A Food Lover's Journey...

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Ristorante FIU

Today, I had a seafood dinner at FIU - a restaurant which serves grilled meat and seafood. This restaurant is owned by the same owner of the Mocca d'or and Cafe Med. Although it is located within the main restaurant @ Mocca d'or, FIU has its own distinctive design features - a dining area surrounded with brick walls, a huge wine bottle rack, charcoal grill in an open kitchen, a small salad bar which includes selection of salads and several fresh seafood displayed on ice. The restaurant is decorated with black and white photos of seafood, a colorful abstract portrait, and the menus are provided on a large white board. Don't forget to check the small, old clock hanging in a corner of the room! There is limited seating inside (around 7 tables) and a small amount of outdoor seating.

[food] The complimentary homemade bread served with dips set the evening off to a good start. I love the sun-dried tomato dip!!!The grilled fish set meal includes a decent sized Zander fillet and a large bowl of salad with yummy yogurt sauce. The main course served with some tomato sauce and a seasoned bread. The fish fillet was well prepared to ensure they retained their taste of seafood. The sauce could have simply benefited from a little extra seasoning though...
[service] The service was slow - good grilling takes time anyway!
[price] Prix fixe (A fish fillet with salad) = EUR 13.40 .. Affordable and generous portion
[rating] Fish fillet - 4 stars

In a nutshell, if you are a fish-lover, this place is worth visiting :) The drawbacks are that the restaurant offers limited menu and the a la carte options are little pricey. The restaurant is small, so reservations are highly recommended.

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Enchilada

Today we had our Mexican dinner at Enchilada. The restaurant is an old brick building with high ceiling and large arched windows. There are two floors with a seating area. The ground floor has an inside bar and a larger dining area, whereas the upper floor is a balcony with the view of the ground floor. A dumb waiter is used to deliver the food from the ground floor to the upper floor. The restaurant offers a nice atmopshere that is perfect for dining with friends. It provides an extensive menu and a decent range of cocktails and other beverages.

(Alcohol free cocktail @ Safe Drive Home with orange, pineapple, lime, maracuja, etc. A little too sour for my taste...)

(My favourite and highly recommended!
The Ginger Gruen with lemon, orange, ginger ale, etc.)

[food] I had the 'tres miniburritos' or three mini burritos with different fillings (a) chicken and cheese (b) Chilli con Carne, Mexican rice and vegetables (c) Spinach and cheese. They were served with cheese, sour cream and tomato dips. I appreciate much the food presentation, however the quality of the food did not meet my expectations. First, the food was not warm enough. Second, the fillings were not well seasoned. Finally, the dips were just ordinary. Overall, in my opinion the food lacks the authentic taste of Mexican food....
[service] The service was decent...
[price] 2 cocktails + Burritos ~ 16 EUR. A good-sized portion at a reasonable price. Note: Half-price cocktails are available during Happy Hour (6-8pm) everyday!
[rating] Tres miniburritos : 3 stars

Conclusions: Average food - not impressive tho! The atmosphere was good..the highlight was the ginger cocktail! Don't miss the half-price cocktail hour ;)

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Heaven Restaurant

It's a Girls Night! We gathered to have dinner at Heaven Restaurant & Club. This large-spaced restaurant has several areas - the dining area, the dance floor, the comfy lounges with canopy and the open kitchen. The simple and nice decor reflects a contemporary feel with dark wood floors, half length white drapes hanging over the wall, classic candle holders on long tables and modern hanging chandeliers. These elements along with high ceilings and subtle background music create a warm, welcoming atmosphere...

[food] The restaurant offers mainly the Thai and Italian specialties. I had the Thai yellow curry with chicken and well-cooked rice. Good food with lots of vegetables and chicken breast, but didn't 'wow' me tho.. The curry sauce was runny, not creamy enough. The dessert menu is limited and wasn't tempting (in my opinion).
[service] The wait was a bit long, but tolerable. The waitress was courteous and attentive. I was impressed when she brought me a menu printed with English descriptions - without me asking for it! On the other hand, the other waitress left the check on the table and she never came back! We had to figure out the price of each meal....
[price] Special offer every Wednesday @ One Thai dish only costs about 8 eur! With a voucher from Gutscheinbuch Muenster, I paid only 10 eur for Thai Yellow Curry & 2 bottles of mineral water & tips. Danke BL, muah!
[rating] Thai Yellow Curry : 3 1/2 stars

Conclusions: Average food at a reasonable price, especially a good offer on Wednesdays! The service depends on the waitress - I had the great and average service...Simple yet elegant ambiance!

