed 2
Really fresh seafood at reasonable prices. The lobster was fresh for sure, but probably left out a little too long that the lobster was consuming itself. The rest of the stuff were really nice. Seems that all their grilled items come with the fresh, herb green sauce and a squeeze of lemon.

Pretty decent value and you get the good stuff.
Click here for ABBA location of La Paradeta  

 Hamburguesanostra
Food Court Opposite Supermarket near Hilton Barcelona (400m)

Click here for ABBA location of amburguesa Nostra L'illa, Avinguda Diagonal, 557, 08029 Barcelona, Spain
Pretty interesting concept. You get a selection of burgers of distinct origins and of different styles. What's more enticing is that they've got 7 flavorful sauces to choose from!
 Ordered On:  
10Dec2015
 De Puelo (Garlician Beef with Manchego Cheese, poached onion and bacon. 160g 9Euro French fries instead of chip, an additional 2.50Euro
 
 *The burger was literally of the grill and so hot that I couldn't pick it up with my bear hands. The beef was cooked perfectly and probably a little tougher due to the ingredients pre-mixed in. A decent burger at a reasonable pricing! Worth to try the other flavors. Being in Spain, I opted for the Spanish variants. That's not to say the Waygu one didn't catch my eye. The sauces were all pretty good with bold flavors. Try em all or mix and match to find your favorite.*
Burgers from around the world for a short walk and at reasonable prices.
Click here for ABBA location of Hamburguesa Nostra L'illa, Avinguda Diagonal, 557, 08029 Barcelona, Spain

Xativa L'arrosseria
 ABBA Contribution by Calvin
(Yet to try due to late opening in the evening.)
1330-1600
1930-0000
Local-local joint known for risotto! COOKED With SEAWATER
1.8km from Park Guell
Click here for ABBA location of L'Arrossería Xàtiva Gràcia Restaurant, Carrer del Torrent d'En Vidalet, 26, 08012 Barcelona, Spain
 
 
 
 

 Click here for ABBA location of L'Arrossería Xàtiva Gràcia Restaurant, Carrer del Torrent d'En Vidalet, 26, 08012 Barcelona, Spain
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