Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Tokio Acacia

Just one word to describe Tokio Acacia.. WOW! I am an avid sushi eater and I must say that I was impressed with the food, service and atmosphere. The restaurant preserves the traditional culture of Japanese cuisine. There are several indoor slippers placed in a a shoe rack at the doorway. This is a 'hint' to customers that they should remove their shoes and wear the slippers before stepping onto the dining area. Different kinds of sake bottles, origami cranes, etc. arranged neatly on a wooden rack set. The restaurant is equipped with traditional lowered tables as well as modern style wooden tables and chairs.For me, the best seats are around the 'worktop' in the center of the restaurant; you can observe the sushi chef slicing raw fish, crafting rolls and grilling the food...meticulous and artistic!

Japanese etiqutte @ wearing slippers :
shoes *should* be arranged neatly with toes facing the door..

I am not so sure about the actual ingredients...
I named them as lip-smacking fried seafood-flavored tofu cubes ;)

(A nice, pleasant Oolong tea)
  • [food] The menu is not extensive, but the restaurant offers fine selections of dishes. I ordered a small 'sushiteller' - a sushi combo which includes 3 Nigiri and 4 Maki. They were very fresh, delicious, and satisfying :) I love the Ei (sweet egg) , Garnele (prawn) and Inari (stuffed tofu) sushi...The soy sauce was not overly salty, it was just right...In addition (well, I was so pleased with the food), I ordered a spicy Uramaki (with Tuna, Avacado, Leek and Chilli sauce fillings) and a California roll (with prawn and avacado). The roll was really tasty, however I wasn't so excited with the spicy tuna.
  • [service] The service was polite; the waitress took little time to serve the drinks. It might take a while to receive the sushi though...
  • [price] Expensive (~28 EUR ) but WORTH it! Table reservations are highly recommended as they have limited seating.
  • [stars] 4 3/4 stars
@FO - Thank you for joining! Visions of sushi still dancing in my head..hehe...
For Tokio Acacia: Gochiso sama deshita ^O^

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : La Corrida

I went to La Corrida (a Spanish restaurant) after J's wedding. This restaurant is huge with plenty of wooden tables for food service. The dining space is decorated with different 'spotlights' to create a mood - nice!. Not many interesting wall-decorations, there is a painting of a matador. The continental-style background music was good :)
  • [food] I chose 'Paella Mixta Playa del Sol' (with onion, paprika, shrimp, octopus, mussel, green bean, garlic poached in Spanish rice). I have only had paella once (6 years ago!), so i didn't know what to expect...I rate this second time as slightly above average..The rice wasn't flavorful enough for me. It was a little too watery. I was looking for crispy crust at the bottom of the pan, but there was none. The good points : vegetables were half-cooked and the amount of seafood was satisfying.
  • [service] There were not many people in the restaurant so the service was fast. The service could become slow as the restaurant got crowded. We waited...waited...and waited for the bill to arrive, and it did -> after 45 minutes!
  • [price] The food was in huge portion at a very reasonable price!! Paella + AnanassaftSchorle ~ 10 EUR
  • [food rating] 3 1/2 stars

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Cafe Malik

After hearing my friend raved about carrot cake , we eventually made a trip to Cafe Malik, situated opposite to the Schloss. Established in 1983, Cafe Malik is a full service cafe serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and homemade cakes and ice-cream. The cafe was named after an anti-war novel Der Malik-1919 (written by Else Lasker-Schüler - a German Jewish poet and writer) and Malik-Verlag which was a German publishing house started by Wieland Herzfelde & John Heartfield.




  • [food] I started with 'Tortellini Isabella' with mushroom cream sauce. It was simple and dull - not full of vegetable, a little bit flavorless and the sauce was too watery. The carrot cake was the highlight of my meal! It was a moist & dense cake, loaded with grated carrots and walnuts and not overly sweet - luv it :)
  • [atmosphere] The atmosphere is what makes Cafe Malik a pleasant place to visit. It has the ambiance of a traditional coffee house - simple, nice, cozy with a little touch of modernity. It has a separate dining area for smokers. In general, a good option to catch up with friends, to read something or to enjoy a relaxing cup of cappuccino :)
  • [price] affordable! cake + tortellini + cappuccino = 11 euros...
  • [food rating] Carrot Cake - 4 stars ; Tortellini Isabella - 2 1/2 stars
In conclusion, a great place to kill time & to chat with friends..if you can spare the calories, go for the carrot cake!