Der leckere Käsekuchen von Muenster...

I decided to write something different this time...I have a HUGE sweet tooth! My favorites are chocolate & carrot flavored cakes, I don't usually like cheesecake that much tho ..I always think that unlike bread & cheese, cake and cheese don't fit well! But, not in Germany...I found that the cheesecakes in Germany (or Käsekuchen) are quite different from other cheesecakes I have had before... I have been told that Käsekuchen is made with quark cheese instead of cream cheese - a good alternative to get rid of some extra calories ;) Here are some short reviews about Käsekuchen from few bakeries around Muenster:

Schrunz Bäckerei
Not as good as a cheesecake that is baked fresh daily; the cream was way too sweet and not fluffy...don't like the thin 'jelly' layer on the top of the cheese cake.
Price : 1.20 EUR
Rating : 3 stars

Essmann
The cheese cake was creamy, light and not too sweet..tasted great! I would have preferred not to have the sugary crust on the top of the cake.
Price: 1.40 EUR
Rating : 4 stars

Leusig (Kappenberger Damm 15)
Probably my favorite out of all I tried. Unlike other cheese cakes which come with a very thin sponge cake layer spread with cheese filling, this cheese cake was perfectly balanced with creamy filling and sponge cake layers. It tasted really fresh, like homemade! Again, I would have preferred not to have the icing sugar...
Price: 1.30 EUR
Rating : 4.5 stars
Note: The bakery offers cheese cakes only on Tuesdays and Fridays...;)

Cibaria Vollkornbäckerei (Bremer Str 56)
The good point is the cheese cake was made with organic ingredients. However, it is not my preferred cheesecake. I found the cheesecake filling to be a bit dry ('powdery') and heavy..
Price: 1.80 EUR
Rating : 2.5 stars

Floyd Coffee Lounge
A decent, not too sweet cheesecake with a thin bottom layer. I probably would not buy it again, as I found it to be over priced and the portion was very small.
Price: 1.15 EUR
Rating : 3.5 stars

Effings Backstube GbR Inh. Ralf Rötters
The bakery products are also available at the Muenster farmer's market. The cheese cake tasted rich, creamy and not too sweet! If you like a very thin sponge layer with much cheese filling, then this is probably the best option. Note that the baker sells only the half-cake or the whole cake. The price is unbeatable, just 5.00 EUR for the whole cake..wu-hooo...!
Rating : 4.0 stars

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Mandarin China-Restaurant

Today is Chinese New Year's eve; I did a short research online on where we might be able to find authentic Chinese food in Muenster. Finally, we decided to have dinner at Mandarin China-Restaurant as it was highly rated. Unfortunately, for me, perhaps it is overrated! I was not so impressed with the food...however, the ambiance is very nice.. The interior of this medium-sized restaurant consists of traditional dining sets with an artificial fish pond in the middle of the restaurant, a big golden Smiley Buddha, modern ceiling lights, windows with etched glass vinyl decals, etc.

[food] I started my dinner with a bowl of Mandarin soup with some minced chicken and vegetables. The soup was light and decent. Then, I had one of the classic dish that usually served in many Chinese restaurants 'Gong-Bao-Ji-Ding' - a medley of chicken, paprika, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, carrots, etc. The food presentation was superb, however the flavor just didn't meet my expectations - the sauce was a bit watery and too salty for my taste.
[service] A warm and friendly customer service ;) The waitress was very attentive to us . In fact, they were patiently waiting for us to leave - we were the last customers in the restaurant when we left!
[price] Large portions for a reasonable price.. Soup + Gong-Bao-Ji-Ding + Apfel Schorle = 15.00 EUR
[rating] Gong-Bao-Ji-Ding: 3 stars ; Mandarin Soup : 3 stars

The good points are : the ambiance is great and the restaurant offers a big range of food(Chinese & Japanese). Also, I appreciated the food presentation and the friendly customer service. However, the food didn't 'wow' me, possibly because the sauce didn't cling to the pieces of chicken and vegetables.

