Admittedly, Din Tai Fun is a chain restaurant with branches all over Asia and even in Los Angeles and Seattle, and so in general it represents nothing that would put the epicure mind in a spontaneous state of excitement. But on the other hand it rather is an upscale kind of chain and the food just tastes so delicious that I have to post about our dinner there. Din Tai Fun is specialized in the preparation of Dim Sum, these steemed dumplings and buns that are part of Cantonese cuisine and that have this intrinsic yumminess which doesn’t need much description. So from here on we’ll nearly keep it to food-porn level. Oh, and thanks a lot, Laurence, for having taken us there (Not her first influence on this blog -she once took us to Lei Garden Restaurant in Singapore)! Read the rest of this entry »

We’re lucky to have  quite a big density of authentic Japanese restaurants here in Frankfurt. But beware! If I’m saying “authentic”, I’m judging by the abundance of Japanese guests rather than by my knowledge of the Japanese cuisine. In fact, I’ve never been to Japan. On the other hand, I some basic kind of way at least, I believe I can somehow tell the difference (I’m pretty sure though I know how real delicious Sushi tastes like!), and luckily a few Japanese friends also helped me with their judgements.

Mangetsu is located in the Bockenheim district of Frankfurt, not far from the trade-fair complex and parts of the university campus. It calls itself Izakaya-restaurant, because basically, that’s what it is. Izakaya means Sake bar and somehow represents the Japanese version of a tapas bar (some would hate me for that comparison I’m sure) where one is served a multitude of small plates to go along with drinks. Read the rest of this entry »

Das frankfurter Bahnhofsviertel, vor allem für sein Rotlichtmilieu bekannt, entpuppt sich immer mehr als Fundgrube für interessante Essgelegenheiten. Meist handelt es sich dabei um exotische Bistrots oder Imbisse, aber auch um “Casual Eats”-Restaurants mit teilweise überzeugendem Preis-Leistungs-Verhältnis.

Überhaupt scheint sich hier ein Trend abzuzeichnen, der spannender nicht sein könnte. In den immer noch als verrucht geltenden Stadtteil mischen sich heute alternative Szene Bars (Plank), Nachtclubs im “authentischen” Rotlicht-Schmuddel-Look (Pik-Dame) und eben die bereits erwähnten Imbisse mit Spezialitäten aus aller Herren Länder.

Bereits berichtet habe ich vor langer Zeit über das Lam Frères, ein Vietnamesisches Restaurant, das sich auch heute noch grosser Beliebtheit erfreut. Nur ein Häuserblock weiter, auf der Münchener Strasse, befindet sich das Hamsilos & Schenck’s Fisch Restaurant. Früher befand sich hier die Fisch- und Feinkosthandlung Schenck (angeblich seit 1540). Heute haben neue Eigentümer die Adresse mitsamt Namen des Vorbesitzers übernommen und servieren preisgünstige und frische Fischgerichte. Read the rest of this entry »

Well, that’s obviously an exaggeration.

But during my stay in the city I at least had lunch or late lunch there 3 times and had quite a share of the menu. This adds up with all my previous visits at Ssäm Bar and Noodle Bar during my last trips. And I have to confess: I am still a fan of David Chang’s creative fusion food that is so full of sense. Unfortunately I’ve never been able to eat at Momofuku Ko, which is the fine dining restaurant. But for now here’s what I ate at Ssäm bar:

shigoku oysters (can) – kimchi. Beautiful, refreshing, stimulating, even provocative? This simple oyster shows how right fusion food can be when someone gives it Read the rest of this entry »

The business district of Midtown Manhattan is unsurprisingly loaded with Sushi Restaurants. Among those many places, one that stands out and which I first heard of from Luxeat and Chuckeats is Sushi Yasuda. After I had lunch at Bar Masa on my last New York visit 2 years ago, I now felt compelled to give Yasuda a try. So I went there on my own for a late lunch on a monday and luckily it wasn’t a problem to get a seat at the bar right in front of Yasuda-San, a charming and funny person who – I found out during that meal – really knows what he’s doing Read the rest of this entry »

Touchdown in NY! Finally… after 2 years of abstention. You can’t imagine how many cravings have accumulated during that time… Well, maybe you can.

But this visit was ought to be slightly different than previous times since I actually didn’t stay in Manhattan but in Bushwick, the up and coming neighbourhood of Brooklyn. And no, don’t worry, I didn’t abstain on the merits of Manhattan dining (in fact I had a few nice meals there awaiting me), but Bushwick is a florishing hood with more and more “culinarities” to discover and if Read the rest of this entry »