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Pham's

We had our first MUSIL dinner event at the Pham's (a Thai & Vietnamese restaurant) on last Saturday. Previously, Pham's was located at Stiftsherrenstr (btw, Google map is still showing the old location!). The current location of the restaurant is Neubruecken Str 35. The restaurant is small, so be sure to make a reservation in advance. It has simple decor. Hanging on the walls is a collection of 'bamboo' photographs and a huge old photograph of couple - perhaps, Mr Pham with his wife... In general, I like the environment - cozy and a nice chatty atmosphere!

@PM - Thanks for the photos :)
  • [food] While the menu is limited compared to many traditional Vietnamese/Thai restaurant, there is a fair selection of main dish which are prepared with your choice of meat or shrimp. Also, some vegetarian options are available. I had some Thai chicken curry cooked with bamboo shoots , aubergine, broccoli, etc. and served with a small cup of white rice. Overall, I was very satisfied with the food. The white rice was just *right* - sticky and moist! The portion was small - a good way to get rid of empty calories hu-hu..^O^ The curry was mild - I guess the level of spiciness had been adjusted to fit European taste. A small remark - I wish they would make the curry sauce thicker though..and, some extra fish sauce would have made a perfect curry taste! The Ananas Schorle - not much to say, it is my all time favorite!
  • [service] The service was slow (one chef and one cook's helper), but friendly.. Don't miss the chef's trick of stir-frying!
  • [price] Great portion and reasonable price. Chicken Curry & Rice + Pineapple Juice ~ 17.00 euros.
  • [food rating] 4 stars
The last word - the best Southeast Asian restaurant in town, so far...

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Pinkus Müller

Yesterday, I made my first visit to Pinkus Müller , a family owned German brewery and Westphalian restaurant operating since 1816. I was instantly impressed with the dining area. The inside of the restaurant (the dark wood-paneling, timbered ceilings, comfy chairs, old-fashioned fireplace, hanging Westphalian hams, etc.) offers a rustic dining atmosphere.



  • [food] I started out with an alcohol-free beer called Pinkus Honig Malz’. It smells ok..How does it taste? Well, I cannot find a proper word to describe it….I am not going to say it is bad as I have never had alcohol-free beer before. It tastes like ‘cold fizzy roasted barley tea with some honey and (maybe) mild Indian spices’?!...Pork and beef are featured main dishes offered by the restaurant. There are few vegetarian options (I was told by my Muensterian friends that those are not really local specialties). Since I want to experience the regional cuisine, I opted for a bacon dish (after about 20 years of being ‘meat-reducer’!!). I ordered the Westfälischer Topf’ comprises Kasseler (smoked pork chop), a Mettwurst (sausage made from raw minced pork) and a gebratener Speck (fried bacon) served with Surmoos (sauerkraut = cabbage relish) and fried potatoes. The portions were really big. While I appreciated the different flavor combination, I wasn’t too excited with the smoked pork chop and sausage as they were bland and salty; I was just content to enjoy the fried bacon and chunks of fried potato ;)
  • [service] The service was slow - very slow!! We waited more than 10 minutes for the waiter to take our order and more than an hour to be served. The hard surfaces and high ceilings combined with the huge crowd made the restaurant loud, but somehow it was tolerable.
  • [price] Little pricey, Beer + Westfälischer Topf + Water = 25.00 euros!
  • [food rating] 3 1/2 stars
My overall experience with Pinkus Müller: Slightly better than average - it’s kind of place to try Westphalian food, but I am not sure whether it will be on my regular list of places to dine.

Meine culinarische Reise durch Münster : Santorini

My first entry about restaurants in Muenster, yay! Thanks TH and KB, for accompanying me to dinner. Santorini is a good place for fresh Greek cuisine. It offers an extensive menu and comfortable dining atmosphere. The first impression I had when I stepped into the restaurant was "Chinese or Greek??". I expected the classic white (symbolizes whiteness of the Greek buildings) and blue color (color of the sea) decorations; whereas the inner space of the restaurant was decorated with vertical and horizontal lacquered red-panels and dark wood furniture.