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Trattoria Adria da Leo e Toni

Don't let the fact that "it is a small place situated outside the city center" fool you! Trattoria Adria is a small and cozy Italian restaurant which offers extensive menu featuring soup, salad, appetizer, pizza, pasta, seafood dishes, etc. The restaurant is very nicely decorated with white and red color scheme. There are few paintings hanging on the wall, the most eye-catching painting is the Michelangelo's 'The Creation of Adam'.

Here is the picture of Leo & Toni - the owners of this little place, they have been running the business for almost 20 years..and they are enthusiastic and very entertaining :)

@Goodies from the owner: A bottle of wine and an Italian flag lollipop - Grazie Toni :)

[food]Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the owner. He served a complimentary plate of bread with creamy garlic dip - the bread was nothing special...I had the pasta nera @ black pasta with decent amount of seafood (shrimps, sea scallops) and cherry tomatoes. The pasta and seafood were perfectly cooked and seasoned!The waiter was very attentive - I requested a half slice of tiramisu which he offered without hesitation. The dessert was delicious - it was fluffy and not too sweet..luv it!!! At the end of our dinner, we received complementary glasses of grappa from the owner...
[service] The service at Trattoria Adria is FIRST CLASS! Both leo and toni are friendly and very entertaining!
[price] Cola 2x + Pasta + Tiramisu ~ 22.00 EUR.. A fair price - after all, the food portions are quite large and seafood is expensive!
[rating] Pasta nera: 4 1/4 stars ; Tiramisu : 4 1/2 stars

Conclusions : A little, homey restaurant which offers amazingly large menu...Delicious food at decent price and most importantly, the service is top-notch! Reservations are highly recommended. A must visit, if you are a foodie ;)

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Prütt Cafe

I am not a strict vegetarian nor a truly carnivore. I wanted to try something a bit different, so I decided to visit the Prütt Cafe with my pescetarian friends. The cafe is ideally situated, just being within a short walking distance from the main station. I found the atmosphere is very nice and cozy. The seating area is divided by a short staircase into two sections. There is a notice board near the main entrance which includes local events/concerts announcements. The cafe is equipped with a mix of simple wooden tables, comfy benches, round dining sets, a magazine rack, etc. The menu is not extensive but sufficient. The cafe serves salads, soups, pizzas, desserts, and small plate dishes like baked potato, falafel, etc. Don't forget to check out the daily specials which are offered in addition to the menu items.

[food] I ordered a Sencha, and it was a bit bitter. The pizzas at Prutt are unique in terms of ingredients. I had a small potato pizza with goat cheese, olives and onions. The idea of a pizza with a wholemeal base was quite 'new' for me. I liked the cheese topping; with some crushed tomatoes, the pizza would have tasted better. We shared a ginger brownie - a good balance of flavors, however it was a bit dry and flaky - missing the chewy texture of a brownie..
[service]The service was decent. Our reservation was cancelled by mistake and the waitress managed to get a table for us - that was nice ;) It took a while to receive our courses, but the waiting period was tolerable.
[price] A small pizza+ sencha + brownie ~ 10.00 EUR
[food rating] Potato pizza - 3 1/4 stars ; Brownie - 2 1/2 stars

Remarks : I passed by Prütt Cafe many times and it is always full, so a reservation is a must! I am not so excited with the food, but I am glad that I tried a wholemeal organic pizza - certainly, a new experience for me :) The cafe has nice atmosphere - could be an option just hang around and drink cappuccino!

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Hafez Restaurant

Today, I had my first experience eating Persian food. Initially, we (J, P and me) wanted to go to Fatamorgana (a Syrian restaurant), but it was closed... Luckily, we found Hafez @ a Persian restaurant located close to Fatamorgana. ..Hafez is a medium-sized restaurant which offers delicious Persian specialties. As you walk into this restaurant, you will smell 'curry' in the air..It might smell a bit musty at the beginning, but it takes just time to get used to it...The ambiance is good, with Persian (maybe?) music playing in the background. The decor is modern with a classic touch; large wooden framed mirrors are arranged horizontally on the wall to make the place looks bigger..

