January | 2015 | Reijosfood

Restaurant review: Orchid – thai-viet kitchen

30 01 2015

Orchid restaurants are specialized both in the classic and the modern kitchen of Thai food. Chain has three restaurants, the latest of which is in the Kamppi mall, was opened a year ago. First one was opened already in 2006.

Orchid in the Kamppi shopping center seems to be always busy, which tells something about the popularity. We had late Sunday lunch and restaurant was full almost all the time.

For starters we ordered Fried Rice Paper Roll with fresh tiger prawns, grilled chicken, carrots, cucumber, mint, spring onion, coriander, spring onions, rice, noodles, green salad and carrot-peanut-fish sauce -vinegar dipping sauce and Thai grilled chicken Satay with peanut sauce.

Both starters were excellent! Size of roll’s could have been smaller, because it was a little bit difficult to eat them whole with sticks. Yes, no fork and knife! Anyway, also the size of portion was enough big to be shared and dipping sauce was enough spicy to pair with the roll’s.

Peanut sauce was delicious with chicken skewers. Both portions were perfect combination of starters.

Main courses “Red Curry” A spicy red curry made with dried chillies, green peppercorns, eggplant and Thai basil containing coconut milk with chicken and “Phanaeng Curry” Central Thailand inspired coconut curry, kaffir lime and basil with chicken came quickly after we had fineshed starters.

Curry foods are usually safe choice and at this time it worked again. But…..Red Curry had two chili’s on the menu, but it did not taste any stronger than one chili portion. Orchid serves portions which are enough big to fill the stomachs. So, if you are not really hungry main course are enough.

As you can see in the picture below Gluto (glutein-free pasta restaurant or street food bar) is next to Orchid. If you want to know more about that restaurant read review from December last year.

Part of the tables of Orchid are “outside” but most of them are in small dining room. In the winter it is safest to dine in but in the summer time it might be fun to observe diners at Gluto or by-passers.

Maybe prices are a little bit high compared to restaurant athmosphere, but food is worth to try.

REVIEW: FOOD 4-/5 – SERVICE 4-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4-/5

Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: Finland, Kamppi shopping center, Orchid, thai food, thai restaurant
Categories : Food, Helsinki, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel

Restaurant review: Grill Faro – Costa Meloneras, Spain

25 01 2015

Grill Faro is the first restaurant in the “restaurant alley” in Costa Meloneras, if you come from north/west. Part of the restaurant is at upper level and the crowdiest area at the same level as all other “alley” restaurants.

Restaurants praises to serve over 200 dishes, is it really good? Anyhow, Grill Faro serves many different meat and fish dishes, which are actually quite delicious.

Dined at Grill Faro twice and this review concerns 2nd visit.

Dinner started with salad and delicous Pulpo, octopus. Actually I ordered Chipirones, tiny fried squid. Maybe restaurant did not had those and thought that any octopus is good enough? All the same, Pulpo is really delicous and not so greasy as chipirones. With some olive oil had to eat all 5 pieces.

For main courses we had Fresh fish prepared with Canarian style and Braised Lamb.

Fish was prepared on a pan with vegetables. It was delicious but quite small after skin and fish bones were removed. Lamb was over cooked as braised lamb should be. Some salt, please, and perfect meat dish.

With dessert cheeses had glass of Malaga Virgen sweet wine which is produced from 100% Pedro Ximenez grapes. Excellent wine at least with cheeses because it was not too sweet.

Grill Faro is one of the two most popular restaurants in the “alley”. You have to wait for the table, if you arrive late. Also you might need to wait for the food because of popularity. Restaurant is a safe choice for first restaurant to visit in Costa Meloneras.

REVIEW: FOOD 4-/5 – SERVICE 4-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4-/5

http://www.restaurantegrillfaro.com/index.php/en/

Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: Costa Meloneras, Faro, fish, Gran Canaria, Grill Faro, Meat, Spain
Categories : Food, Food and Wine, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Restaurant review: The House Meloneras at Costa Meloneras

23 01 2015

Restaurant The House Meloneras is one of the 6 restaurants at “restaurant alley”. All restaurants are close to each other and actually do not differ so much from each other (except Chinese and Sushi/Mexican restaurants).

https://www.youtube.com/enhance?v=t4NJa6RHjrA&video_referrer=watch

Visited The House Meloneras twice, but review concerns latter visit. Restaurant is the newest one and replaced Casa something which tried to be local, typical Spanish restaurant.

Started the dinner with Pan y Jamon Serrano, really delicious starter. Warm cheese between bread and ham made the combinations excellent though quite heavy.

For main course ordered Sea bass baked under salt cover, which is also spectacle to watch as waiter prepares fish to be eaten near yout table. Of course most splashy is the burning of salt cover, some fun anyway. It is also important that waiter can really open up the fish and serve it. Otherwise part of the fish will stay on the tray and you get too many fish bones on your plate.