  • [food] The restaurant serves Greek schnapps called ouzo as an aperitif and also after the meal. Since I don't drink any alcohol, the manager gave me a pack of haribo@gummibear instead of a shot of ouzo. I ordered grilled bonesless chicken breasts with paprika and tomato sauce served with plum sauce saffron-flavored rice. The chicken breasts were tender and lightly marinated. The rice was tangy and too sour - needs some improvements! The salad bar was sufficient; both salads and ouzo shots included in the price of the meal. Overall, the food was good and enjoyable, but not the best...
  • [service, scene] There was only one waitress on duty besides the manager. The waitress was friendly and speaks English - very helpful! The murals of Greek athletes (or warriors?) on the walls were *ordinary* and not interesting (in my opinion). There was good and subtle Greek music - not loud enough to disrupt our conversation. The custom printed paper serviettes include some basic Greek - German phrases - good effort! Perhaps, Greek language is easier to learn than German; as you can see, one word in Greek corresponds to two or more words in German. Is German language more difficult than modern Greek? - ich bin mir nicht sicher....
  • [price] The dinner was very reasonably price and the serving sizes were very generous. Grilled chicken + salads + half a liter of sparkling apple juice + 2 ouzo shots/gummibears = EUR15.00!
  • [food rating] Grilled Chicken Breasts & Mixed salad (3 stars)
My overall impressions of Santorini are : the food was fairly average, the service was good and the prices were very reasonable! Efharisto ^O^

KitchenPrinzessin is Back!

I am back to blogging...yes, finally! Now before I get started, I want to admit that I am not a food expert (well, I do not aspire to be one.. hi-hi). I am just someone who really enjoys different types of food/restaurants. For the next few months, I am going to explore some restaurants around Muenster... I am especially looking forward to try something beyond the regular stuffs - 'potatoes and sausages' which are star players of the German dinner plate...

Just for laughs.....

Beer - OK! Sausage - OK! Where are those Kartoffeln?!

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Kunis

Located at the corner of Lexington avenue, the Kuni's is one of the best sushi bars in town where you can enjoy a delightful Japanese cuisine. The sushi bar is named after his chef, Mr Kuni. In Japanese, 'kuni' also means 'country'.

  • [food] I had a small sushi combo (7 pieces and 1 roll) and a ebi shumai ( steamed shrimp dumpling). The sushi are fresh and filling - Not the *best* sushi/rolls I had so far, but they are above average...Don't forget to try the grilled eel sushi - they properly flavoured and very satisfying. The shrimp dumplings are tremendous - the skin on the dumpling was thin and tender - luv it!
  • [service, scene] The dining spaces are narrow, so it's more comfortable to eat outside. A reservation is necessary as the wait can be long. Try to get a seat closer to the open kitchen - it will be fascinating to watch the master chef craft sushi by his hands.
  • [price] A little pricey : Small combo ~ 17 dollars, Dumplings ~ 5.00 dollars
  • [food rating] Sushi & roll (3 1/2 stars); Dumpling (4 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Pano's on Elmwood

Pano's is a Greek restaurant operating for more than 30 years in Buffalo. Overall, the food was not bad, the service was adequate. Me and @M had a nice place to sit outside. It was a sunny, breezy day; we enjoyed our early dinner with a nice street view of Elmwood :)
  • [food] The food was not bad, but not so special either. I ordered Chicken Salonika Pasta - Greek seasoned chicken, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, artichokes, spinach, goat cheese and feta with penne pasta. The dinner was served with Greek Salad.
  • [service, scene] The whole place was quite crowded; the service was fast, despite the crowd.
  • [price] Moderately priced restaurant; pasta + salad + cola ~ 20 dollars.
  • [food rating] Pasta & Salad (3 1/2 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Mother's

Walk into Mother's, experience the relaxing ambiance and enjoy an easy romantic dinner food on a candle-lit table with soft jazz music!