[food] The waitress served some complementary flat bread with a plate of mixed green leaves and cheese. The bread were kind of dry... For starters, we opted for a plate of Kashk-e Bademjan (Persian eggplant stew) served with mixed salads and creamy yogurt sauce. The combination of eggplant with eggs was mind blowing!!! I truly enjoyed the appetizer!!! I ordered a platter of a grilled baby lamb fillet served with saffron rice, a grilled tomato and mixed salads. I was pleased with the lamb - the meat was juicy and tender. The rice itself was good - don't forget to melt a slice of butter over the rice, it enhances the taste of food :)
[service] Attentive service...the waitress explained about the menu and food preparation, unfortunately in German!
[price] Appetizer + Main Course + Water + ApfelSchorle ~ 21.00 EUR, a reasonable price as the portions were generous!
[food rating] Appetizer - 4.5 stars ; Main Course - 4 stars

It is like 'love at first sight' - I fall in love with Persian food right on my first try at Hafez.. We were there for almost 2 hours, and when we left the restaurant, it was still almost empty(Gosh, I wonder why!)... This restaurant offers good food with affordable price & friendly service..so, go for it! A small remark - you might smell a bit like 'curry' after your meal tho... hu-hu

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : Sakanaya

It is about sushi again! But, this time they come with a VERY reasonable price... Sakanaya Sushi Bar & Taxi is a very small sushi restaurant located at HafenStr. The restaurant mainly runs as a delivery service; however it also offers a small seating area with few sushi and tall tables. With their online website, you can browse the restaurant menu and order the sushi of your choice. In general, the atmosphere is simple and clean, but you can't expect a full Japanese dining experience with its decor...

@the sushi lovers (TF, PM, LP) - Thanks for joining ^O^

[food] I had the 'All You Can Eat Dinner' which includes a miso soup as a starter dish, a plate of Maki and Uramaki, followed by a second plate of Nigiri, and finally a choice of a Temaki roll. The miso soup was ok, a little more tofu would be better. It was a chef's choice sushi combo; I wish they offered tamago, inari nigiri. The sushi rice here requires some effort; it was a bit dry and not sticky! The rolls were small (not really a big issue for me), and some of the nigiri were not fresh...e.g, ebi & maguro nigiri. The Unagi Temaki (grilled eel with avocado) was delightful.
[service] The service was fast; the waiter was friendly.
[price] Sushi Combo + Green Tea ~ 16 EUR ... You just can't beat the price!!!
[food rating] Sushi Combo - 3 stars

Conclusions : You can't really expect to get a first-class sushi (like in Tokia Acacia) with the prices of sushi at Sakanaya, but if you are looking for average quality sushi with an amazing price, this sushi bar is a good option. Due to limited number of tables, it might be not a good place to hang out with a large group of people.

Meine Culinarische Reise durch Münster : ScharferZahn

Just back from dinner with TH, KH and BG. Thanks guys... it really turned out well :)
We had our dinner at ScharferZahn - A hidden treasure in a residential area! It is located along the Wolbecker Street - about 1.5km from the main station. The restaurant has been owned since 2009 by Gaby Gausepohl. A simple countryside atmosphere, well stocked bar, wooden furniture, several black and white 'mini' pictures on the wall. Check out the wall and ceiling murals, especially the mural portraying the owner with her big motorcycle - cool!

[food] House specialities include steaks (beef, pork, turkey or chicken) along with 12 kinds of sauces (mild, hot or sweet& sour) and choices of potato (french fries, potato wedges, mashed potatoes or cajun fries). I began with the compliment 'mini-bread' with garlic sauce and mixed salad - that was a good start! Then, I had the 'ScharferZahn de Pollo' - a grilled chicken served with mashed potatoes with sour cream and ScharferZahn special BBQ hot sauce. The hot sauce went well with the chicken steak. The chicken was relatively tender and flavourful, most importantly, it was NOT dried and burnt! The mashed potatoes were just as good :)
[service] On arrival, the owner personally greeted us - that was nice :) The service was friendly and fast. Note that there were not many customers when we were there, so it might be a bit slow during busy hours...
[price] Mini-bread, salad, chicken steak with choices of dipping sauce and potato , water, cola = just 15.50 EUR..... A R2 - A 'Ridiculously Reasonable' price!!!!
[rating] Food - 4 .5 stars

To conclude, ScharferZahn offers all the elements you want - amazing food (freshly prepared steak) with a VERY reasonable price, a good service, a cosy atmosphere. The only drawback is the menu is limited to steaks besides one type of noodle with beef/chicken/turkey and some finger food.