Risorante Il Cherubino

Risorante Il Cherubino
Rue de Turi
L-3378 Livange
Luxembourg
14 and 16 december 2015

http://ilcherubino.lu/bienvenuti.html

During our stay in Luxembourg after long hours you don't really want to go into town but eating in the hotel is also not very attractive. We tried the italian restaurant next door. In this part away from the city, not reachable without a car and kind of middle of nowhere. It was not full but quite a lot of people inside. We went a lot of times and haven't seen an empty restaurant, they must be doing something very well. Let's try ...

The menu is pretty large and has a good combination between nice dishes and pizza's. The first night tried the lamb chops and ended with a Tiramisu. The second night the grilled scampies and a pana cotta to end with.  The lamb chops were good, maybe a bit too dry but nice of taste and quite a portion, served with some pan fried poatoes. The Tiramisu is not as good as my own italian (Il Delfino Blue). It lacks a bit of taste. The scampies were also a bit to dry and could gave been grilled a little less. Also quite a portion and more than enough. The Panna Cotta was not so good, and lacked a lot of taste and had much starch in it.

So after this I must admit it was quite oke. Could be better but for the price and quality and amount it was pretty oké. With a bit more finess it would be good. The staff and service is excellent. They even did some X-Mas decorating in the restaurant. For a quick bite it's good. And beats the hotel menu by far. And with a large group it's perfect.

Lentze Parc

Lentze Parc
212 Rue de Luxembourg
8077 Bertrange
Luxembourg

http://www.lentzeparc.lu/


From a local we received this address. A restaurant with a nice terrace overlooking a part of Lyxembourg. Must be really nice during the summer. And from the street you can't see this restaurant, you really need to stop at nr, 212 drive to the parking places and look for it on the left :-).

It's a traditional restaurant with traditional a menu.

 Since not too hungry decided to have a main course only. I choose the traditional Salade Gourmande. Since I hadn't had a piece of foie in a long long time ... It looked very good on the plate. Was a bit much salad and not too many ingredients like the magret fumé - hardly there. It could have been a bit more 'decorated'.

Quality was good though. Afterwards a small appetizer would have been nice.

Must go back sometime and try the local specialities. And than especially in summer.

Van Rijn - Amsterdam

Van Rijn
Rembrandtplein 17
1017 CT  Amsterdam
+31 20 450 0555

What a stunning place. High ceilings, good location and new staff. With new I mean starting staff. Asking every step if all is oké, little bit too much but hey better than most places that's for sure.

We were with a group and had a small menu :


Peking Quail served with a pancake with hoisin, cucumber, sellery and red pepper

Plaice (Schol in NL) with aubergine compote, dried tomato and capers

Strawberries with creme fraiche ice cream, elderberry cream ice, cabernet sauvignon and basil


Menu was good, the quail was excellent, and for a place this big, holding up so many people it's pretty good. Not too fancy, good food and quality. The place it self is magic, helps too :-) Don't forget the toilets as well. And look around for all the details.

Ron Gastrobar Oriental - Amsterdam

Ron Gastrobar Oriental
Kerkstraat 23
1017 GA  Amsterdam
+31 20 223 5352

The second Gastrobar of Ron Blaauw but now on to the oriental style. Don't really know what to think of it. The place is perfect, nice bar on which lot of people eat, combined with lots of tables, two kitchens and a nice menu card.

Staff is (in beginning) not very helpful. We had to wait way to long for attention and or a drink. While there has been eye contact. Luckily it was better at the end but not very nice in begin. Almost left the place...

The menu is well presented and looks like there is enogh to choose from. For the menu you'll be givin it's quite a high price at the end of yout meal. Especially with prices like € 3,00 for an espresso ... That's too much for this quality. The meal is very high on flavor. Spicy (3 stars) is actually oké not too spicy so if like really really spicey no worries at all.

We had two starters

Shrimp toast with foie (1)
Octopus tempura (2)
pretty pricy for what you get. It's nice but especially the octopus could be better, bit more Octopus would have been nice.

Had some dumplings as well (4 + 5)
Dai Tie Sieuw Mai & Kai Kauw Choi Kau
Very good, fresh made in the seperate kitchen and full of flavour. Beats the dumplings from the well known freezers by miles...
We also took the Soft Shell Crab (3), love this dish ... soft shell crab is sooooo good.

Decided to have an extra go for the
Coquille with black beans (7)
Sweet and sour Shrimps (6)
Coquille was not the best combination as of some other dishes what you get for this price. Could do better. The Shrimps were perfect and well worth the money.