Overall, the food was decent and the presentation was really nice. However, I think they are imcomparable with those from Hutch's, San Marco and LeftBank
  • [food] I started with roasted onion and gorgonzola soup; followed by pan seared yellow fin tuna topped with lime butter and melon, cucumber relish over coconut rice and baby bok choy, and finally I had a chocolate cappuccino mousse layer cake. The soup was a bit watery, for my taste. I love the seared tuna, however I felt the coconut rice and the diced melon did not fit together. Finally, the cake - a dessert to die for!!! It was very moist and scrumptious :)
  • [service, scene] I really liked the ambiance - warm and relaxing; nice decor and very friendly staffs. I was very impressed with the handwritten food menu - see the above pic :) Note: This place got a little noisy after nine, as more people gathered in the bar area.
  • [price] I paid ~34 dollars (ok, I know the fresh tuna is expensive, but the food is still pricey!)
  • [food rating] Soup (2 stars) ; Seared Tuna (3 stars) ; Dessert (4 1/2 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Left Bank

Two words that best describe LeftBank is 'delicious and happening' !! It's a weekday at 7pm and the place is crowded with customers in different age groups enjoying their meals and drinks. I guess I was lucky - the waitress helped me finding a seat at the bar. Note : Don't forget to make reservation as this restaurant operates on a reservations-only basis!


  • [food] My bar dining includes (a) Panko breaded chicken cutlets topped w/arugula, avocado, cucumber and tomato salad w/miso vinaigrette and gorgonzola cheese - The rice was flavorful - I think it was cooked in chicken broth! Overall, it was a tasty and filling meal ^O^ (b) (Dessert) Hawaiian citrus cake - d i s a s t e r!.....The cake was heavily covered with icing and the pineapple slices were not fresh at all...
  • [service, scene] Truly an American bistro; decorated with lights and nice art on the wall ... The restaurant is super loud - not a good choice for a romantic dinner!
  • [price] Pricey!! Dinner + Dessert + Soda ~ 30 dollars
  • [food rating] Panko Chicken (4 stars); Dessert (1 1/2 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Anchor Bar

One of the fun things to do in Buffalo is to try the chicken wings. Today, I went Anchor Bar (Main Street) which is known as the birthplace of chicken wing, invented by Frank and Theresa Belissimo in 1964.
  • [food] The chicken wings come in different level of spiciness - mild, medium, hot , spicy bbq or suicidal. They were served with celery and bleu cheese. I ordered the 'hot' wings - they were less oily, crispy on the outside, sour and tangy! The celery sticks were less fresh and less crunchy; further, the bleu cheese was too salty, in my opinion.
  • [service, scene] This original home of buffalo wings is certianly one of the popular tourist spots in Buffalo - The interior decor includes various license plates from travellers from different states and of course the portaits of local and non-local celebrities. The food menu looks like printed newspapers - very different, economic, and unique! There is a bunch of motorcyles on display - very cool ^O^
  • [price] The price is slightly expensive than Duffs - 10 chicken wings cost 11 dollars.
  • [food rating] Chicken wings (3 stars)
AnchorBar vs DUFFS - favorite place for wings??!! my vote goes to Duffs. They serve chicken wings with fresh celery and baby carrots, the bleu cheese flavor is just perfect!

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Original Pancake House

Did you know that 'Mardi Gras' is also known as Pancake Day in United States? Traditionally, it is the one day of the year (before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent) when almost everyone eats pancakes.
  • [food] This afternoon, I went to the Original Pancake House at Niagara Falls Boulevard. I ordered a small plate of chocolate chips pancake and a small glass of fresh squeezed orange juice. The pancake was tender and fluffy. I was not dissapointed but not so excited at the same time - There were too many chocolate chips and it was not really a unique dish..The fresh orange juice was good!
  • [service, scene] The service was ok - not so fast. The restaurant is nicely decorated (with wall decor, crystal chandeliers, ceramics, etc.), clean and equipped. I like the booth seating..very American :)
  • [price] The pancake was nice, but a little bit expensive for what you get. Pancake + Juice ~ 8 dollars!
  • [food rating] Pancake (3 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Romeo and Juliet's Cafe

Romeo and Juliet's Cafe is a great place to hang out. You can order a variety of italian food at the restaurant or grab a homemade Italian dessert at the bakery. The bakery offers different kinds of torte, pastarelle and gelato & sorbet.