At The House Meloneras all parts of serving the fish were in order.

Side dishes, Canarian potoes and Salad were suitable for fish. Also the potato sauces matched well with white meated sea bass.

For wine we had Gran Vina Sol from Torres. Big brother of Vina Sol, made from Chardonnay and Parrelada grapes. Paired quite well with sea bass we had for main course.

Propably The House Meloneras is the best of all 6 restaurants. It is not as popular as Grill Faro and Grand Italia, which are over-crowded and sometimes service is a little bit arrogant due to success.

The House Meloneras has wide menu, something for everyone and polite service. If you are in Costa Meloneras, worth to visit.

REVIEW: FOOD 4/5 – SERVICE 4-/5 – OVERALL GRADE 4/5

Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: Costa Meloneras, Gran Vina Sol, Spain, Spanish wine, The House Meloneras
Categories : Food, Food and Wine, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Restaurant review: Ovo – Gourmet restaurant at hotel Lopesan Villa del Conde

16 01 2015

Restaurant Ovo

The distinguished Club Restaurant Ovo is situated in the central building of hotel Lopesan Villa del Conde next to the central square. In its envolving interior of simple elegance, the Ovo permits to taste pleasantly a virtuos creative cuisine.

Visited Ovo twice, New Year’s Eve Gala dinner and few days later. Review is combination of these two visits, which differed quite a lot from each other.

NEW YEAR’S EVE (SYLVESTER) DINNER

New Year’s Celebration is spectacular not only because of better climate compared to Finland but also way of celebrating and enjoying party. Dinner was also perfect as well as service. What was extremely unique, hotel gave a food allergy card in check-in, which was useful whole stay. And it proved to be working already during New Years’ Eve dinner although menu was fixed.

Dinner started with Appetizer consisting of three delicacies. Names of goodies can be seen on Menu above.

Then came the soup where you could see how well restaurant took into account the food allergy card. Tomato soup instead of cream.

Lobster with side dishes was great! Cooking was perfect because lobster meat was soft, not chewy.

Meat, beef tenderloin, was prepared with talent and it was one of the best red meats eaten ever.

For dessert combination of sweet goodies but not too sweet. Perfect ending for the dinner. Ups, forgot glass of Lanson, which actuallu ended the dinner.

RE-VISIT and STANDARD A LA CARTE LIST

Second visit was few days after New Year’s Eve. Expectations were high as we were amazed by the service and food served last time. We did not need food allergy card because main waiter remembered changes what needed to be made, excellent!

Dinner started with greetings from the kitchen, soup and vitello tonnato Ovo way. Best part of the dinner, unfortunately.

Starters, giant shrimps and Ceasar salad, were ok but not that impressive as we expected. Ceasar salad missed taste of anchovy and garlic.

Main course, sea bass, was prepared too early. It was not anymore enough warm and crisp.

But service, it was again professional and polite.

Restaurant Ovo can be gourmet restaurant if it wants. Service is outstanding and it really takes into account customer. But gourmet restaurant needs to serve stable quality when it comes to food. This was not the fact at second visit. However, Ovo maybe is the best restaurant in Costa Meloneras.

REVIEW: FOOD 4/5 – SERVICE 5-/5 -OVERALL GRADE 4+/5

Comments : 5 Comments »
Tags: Costa Meloneras, food allergy, Lopesan Villa del Conde, Ovo, restaurant Ovo, Spain
Categories : Champagne, Food, Food and Wine, Hotel, Restaurant, Restaurant review, Travel, Wine

Restaurant reviews in Helsinki 2014 – many new restaurants opened, many closed

13 01 2015

It is time to summarize restaurant year 2014 in Helsinki by reijosfood.com!

Many restaurants visited, not enough many, but below you can find reijosfood.com TOP “dozen” ranking of visited restaurants. All reviews are opinions of at least two diners. Bon appetit!

Demo

Demo 14+

Pastor, Rikhards Gastropub, PureBistro and Havis 13,5

Pirate, Copas y Tapas, Strindberg and Ragu 13,00

Gastrobar Emo, Yume and NJK 12,75

Whole list can be found at page “Restaurant reviews – rankings”

Demo proved to be real Michelin star restaurant and took the first place, food and service were perfect.

Pastor with Peruvian cuisine, Rikhards Gastropub and Italian restaurant Ragu were opened 2014, which means that there is still place for good restaurants in Helsinki. But Rikhards informed just recently that they are renewing concept and will reopen in February 2015.

Pastor

Rikhards Gastropub

Ragu

Havis and Pirate offered excellent Christimas Dinner and Christmas Eve experiences and improved rankings a lot due to that. Visited Havis restaurant twice last year.