So that's why I started the way I did. Staff is not very well at times, the food is not always what you expect for small plate of € 15,00. So overall it's oké but could do some extra work. Not a place I 'need' to go back to next week.

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Taste of Amsterdam 2015

Taste of Amsterdam 2015
Amstelpark
http://www.tasteofamsterdam.com/

The Weeknd ...

the weeknd number....

Eataly - Torrino / Italia

Eataly
Via Nizza 230
10126 Torino (Lingotto)
Italia

http://www.eataly.com/


What can we say .. a combination (for the Dutch foodies) between the Markthallen in Rotterdam, The Food hallen in Amsterdam, the new Jumbo Foodmarket. Combining the food for preparation at home, to go for a quick bite or just to eat inside. From the best espresso untill the best fresh fish and everything in between. Completed with presentation rooms. It's a foodies heaven. The prices of the ingredients are not for everyone (especially the fresh fish) but the items to eat in are good priced. Especially for the quality served. And it was full (not too many seats but all full).

Only two pictures that shows how they present their fresh bread and fish it's just a big treat :-) And of course they have fresh vegtables and fruits. They do have pastries, meat, pasta, chocolates etc, etc ....

Even a special café for the best espresso after the meal :-) And that espresso is really good, best one of those two days. If in the proximity you should definitely have a look and take your lunch there. If you sit between the fish and meat preparation areas you can order both :-)

They also serve for onlt € 1,00 bread and water as much as you want. And good quality bread - of course fresh from the own bakery. And a whole bottle of sparkling or still water as well. It's a treat to eat here. Should definitely work in Amsterdam ... :-)

Loetje aan 't IJ

Loetje aan 't IJ
Werfkade 14
1033 RA  Amsterdam

http://loetjeaantij.loetje.com/

Been to I think all stores of Loetje. And here in the North of Amsterdam a few times. So I won't say much other than ... place is packed again and .... service and food impecable. They do amaze me though. Every time the same good quality and the same quick and pleasant service. This place is amazing though. Next to the water, nice ceiling (just have a look when you're there) and build in a round - like it very much !

So I wrote my first small visit in 2007 I think .... still one of the best to date ... Impressive !

So only will put 1 photo who says it all ...

19 IT - Amsterdam

Bar Restaurant 19IT                                   
Tweede Jacob van Campenstraat 140
1073 XZ Amsterdam
+31 20 36 22 300

http://www.19it.nl

Rather new (during the time of this blog) is this bar restaurant a little of the 'high' streets but in the perfect 'Pijp' neighbourhood. A very stylish interieur with an open bar in stead of an open kitchen. Small preparations and coffee from an open bar. That's really something else and gives a good vibe. The staff can look from the monitors in the back and they really come right away so no feeling coming into a place were you need to waite for some attention ...

Two italian chefs that use fresh ingredients and pay a lot of attention to the presentation of the plates. It came to my attention and since they have a small breakfast offer just ran in for a small visit. They even have a flag outside saying The Breakfast Club De Pijp. Actually they don't have very much for breakfast so we ordered a smoothie and a sandwich (looked like 'Speltbrood' from BBrood) egg with salmon. referring to the breakfast is a bit of strange ... All very well presented and very tastefull. And a very well made cappuccino. I know only drink cappuccino in the morning and never during or especially after a meal, but than again I'm not an italian ... :-)

A very nice place, rather quite only table with a mother and daughter next to us. Maybe because it's just so new but looking at the menu Ill be visiting soon for lunch or diner.

Stek - Amsterdam

Stek
Wibautstraat 95
1091 GK  Amsterdam
+31 6 36577000

Ontbijt - Lunch - Borrel

A new (about 6 months) place along the Wibautstraat. Two friends that wanted to do something completely new than their former job. They decorated the place very nice. Industrial with old lamps (from the Overtoom :-)) nice wooden tables if they were just picked out of an old school with dito matching chairs. Very nice longer tables with steal frames and glass table tops. Looking very good. The kitchen is a little mess though and not properly set up (at least that's what I think ...)

People are nice but were still in startup mode and the place was already open for 30 minutes. Took them a while, we had to wait for at least 20-30 minutes for two simple breakfast dishes. That's really too long. The Cappuccino was oke, but little too cold. Prices look oké but for the plate you get you can do much better in Amsterdam. The sausages for the (left) English Breakfast were good, the bread was oke. The egss benedict were served on a toasted (but cokd) brioche bread which was so so and the benedict had a little bit too much vinegar. I miss a little the foodie touch....