  • [food] I had a DEK Oven Style Pizza called 'Pizza Alle Verdure' - a delicious botttom-toasted pizza topped with great selections of vegetables , mozzarella and romano. The crust is not soggy, is crunchy on the outside and delicate on the inside! My dessert was a peanut butter torte. The cake was good, but too rich for my taste. After all, I am not a big fan of peanut butter...
  • [service, scene] The waitress was amiable - described the menu items well, very helpful! This place has ambiance of romance and friendliness - the decor includes black and white photographs, faux grape vines, wooden furniture, etc.
  • [price] A big sized of pizza + dessert + tea : 18 dollars ++ A reasonale price!
  • [food rating] Pizza (4 stars) ; Dessert (2 1/2 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : San Marco

Heute ist mein bester Tag! I had a fine dining experience at San Marco italian restaurant. The food and the service were 2P (Phenominal and Perfecto)!!!!!






  • [food] I started with an appetizer - 'Ravioli All'Aragosta' - raviloli filled with lobster and nettles, served with baby prawns - luv it luv it ^O^ Then, I had 'Linguine Allo Scoglio'- linguine in a white wine lemon sauce with grilled shrimp, scallops, squid and mussels - yummy! Everything was excellent, however, in my opinion the finest cappuccino is only available in Italy...
  • [service, scene] excellent atmosphere and exemplary service :) Nice decor inside the restaurant - Italian pottery, wine rack, paintings, etc.
  • [price] food & drink ~ 43 dollars. If I could afford to go here more often, I would!
  • [food rating] Ravioli All'Aragosta (5 stars!) ; Pasta (4 1/2 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Saigon Bangkok

Saigon Bangkok is known as the best Thai restaurant in Buffalo. This medium sized restaurant serves Thai as well as Vietnamese cuisine. The dish was prepared well, however, based on my previous experiences with Thai food, I won't regard them as 'VERY UNUSUAL and EXCEPTIONAL'!! Overall, it was a good find, but not a triumph tho...

  • [food] For appetizer, I ordered the Satay Chicken served with peanut dipping sauce. The chicken was tender, but with a bit of blackness on the fringes - I was not so excited with the appetizer because it had some burn flavor! Further, peanut sauce was not as good as the one from Jasmine Thai! My main course was the Tamarind Tilapia - fish fillets in sweet and sour tamarind sauce with shredded ginger, onions, pineapple chunks, etc. The fillets were crispy and very tasty.
  • [service] The service was not so fast, the waitress was helpful!
  • [price] The restaurant serves a large portion sizes for a reasonable price. Appetizer + Main Course + Pop ~ USD25!
  • [scene/decor] The decor is average, the restaurant is very clean. I love the Buddha portrait on the wall ;)
  • [food rating] appetizer (2 1/2 stars) ; main course (4 stars)

My Food Journey in Buffalo : Gin Gin

Gin-Gin is listed as one 27 best restaurants in Buffalo by the Buffalo Spree magazine. This restaurant opens 7 days a week! It offers different kinds of Chinese dishes from Hunan, Szechuan and Cantonese - there are 138 options on the menu card!!!






  • [food] I ordered a lunch special combination (Szechuan Chicken & Egg Drop Soup), Eggplant w. garlic sauce and a small cold chrysanthemum tea. The lunch was good, but a bit oily. I love the Eggplant and the homemade chrysanthemum tea - a perfect popular summer beverage ^O^
  • [service] The waitress/cashier (i think she is the owner) is accommodating. However, the service was slow - I have to wait more than 30 minutes to be served a bowl of soup at this restaurant; further I received my drink at the end of my meal!!!
  • [price] A VERY generous serving size at a GREAT price! I paid 17 dollars++ for all 4 items. Both dishes were large enough to share...
  • [scene/decor] Simple in decor...includes few Chinese wall hangings.
  • [food rating] Lunch Special (3 stars) ; Eggplant (4 stars) ; chrysanthemum tea (4 1/2 stars)